By Merle Widmer, Peoria County Board Member

The schools blame the parents for poorly performing kids. The parents blame the schools for poorly performing schools. There is plenty of blame for both. But a closer examination is required. Where did the parent-parents come from?

Let’s go back 2-3 generations. Didn’t these failed generations of parents come from our public schools? Of course, a lot of these failed parents dropped out. Dropped out because the schools and teachers were so boring, the curriculum so boring, nothing vocational, and the environment to boring? Lack of ever being taught to have a strong work ethic? Weak boards, Peter Principle Administrators, Or what?

I suggest most educators do not understand or agree with this once prominent Peter Principle because promoting by diversity and tenure is rampant in the public sector.

Why the failure of 2-3 generations of “ex-students” parents. Was it because of peer pressure? Was it poverty, drug use, teachers, curriculum, dis-like or lack of any real discipline, mental problems or all of the above?

All of the above is the correct answer. But in the end it is like what comes first; the cause or the effect? The major problem rests with the failure of the public school systems to perform. And it starts at the top. The failure of the school board first and passes to the superintendent and all under him or her.

A school is a second home. When you enter the environment of a good parent, you follow the good parent’s “rules”. When you enter the environment of a good school, you follow the rules of a good school.

Too often, not true. Why not? Teachers fear of parents, fear of principals, who are in fear of superintendents who are in fear of boards who fear no one as proven only once or so, in Peoria Public School District #150. Why would board members be in fear? They are not required to answer and questions at board meetings, and few more competent want to run for their jobs. They can quit at the end of their term and their incompetence is forgotten.

Generally speaking the boards of all public bodies are weak. Attribute the growth of self-seeking hostile unions in the public sector as opposed to the private sector where better boards and better management leads to less needs for unions.

Until the traditional, out-moded method of electing unqualified citizens to boards responsible for large multi-million dollar budgets, supervising thousands of kids and employees, the only positive changes (there are always exceptions, it is possible the new administrator at #150 will accomplish what she promised; none have since Harry Whittaker) will come as a result of competition. All these surveys, mostly conducted by liberal think groups, believers in strong unions, promotion by tenure, diversity and multiculturalism and no firing, will come up with results that try to prove charter schools and private schools, etc., don’t work.

Face it, good parents, you are just as much responsible for lack of change as the poor or bad parents. The majority of you have been silent too long.

Most public schools lack proper recognition of student learning performance, lack of discipline of kids and of/by teachers alike, sloppy dress, neat appearances; best noted in most parochial and private schools, and an overly liberal teaching demeanor limited by their lack of knowledge of how to survive in the real world. An obvious lack of conservative values. Why? Because of improper indoctrination; all of the above exhibited by liberal teachers and professors dominating our colleges today. Plus, too many teachers coming from the lower half of their graduating classes and lack abilities to get the jobs they would really like. Exception: All you dedicated teachers, most of you still would like to be recognized with more than just a thank you or a plaque. Or my personal thanks to you.