[speaker001:] Okay, I guess we're supposed to discuss the, uh, school system. That shouldn't be too much trouble for the two of us. Right?
[speaker002:] No. As many years as we've been involved in one. I really feel fortunate in that there, even though there are problems, they're not a lot of problems where I teach.
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] [Lipsmack] But from talking to people in other districts there are some major problems, uh, with dropouts. Uh, when I was in Minnesota last summer
[speaker001:] Uh-huh [sniffing].
[speaker002:] there was a teacher who said that, uh, on a given day she didn't know how many of her students would show up and sometimes they didn't even show up for class and she taught in high school in inner city, uh, Minneapolis.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] And, uh, they just didn't come to school.
[speaker001:] That's really sad isn't it? [throat clearing].
[speaker002:] And I cannot imagine being able to do much of anything when they don't even come to school.
[speaker001:] Right. Well just recently in the paper here, were articles about students, uh, working. High school students
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] that work and the percentage of hours that they work and how that affects their grades. But then the follow-up the next day was, I was kind of glad to see, [NOISE] because it, it said that, you know, yes but for those students who are determined to do well anyway, that, you know, handling a job was very possible.
[speaker002:] [Lipsmack].
[speaker001:] You know, and that it seemed to have more to do [pause] with other factors.
[speaker002:] I think so too.
[speaker001:] You know like, what are their plans after high school, you know. And what's their home situation. You know that,
[speaker002:] The home is the key.
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] I think really is because if the home,
[speaker001:] [Breathing].
[speaker002:] does not place a high priority on education
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] and, uh, the-, the main goal is making money now and it may be a survival thing
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] for the family, which you can understand.
[speaker001:] Sure.
[speaker002:] So, uh,
[speaker001:] But there can still be an attitude of
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] you know, this is a stopgap measure because we need it right now, but, but that the most important thing is still, [pause] you know
[speaker002:] Your education.
[speaker001:] getting your education.
[speaker002:] [Breathing].
[speaker001:] Well when they meant, said the, the topic, you know, of what's wrong with the public schools, my, my first im-, impulse was [pause] it isn't really what's wrong with the public, public schools. It's what's wrong with families [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] That's right.
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] It's what's wrong with families and if, if children come to school,
[speaker001:] And society in general.
[speaker002:] yes, insecure and their mo-, biggest concern is survival
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] both at home, they don't know what to expect at home. They don't feel secure there, they don't know what's going to happen just out front of their apartment complex.
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] For example that child that was shot.
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] [Noise] Uh, how can they concentrate on schooling? I agree
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] with you, I think that's the main problem.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] And schools now are supposed to solve social problems, uh, mental and emotional problems
[speaker001:] Huh.
[speaker002:] as well as educate the kids and try to provide them with some security.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] And that's overwhelming.
[speaker001:] Well we've got, uh, you know at our school we have over a thousand elementary kids and last year was the first year that we ever had more than one counselor. And that's just really not enough.
[speaker002:] No. It isn't.
[speaker001:] And I was talking to somebody that teaches [NOISE] in a middle school and they said, oh, but we need more in the middle school because that's when kids are, you know, at a tougher and rougher age and all that. But, you know, part of my feeling is that if you solve, help them to work through their problems while they're littler, then they won't have as many problems up there.
[speaker002:] True. I think they, there has to be at least a counselor and we just recently had a counselor at elementary. We didn't even have counselors in elementary.
[speaker001:] Really.
[speaker002:] We have always, though, had three at middle schools because we had about a thousand kids and they divided them up between three counselors but for a good while every year they'd have a different counselor and they decided that didn't work.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] So they started, uh, dividing the kids up so that a counselor stays with her group of counselees
[speaker001:] Uh-huh. They
[speaker002:] through
[speaker001:] they do that here.
[speaker002:] you know, through all three years of middle school.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] And I think that would give them more security in going to the counselor.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] If they have a rapport with their counselor. Now if they don't,
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] I hope they have the flexibility to be able to change
[speaker001:] To change, yeah.
[speaker002:] a child that really is in need of counseling help if they absolutely refuse to work with them. And occasionally that happens.
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] But, it is frightening b-,
[speaker001:] Yes, it certainly is.
[speaker002:] Because, uh, education is the key to our future and, uh, if we have children who are not getting their education, for one reason or another, then what are we going to do with them?
[speaker001:] Yeah. That's right [very faintly].
[speaker002:] What's going to happen to them? Are they going to be able to, uh, work at other kind of menial jobs or are they going to be the thieves and the people
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] in prison. And our prisons are filling up faster then we can build them.
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] That's no good.
[speaker001:] I'm on that, um, campus strategic planning committee for my school.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] And, uh, one of the, uh, [sigh] you know, oh, they have all these different names for things, strategies and all these different things. But, anyway, one of the key things was that that we believed that the public education is the best [lipsmack] [pause] economic value. Then I think they decided to strike economic.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER] Anyway, you know, the point was, what happens when public education fails? You know
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] will then people go to private schools? You know, well, what kind of a situation do they get there and what are, you know, and what kind of state are we in if, if most people are going to private schools.
[speaker002:] Well I think, uh, one thing that we'll see is that we won't be educating everybody.
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] There will be a lot of people who will not get even a menial education like in other countries of the world
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] where they don't try to educate everyone.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] That's one of the things that we do. We try to educate everyone.
[speaker001:] That's right. That's right.
[speaker002:] We're the only country in the world that does.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh. Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] And let everyone have an opportunity to reach higher education
[speaker001:] Uh-huh [very faintly].
[speaker002:] if they're willing, you know, to work
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] and have, uh, some ability. They can do that.
[speaker001:] and one of the Plano school district's, you know, goals [NOISE] is that they will graduate every child that, uh, that is here in the ninth grade, I believe
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] it's something like that, it's worded. And, uh, [lipsmack] I don't know [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] Well you know if we can keep them in school.
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh
[speaker001:] That's
[speaker002:] then that, that helps a lot.
[speaker001:] so important,
[speaker002:] I think the gang violence is scaring everyone to death too.
[speaker001:] Oh gosh. Well that new movie,
[speaker002:] It's scary to me.
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER] That new movie out, I, um, really,
[speaker002:] I,
[speaker001:] really a frightening situation. I guess we're both lucky.
[speaker002:] We are.
[speaker001:] To be in situations and schools where we don't see that. My folks talk about it a lot in Illinois. My mother was is was teacher for years and years and, uh, [lipsmack] they live in Peoria, Illinois, and [NOISE] they're talking a lot about the, you know, the school situation there, too. *their should be they're So, [lipsmack] well, shall we wrap it up?
[speaker002:] Uh, I would imagine that we've talked the amount of time necessary.
[speaker001:] I think we have to.
[speaker002:] Okay.
[speaker001:] So I'll see you when we see you.
[speaker002:] Alright. We were in, uh, Austin yesterday.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh. [Lipsmack] The reason that I wasn't at church and we went to hear, uh, James wind ensemble concert
[speaker002:] Oh.
[speaker001:] they left this morning for, uh, England.
[speaker002:] Oh, how exciting.
[speaker001:] Isn't that wonderful?
[speaker002:] Oh, that is wonderful.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] What an experience.
[speaker001:] And, uh, the university [voices fade]...