Feels New Milford is not preparing its students to face the future

To the Editor:

The New Milford school system is slowly failing and it is apparent all across the board.

When I see a young New Milford school graduate working in the stores in New Milford, I ask them the patented question, where is 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., and they do not even have a clue.

Most think it is a street in New Milford.

So, what am I saying with this question?

I am saying students of New Milford learn more about other countries than they do their own.

I have asked my grandchildren several questions and they gave me answers that really set me back, but didn't shock me. They are living what they are being taught in school.

I asked how many states we have and they didn't have a clue. I asked if they were taught this in school and if they were taught to name all 50 states on a test and they both said "no."

I asked my grandson if we have 50 states, how many capitals do we have and the answer was 104. I just couldn't believe he said that. He didn't have a clue.

I also asked them if they could name all the presidents from George Washington to date and they could only give a few like Lincoln, Kennedy, Bush, etc.

I asked how many presidents we had from George Washington to present time and they couldn't give me the answer "44" because they didn't know.

They couldn't name the 13 original colonies, the first capital of the United States, what the 49th and 50th states were, who Lewis & Clark were, how many elected officials are in Washington what happened at the Alamo, the most decorated soldier of World War II, how many presidents have been assassinated, what president resigned from office, how many presidents have been impeached, who the only president was not elected to an office, who Oliver North was, what the "Great Depression" was.

I could go on for hours about a whole host of things in various aspects of our nation's history and they drew a blank on most or all of them.

So, just what are they learning in school today at the taxpayers expense, anyway?

Is what they are learning going to set them on a course for a good-paying job after graduation?

I think not.

A small majority goes on to college because they have the means and the way, but the average family is lucky if they can get their children through high school. If they do not learn what is critical for them in this country, they will become statistics in the unemployment line like so many are already today.

I believe the superintendent of schools and the Board of Education are not preparing these students in the proper way for their future in this country and, ultimately, they will suffer while the ones who run the system get paid extremely well for half a job all the time.

The teachers are doing the very best they can with what they are told and they are trying to teach the children.

They feel they are doing a good job but are they doing what is right for the future of the students and this country? Think about it.

This is the United States of America and the universal language for this nation is English, so why are numerous students learning Spanish, French, German, Japanese and other languages if they are not going to be totally beneficial to them after they graduate?

What ever happened to the "three Rs?"

The school system and the ones who think they are running the system and doing a good job need to re-think their method and approach to the future and teach the children what will be critical for them in the rough society we contend with today.

We have to stop worrying about tremendous budgets and all the things the Board of Education thinks we need and budget the school and its needs by what will be most beneficial to the student, period.

If some things are not broken, do not change them.

If things are not beneficial, however, replace or eliminate them and put the efforts into something that will help the young student of today survive in this world.

I ask the superintendent of schools and her staff and the Board of Education to take a good, hard look at how beneficial all aspects of what is being taught in the school system today and how it would affect the future of the student moving out into society.

If it is not right, eliminate it and make it right. They deserve much better than the answers I got from my grandchildren.

Again, I suspect I will get some tough rebuttals from this, but I feel the students of New Milford deserve better.

Jeffrey B. McBreairty

New Milford