Jonathan Kozol- Who are screwing up America?

Douglas Morgan

2-2-14

FNED 346

Blog Post #1

Jonathan Kozol

I find Jonathan Kozol’s work to be very intriguing.  His point of view on America’s education system involves political point of views and America as a country.  He talks about how education is contaminated by politics and teachers who are suppose to teach a specific type of politics and way of life.  He states “teachers trash America and its values as a matter of course”.  Jonathan Kozol believes that America is a great country and that he education system and teachers shouldn’t “trash” it.

Kozol brings up a few interesting points about how America is viewed through teachers and students.  He thinks that the whole education system doesn’t appreciate America and everything it has accomplished as a country.  Jonathan writes about an article that Dan Gelernter wrote.  Dan wrote some interesting statements like “The teachers are Predicable liberals”.  One statement that caught my attention is “Most lunch tables liberals say that they do not love America, and would not defend it.  One boy says he’d just as soon live in Canada.  They can’t understand why I should be enthusiastic about our country.” That quote caught my attention because, how can you say you don’t love America when you live in America and have freedom.  I don’t understand how people don’t appreciate where they come from.  Jonathan thinks that there are a few reasons why our education system turned out.  He thinks that the reason schools have deteriorated over the years has to do with school violence and schools that are filled with kids who don’t care about education.  He also believes that the worst reason is how “smart” kids don’t understand the importance of their heritage.  Jonathan believes that “education cannot and should not be politically neutral.”  The education system is corrupt in the eyes of Jonathan Kozol, and he has some interesting ideas on how to change it and why.

I personally believe in what Jonathan has to say.  The education system is corrupt by politics.  I am not saying that it’s corrupt by students not having to earn a proper education.  I just think that students should learn more about politics and the difference between political views.  America deserves to be appreciated for everything it provides for Americans.  Students need to learn about America’s real heritage, not a political view of what happened.  The one reason why I agree with Jonathan is that Students don’t learn everything that they need to learn about America and politics and I personally believe that needs to change.