We Don't Need No Education

In a cutthroat market such as our global market, we do need education. The question is: what kind of education will help people get jobs? An education that teaches them how to be creative, accepting of changes, and efficient.

I was in education in Brazil and in California. While in Brazil there was an attitude of laissez-faire,which is part of Brazilian culture, here someone who wants to be a credentialed teacher is subjected to student teaching. What is student teaching? I paid USC for six units to be a slave, for I worked for free, gratis, for my master teacher, whose education was far below mine. I am an architect, English teacher, applied linguist. She frowned if I didn't know something. She taught me nothing except the fact the millieu is peopled by back-biting fellow-teachers. Ms. Orneryez took me to the principal claiming I had no lesson plans. My backpack was stacked with them. She claimed I didn't spend time planning with her. I did have to make a living teaching somewhere else.

I was told my clothes were not teacher's clothes and I couldn't chew gum. I got sick like a dog, from being exposed to kids' germs. I had to hang in there to finish the blessed student teaching so I could get an emergency credential.

Lesson learned ? Creativity in putting someone down, a Big Brother is watching you attitude, watch your back. This was education step one.

At my first elementary school job I learned punctuality, as if I were a journalist on a deadline. I learned how to cross the t and dot the i. My mentor teacher showed me how the letter t is shorter than the letter d.

I learned to keep my plan book up-to-date. I learn resilience. I was slapped by a mother my first day in school because her darling was being made fun of. I learned how to cope with classrooms broken into, feces on the floor, smeared on kids' work. Nobody got combat pay; we survived as did the kids. This was at LAUSD.

At SMMUD, I learned to kisss up to wanna-bes and Latino parents. I learned about keeping the classroom beautiful, reaching as deeply as possible into my own pockets, SMMUSD's favorite trick for both teachers and parents. I learned comraderie, aka back-biting, hadn't changed from my days as a student-teacher.

So that is how I learned to be creative, accepting of changes, and efficient. Who will help our children?

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