The Morality of Education:
What Frederick Douglass Taught Us
Frederick Douglass, slave, escapee, carpenter, caulker, author, orator, political activist, entrepreneur, advisor, et al, left an enduring legacy for all Americans to emulate. No one started any lower in society, yet few, if any, were more successful at living the American Dream, or even truly understanding it.
To perpetuate this legacy and help share it with all Americans, we have established the Frederick Douglass Society here in the Milwaukee area. The society first met in December and meets for breakfast once per month, generally on the second Thursday of the month. The group applies American principles in the same way Frederick Douglass did, as demonstrated in the numerous examples from his life story. We are concentrating our efforts of applying his wisdom to the disastrous educational quagmire we now find ourselves engulfed, in particular, the disaster we call MPS.
Representative Dan Knodl has engaged the group as our legislative go-to guy. Sheriff David Clarke will be joining us from time to time as his schedule permits. But mostly, we are trying to assemble a group of committed activists to utilize the examples of Frederick Douglass’ life experience and wisdom to pursue solutions to the real problems we face.
The letter below we plan to send to the political leaders of the area to get them to commit themselves to real solutions to the real problems we face today in educating our kids. Please join us in our efforts.
For more information or to join into our efforts, contact Bob or Jean Dohnal at 414- 258-1719 or contact Reality News at the info provided below.
Dear Friends,
The current discussion of educational policy in Milwaukee seems focused on where teachers live instead of what they teach and what students learn. The true and moral concern, that we fulfill our obligation to train the next generations of children to become productive, selfsupporting and responsible citizens, is being ignored. Kids that cannot even read the Journal Sentinel newspaper cannot be counted on to work to improve themselves in the future.
The life of Frederick Douglass can teach us much about the educational dilemma we have created. His example shows how the American ideal of liberty as embodied in our founding documents empowers each individual to become a productive citizen and realize his dreams. Two key principles he evangelized as central to freedom: Education and Self-reliance. Both of these key elements are missing from our current system of public education.
The disconnect of the current system to these principles manifests itself in many indisputable ways. Functional illiteracy among young people has been steadily increasing since the sixties and continues to do so. More kids today cannot read in any meaningful way as a percentage of the population than at anytime in American history. The vast majority of these illiterate kids live in the central cities of our largest metropolitan areas.
Money is certainly not the problem. The areas having the highest growth rates in spending are exactly the areas where illiteracy continues to increase the fastest. The number of administrators in these school systems continues to burgeon while the number of teachers stays flat. In most cases student populations are in decline. Whatever monies are added into this system goes to the educratic structure, never reaching any kid. Money spent and educational output clearly show a reverse correlation – the more money spent, the worse the educational output.
Every article you read about education seems to center on money. Despite the fact that we have more than tripled spending on education since 1968 when the new districts were formed, schools are no better off. The educrats are, but not the kids.
Illiteracy, the chains of slavery according to Frederick Douglass, is what we deliver to these children when we perpetuate government run education. This failed approach destroys the ability and desire of these kids to pursue their dreams, build their world and fulfill their destiny. Herein lies the real tragedy. This shirking of our responsibility and moral obligation to our children’s futures will deliver the slavery of government dependency to millions and millions of our young adults. At the same time we condemn the rest who were successful in escaping these chains of slavery to try to figure out how to deal with and pay for this mess we’ve created for them.
No greater legacy of disaster could have been created had someone tried to do so on purpose. Remember, in Frederick Douglass’ time, slaves were forbidden to learn to read. What has really changed?
Frederick Douglass, in spite of the slave reading prohibition, learned to read. In one-room schoolhouses kids learned to read. The literacy rate at the start of the 1900’s was extremely high. Why can’t we teach kids to read now in multi million dollars complexes with well-paid educrats to lead them?
Vouchers and charter schools have shown some great success. Certainly they can be part of the solution, at least in the short term. Federal money has been the poison that has reached every organ of the educational body.
The federal government’s involvement in education must be entirely eliminated if we have any hope of effecting real change.
We are asking you to take the lead in this reformation. We insist that the school system be reformed, broken up or changed in some meaningful way to assist these kids in becoming the next leaders of our community.
Respectfully Submitted,
The Frederick Douglass Society