Home Economics

As I started to make my son's Halloween costume, a strange creature named Vivi from a game called Final Fantasy, yes I am making it myself, and yes, I know I am ahead of the curve as my Halloween and Christmas and Chanukah shopping is already in full bloom, I was thrust back into my public jr. high school home economics class where I learned how to sew with a sewing machine. Now, if you asked me what I learned in jr. high I would reply: photosynthesis, JFK's assassination and how to sew a dress from a Simplicity pattern. Like bike riding, I was amazed this morning at how quickly I was sewing nice, straight seams, moving with ease as I navigated my homemade pattern. Laying a zipper, making a hem, waistband and even a dart all came back to me with little to no trial and error. I remembered back to a day when I was taught those skills along with rudimentary cooking, music, drama and the basic food groups of learning, science, math, english, history, foreign language and even art, that now being a discarded basic and a vanishing breed of even extra-curricular activities. I remember learning how to draw in 3 D, to make a square into a cube, a room with walls and windows. Skills I use on a daily basis. Lost to current students in the downsizing of education. Even the name of the class, home economics is lost as everyone struggles to find their way in this tech driven/ business society. Any mother or father for that matter who has taken care of her own home economics, cleaning, cooking, mending and minor carpentry skills will lament the lack of respect and remuneration given to those fields yet they are vital to the sustaining of any race of people and are crucial to a public body growing and developing.

I AM NOT SAYING THAT I FACE THAT DAILY ECONOMIC CRISIS, SO ALL YOU SOON-TO- RESPOND-WITH-YOUR-COMMENTS FOLKS TAKE A CHILL PILL AND JUST GO WITH ME HERE.

I am not, for a second, trying even to relate to the daily struggle of a low-income mother trying to raise and educate her children in today's crumbling economy. I am only saying that my ability to sew this outfit, pants, hat, and jacket, with facing and grommets and zippers is only because I was TAUGHT. It reminds me how far we have fallen in giving our children the skills they need to succeed either in the big business world or in the big household world. We are FAILING. In music, art, home-ec, cooking, shop (remember shop?) as well as the basics, according to every study we are FAILING. We are Americans and we are getting an F in educating our children. Wake up and smell the global competition. Twenty other countries beat us in science; we are listed 24th in math. We need to let our elected leaders know that education should be the most important issue in this election. Without it, our children, the future of this great nation, will be unprepared and will watch jobs being given to people from other countries.

I am glad that I was given these skills as part of a basic, public school education. I want that for all children. So that whether they end up a political leader, scientist, teacher, artist or homemaker they all are given the best education possible so that they can develop their God given talents and abilities and flourish and thrive as adults.

Maybe if Obama wins, I will sew him a nice tie to wear for his inauguration.

Comments

[potter]

This essay is too important . It deserves a wider audience.It should bde on the OP-ED pages of every important newspaper.

[bobtr900]

Jamie Lee,

Thanks and very well said. But, I don't know if you realize that America is being dismantled by the Republican party, the Bush family, the Neocons and the Theocons. The theocons are right wing religious fundamentalists, including the Pope, my religion and the evangelical fundies(not all evangelicals). These people are the hate groups that call themselves the Pro-life and Family Values people but are really nothing more than cover up for the 'Culture of Death' for profits and ever more political power for the Repub party.
Part of their agenda for America is to end public school education by getting the government out of all education. NCLB is only one step in this process. They fully intend to either end or privatize/ corporatize/ theocratize all public education.
At this very moment Jeb Bush is trying to theocratize the entire State of Florida. Should they succeed the only schools left in the USA will be religious schools or 'for profit' corporate schools. Thus they will transfer all federal funds to the private sector, thus ending our public education system.
I, too, hope Obama wins, but have no hope that he or anyone else can stop these right wing hate groups.

[japansa]

Thank you for bringing this issue to the attention of your readers. I agree with your sentiments.
As a dignified and highly qualified veteran educator, I believe the negative effects of NCLB on our children's future, on the noble profession of teaching, and on the democratic institution of public education may well prove to be one of our country's most destructive scandals.
Those of us who know and honor WHY we teach children are this nation's best resource for hearing HOW to educate our children. Policies, mandates, and laws, however, have been created for financially self-serving motives by corporate executives in collusion with politicians from both sides of the aisle.
Scapegoating of public education in general, and teachers specifically, has been effectively carried out through inflammatory coverage in the mainstream media based on quasi-research. Decades of true research corroborating the validity of Developmental Theory has been pushed aside in much the same way that scientific evidence of global warming has simply been deleted or withheld from the public. The mantra that public education has been failing is manufactured for a purpose- and it is not to help children.
Educator Roundtable's petition to eliminate NCLB presents a clear and concise accounting of the major problems with NCLB. If you are so inclined, read the full text of this petition and sign it online at http://www.petitiononline.com/1teacher/petition.html

[LoveLifeLightLaughter]

Bless You Jamie!

My grandmother graduated high school in the early 1920's having studied Greek, Latin, music, a solid grounding in the sciences, French AND German, penmanship, calligraphy, and of course, literature. Not just English literature, but she was required to read in Greek, Latin, French and German as well!!!

My mother graduated from high school in the early 1950's. Greek and calligraphy were gone, but penmanship and one foreign language were still required, and you had a rigorous selection of science and literature classes.

When I went to high school in the 1980's, a foreign language was required (but my school only offered one, French) and you only had to complete one basic science and two basic math courses. English and history were limited to two required classes each during your entire four years. The rest? "Electives".

My oldest son just left high school last year. He tells me of how so many of his fellow students don't seem to be able to put together a coherent essay or term paper, who have to take remedial math classes just to get to college level, who have no idea how to research something that doesn't involve Google.

At this rate, in another few generations, we'll be unable to tie our own shoes or string enough words together intelligibly to ask where the bathroom is in our own country. My grandmother would cry.

[randomx6]

Thanks Jamie Lee. It is sad that you make more sense than the pols and professional educrats like Bloomberg, Klein and Weingarten here in NYC. Please keep writing.

[adzeman]

What a great post. There is value in craft and trade skills beyond the obvious. I have worn many hats in my life, but my love of woodwork and cooking outweigh any job I've held.

[SCG]

Isn't interesting this is largely a phenomena of the United States? That in the 50's and 60's our education system was once the envy of the world? as was our economy. College graduation rates are up since 1970. Perhaps as the middle class fails, the family deteriorates?

Maybe your seeing the symptom, not it's cause? I don't know, it's just a thought? Interesting a earlier post here from a teacher that parents don't care or are not involved. Have you ever watch clinical medical video of depressed parents with their children? Very little interaction.

[tgood]

The more government became involved, the worse our schools became until they are little more than warehouses for all children, even those who are practically in a vegatative state but must be in the school. When I was a student in the 50s, our school accepted no federal dollars.

Our teachers, parents and schoolboard made the decisions--not government mandates and demands by special interest groups like LaRaza, MALDEF, etc. here in Texas.

A federal judge, William Wayne Justice, who is the same judge that placed illegal alien children in our schools for free, now say Texas has to come up with a plan by January to keep Spanish speaking children in high school. How about fine the hell of their parents who won't speak English and don't take responsibility for their children? Why don't we talk about the schools in a truthful way for once ?

The Leave No Child Behind has created a system where children are taught in a way to pass the test. It doesn't matter if they retain the information---just get through the test.

We have some bad teachers but for the most part, we have a bad government and in many cases , a lot of bad parents who set the tone. I respect anyone with the courage to be a teacher.

If you want to know why the schools in Texas have gone in the trashcan, you don't have to look any further than Mexico and our Mexican pandering politicians.

[Errour]

Right on, there, tgood. Things really went to hell after Appomattox, didn't they? Or was it after Cabeza de Vaca? The schools are in the trashcan because people educated in the 50's keep electing dumb clucks like El Presidente (and a whole lot of other goobers right there in the LoneStar State) who do not understand that a college of education is a clown college.

[bobtr900]

This poster is exactly what I am referring to when I say that hate groups have taken over our country. These hate groups are all centered around the Republican party, the Bush family, Texas and much of the South as well as fundie religious groups like the Catholic Church, my religion, and the evangelical fundies(not all evangelicals). The hate coming from these people is unbelievable.
These are the people who will dismantle our democracy and defund all public education.
The only schools that will be allowed to survive are some religious schools and some privatized, corporate, for profit schools. If a family cannot afford them their children will be out of luck. Because they will be expensive and for the 'haves' only. The 'have nots' will remain stratified in their poverty class.
Religious bigotry now abounds in the USA. If one is of the preferred religions/ socio-economic class one will be allowed to receive an education and if not then it's tough luck. Their attitude is one of 'I got mine to hell with you'. They are all from the political party of the 'Culture of Death' for profits and religious fundamentalism. They hide their bigotry and hate under the mantle of Pro-life and Family Values. Exactly what is Pro-life and Family Values about killing and swindling for profits(Big Business (oil, pharma etc) and Wall Street) and religious hatred(Islamofascism).
The only hope is that these people are in an ever dwindling minority, mostly WASP-Irish.

[rishy]

Thanks JLC. As a teacher I am happy to hear an outsider say it is not all my fault!

thefrustratedteacher.blogspot

[krm1255]

I can't comment on what is taught now since I have no contact with kids in school. But I hire them after they come out and they haven't learned anything useful.

Sports is important, but I feel there's been a disproportionate amount of our tax dollars spent on sports in school at the cost of learning other life skills. The balance is gone in my opinion. Granted teachers must be paid and must have insurance, but do we really need the near-professional looking stadium built for a high school football team? No, we don't. That money could have been better spent in many school districts.

I think the money is there and is being mishandled. The same thing is true in business and it's affecting our economy. The leaders take home huge piles of money instead of reinvesting it in growth or research and development.

[ruchild]

I was blessed with an extended family that taught me to sew, but I was also fortunate to be able to take home economics, science classes (hands on, not just book learning), shop (and I still have the project), art classes, cooking classes, economics, basic accounting, typing (which is now keyboarding) and a miriad of other classes in junior high and high school. Our school even had a hand sewing class, which taught krewel work, embroidery, cross-stitch and other hand work skills, which are not really taught anymore, except in sewing circles or from family members who practice such skills. Our school also had a very large vocational technology training program, knowing that not everyone would go on to college (even though I did, but still sought out the classes offered to the vo-tech kids, as I knew these were skills I could use later on and kept me from getting bored in school, as the advanced classes didn't cut it completely for focus.) The cooking classes I took taught me to be able to serve larger than a family but also taught me to make things you don't learn in home ec. Home ec taught me to budget, sew, fix things and run a home. Came in handy when I became a parent, as I made most of her outfits for the first few years and have made every halloween costume she has ever worn and basic tailoring skills as well.
to be continued

[ruchild]

Cont...
My daughter was not offered many of these classes, home ec, she cooked one thing, sewed nothing, and learned to do basic checking, with claims of too many kids, not enough time for other things. I think the sewing machines and shop machines are gone due to our sue happy society really. Sewing classes are non-existant along with the shop classes. Today kids are left to figure it out elsewhere. So did our parents (as I am in my 30s now) decide somewhere down the line we didn't need these skills anymore, since they learned these at home from their at home mums? My mum wasn't at home and she taught me none of these skills growing up, I learned from her mum and aunts. I have taught my own daughter how to do these things myself, but who will teach the others to be self-sufficient? When did these become non-essential life skills and we become so bloody focused on doing well on the tests? When did tests become more important than being able to care for oneself? Seriously?

[rwe]

The educational systems in the USA stink because: 1) the inequity of resources...Each state should direct funds equally to districts, not based upon the incomes of those districts.2) Teachers unions and tenure have destroyed quality education as merit has no meaning.3)Extracurricular activities , Arts and athletics, are vital.4)Discipline,Discipline,Discipline... Dress codes may be needed, teachers need to be given tools to control.5) Vouchers,,, Real choice. 6) Parents , Parents Parents... every child is entitled to an education (no where does it say free) Parents HAVE to be involved and supportive.

[booker52]

I agree, these basics are dropped as money gets tight in the school system. They are needed, just as PE is much needed. Really needed!!!!

[Dots]

THE ARTS are the bridge, the connectors to teaching and learning for our children. We have a great model in Waldorf Education. And yes sewing.
Life Skills. Where are they in our schools?
Buying & cooking your own food, balancing a checkbook, paying bills, finding & keeping a job and for the love of God...basic parenting.

[potter]

As a retired Art teacher you have really made my day!!!!! Here in Santa Monica Art for 3rd-5th grade means one hour every month for 'Art Appreciation' cinsisting of, 20 minutes to settle down, 20 minutes to view art of one artist and a short lecture and finally 20 minutes to make art in the style of the artist we have just been introduced to !!!! I was amazed when I heard this description of an Art program. Ellen

[pugzbarbq]

The skills that I gained in high school that have benefitted me the most in my adult life are from what I learned in art and shop. Granted, math helped to nurture my analytical side, history and civics molded my perspective, English gave me a decent vocabulary and an appreciation for literature, and science gave me an understanding of the universe, but art gave me the ability to create, and shop gave me the confidence to fix and construct anything. Art and shop also gave me a career and have saved me countless dollars on home and automobile repairs. I love my work and am more at home under the hood of my 1963 Dodge than anywhere else. So I guess art and shop have given me happiness as well. More importantly, these two classes taught me self reliance, and that is truly the most important skill anyone can learn, and how to make a paper ninja star.