We Used Older Texts: The Educational Quality Was Much Better

I went to New York City public schools when I was a child. This meant I actually got a great education, on a par with some of the best private schools in the country, because I went to Stuyvesant High School.

Prior to that, however, I had several tough teachers that pushed their students. They were able to do this because most of their students were the children of immigrants.

If a teacher sent a child home with a note reprimanding bad behavior, the immigrant parents would be more likely to punish the child.

This did not mean the parents couldn’t be fiercely protective — when a girl pulled a knife on me in 2nd grade, my mother went down to the school and read them the riot act and had the girl transfered.

Mom and Dad valued education, and therefore so did I.

When it was time to go to high school, I entered the 10th grade at Stuyvesant. I had already skipped ahead a grade through another NYC program — I did grades 7–9 in 2 years, not 3. All the other students in that particular class did that. For those of us who went on to the elite public high schools — Stuy, Bronx High School of Science and Brooklyn Tech — the schools made accomodation.

In some ways, the New York public schools really did encourage smart children. However, in other ways they did not.

For example, we got the oldest text books, the most worn out desks, the most decrepit gym equipment. The administration of the schools seemed to think that this made sense, and in many ways it probably did.

One good thing that came out of this — I remember using a science text book from the 1950s in my 9th grade science class. The educational quality was much better.

In fact, I could see this like the rings on trees as we went back through time — each text book from the decade before was more advanced.

While the actual science from earlier times needed updates, the basics were much better explained. So the history text from 1950 was more detailed and well written. The biology text actually gave a much better explanation of the basic science; my teacher then gave us additional notes and readings.

The further along we went in the decade, the worse the textbooks got in terms of actually teaching anything of value.

I remember a friend of mine, a college professor, who complained about the decline among his students. His wife and I were friends and we were out for dinner when he started to gripe about how his new freshmen needed remedial English and math courses.

This was 20 years ago and I doubt things have gotten better.

It wasn’t just academic, either. Boys who grew up in the 1940s and 1950s could fix things. If I needed help with my leaky faucet, I knew to ask the older guys at work or church, the ones who had built their own soapbox racer using a lawn mower engine.

Both boys and girls were more inclined to independent thought.

The women who went to work in the factories during WWII didn’t all happily go back to being housewives after the war. Some wanted to keep working. And they did.

Black and white soldiers fought side by side against common enemies. Did they suddenly lose all that when the war was over?

There were reasons the protests of the 60s and 70s occurred when they did, and there will be reasons that we’ll have more rebellious behaviour from those coming of age now.

As the American education system has continued to decline, more and more immigrants have taken over American PhD programs and have been getting patents and starting companies in this country. Immigrants and their children are less likely to be watching Tik Tok and more likely to be getting into competitive graduate programs.

However, there also seems to be a revolution brewing.

Recently I was listening to the YouTube site Cartier Family and thought they were fantastic. They are not brainwashed and they are independent thinkers.

I have know more and more friends who took their children out of public schools and home schooled them. Sometimes they team up with other families when it makes sense. So one parent who got her degree in math might teach algebra to the group, while one who majored in history might discuss the Norman Conquest.

Their children participate in sports leagues through the local YMCA or are allowed to participate in theater or music programs with their local high schools.

These kids are very indepenent. Some of the ones I know started their own small businesses before they hit their teens. One girl I know learned several languages. She is now in her 20s and speaks French, German, Italian, and Russian fluently. She is also a decent violinist and gymnast.

Another thing I’ve noticed — more young people (both men and women) are going into trades because it’s one of the best ways to get to your own business. I know a woman who, in her 20s, is taking over her father’s AC business and another woman who recently started a job as a mechanic.

Other people I know get 2 year degrees in the health care industry, which is also booming right now.

I remember a few years ago offering this advice to a friend of mine who is in her 20s now. She was a neighbor I’d gotten to know. She is bright but not academically gifted.

“Why do you think college is your only option?” I asked.

But her grandparents wanted her to go and would pay for it. Then she graduated with a popular degree and no job offers. The competitiion was stiff in her field.

Of course, if I were in her shoes I might have made the same decisions. It’s always easier to see what’s on the other side. The reality is that each of us must find our own path.

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This post was previously published on Shefali O’Hara’s blog.

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