Today is a very sad day in the Morden home. It is not just the end of a school year. Today marks the day our son's teacher retires. Mr. Bryll Schultz is by far the most amazing educator to ever grace the halls of Colfax Charter Elementary. Teachers like him should be celebrated and praised. Instead, they are forced into an early retirement by a system that sees them as the problem when in reality, it is the flawed system that is beyond repair. All too often, the drive for more money from the states coffers eclipses and outweighs a solid educational foundation at a primary school level. Striving for high test scores has become the norm. The focus of many schools has shifted from learning to test taking because of the financial rewards for high scores. This approach, I believe, has caused the degeneration of California's public schools. Our state has steadily declined in educational rankings. The inception of California's Public Schools Accountability Act has only made the decline worse. It is a travesty that schools are more concerned with children being able to test well than to actually gain the tools to help them truly learn. I vehemently believe one of the reason California's schools are suffering is because the focus has shifted from learning to the drill and kill method of teaching the standardized test. For 2010, California ranked number 46 out of 50 states according to StateMaster.com.
We are blessed Declan was assigned to Mr. Schultz class. After the turbulent year, Declan's one constant was Mr. Schultz. As sad as I am that Mr. Schultz is retiring (tearfully so), I am most sad that future children won't know the wit, caring or encouragement from someone who doesn't teach for a paycheck but does so because he actually gives a damn. At the same time, we are lucky to know that what Mr. Schultz has given Declan is something that will play a prominent role in his life...forever. Declan gained practical knowledge. He gained the ability to think more critically. He knows the easy road is not always the best. He knows that his opinion is important even if it goes against the masses. Mr. Schultz has fostered not only a love for learning, but also a sense of self worth in my child. I will forever be grateful. Mr. Schultz, saying thank you will never be enough.
We are blessed Declan was assigned to Mr. Schultz class. After the turbulent year, Declan's one constant was Mr. Schultz. As sad as I am that Mr. Schultz is retiring (tearfully so), I am most sad that future children won't know the wit, caring or encouragement from someone who doesn't teach for a paycheck but does so because he actually gives a damn. At the same time, we are lucky to know that what Mr. Schultz has given Declan is something that will play a prominent role in his life...forever. Declan gained practical knowledge. He gained the ability to think more critically. He knows the easy road is not always the best. He knows that his opinion is important even if it goes against the masses. Mr. Schultz has fostered not only a love for learning, but also a sense of self worth in my child. I will forever be grateful. Mr. Schultz, saying thank you will never be enough.
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