I understand where Postman is going with the first part of his essay in “The End of Education”, The American Experiment.  The question of why some educators feel that teaching American values and a respect for our country is not a worthwhile consideration is of worth for us to consider.  As I was reading, I was already coming up with reasons why we don’t before he listed them.  I have been in classrooms where this was attempted and have seen how dogmatic, preachy, and downright disdainful both students and teachers can get when trying to examine the concept of patriotism.  I have had teachers who taught as though America is the best nation on Earth and has a flawless system of government that other countries are too corrupt to understand.  I have seen teachers focus on the flaws of our government to such an extent at times that any patriotism that was felt is slowly stripped away until all that is left is a fear for the future.

The second half of the essay was what interested me the most as both an educator and as a survivor of the experimental schools of the 70’s and 80’s.  I was in a Head Start program that was a predecessor of  modern-day pre-k’s.  My first through third grade years were spent in the same classroom that mixed high-testing first, second, and third grade students.  They tried placing students according to their aptitudes.  For instance, I sat with the third-graders for reading while I was in first-grade and one of my classmates went to a sixth grade classroom for math while we were in fourth grade.  I was in the AIM program, which formed the basis of modern AP programs. 

Some experiments succeeded while others failed.  The Head Start school was closed as pre-k programs took its place.  The combination classrooms and aptitude-placement programs failed due to childhood intolerance.  It seems that third-graders are offended by the idea that a first-grader can read as well, if not better, than them.  Sixth-graders have the same issues with a fourth-grader understanding math at their level.  While it may seem beneficial to the younger child, it is seen as an insult to the older children and results in some meanness issues.  The AIM program, in its infancy, had no direct aim as such.  At first, all we did was try to solve logic problems.  The next year they decided to focus on advanced curriculum.  We studied science and Spanish, but we kept up with our other classmates.  All it entailed was more work for us, but kept us at the same level. 

I have experienced the trouble with integrating other cultures and languages into the classroom and society at large as well.  It is a difficult enterprise, but it was what America was founded on.  Like I always tell my children, just because something is difficult doesn’t make it not worthwhile to attempt.  In fact, nothing is more laudable than trying something that others think is too difficult to accomplish.  As Edison said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”  Pre-k programs are a benefit to our educational system.  I loved my combination classroom, though I did not like my treatment by the older children while I was being taught with them.  While I did not particularly enjoy some of the experimental education I received, the fruits of those labors can be seen in my son’s current AP educational benefits.   I have had both good and bad experiences dealing with people from other cultures and those to whom English is a second language.  It is worthwhile to note that I have also had both good and bad experiences with those from my own culture and linguistic background. 

America, being the grand experiment it is, seems a worthwhile subject for early, middle, and secondary study.  It would be a shame if students were not equipped to tackle the questions of our civilization in a knowledgeable and thoughtful manner.