Education Reform

I've had it. And it's time that we all took a stand against the atrocity known as our education system.

I'm not concerned about how our children are educated. They learn stuff eventually. What they can't learn, they probably don't really need to know anyway. It's fine.

No, what I am concerned about is the TRAFFIC.

School starts and suddenly I can't get to work on time. One day I have a peaceful 20-minute drive to work. A time to prepare myself for the day. A time to think, find peace . . . and also to sing in the car.

Then out of nowhere, there are cars everywhere. I can't think. I can't even sing. I'm sitting at a light for 10 minutes, stuck staring at some idiots World Peace bumper stickers from 1991 until I am pretty sure I was never in favor of World Peace, where yesterday I sailed right through the same intersection without a problem.

Now, I am not exactly sure why this phenomenon happens. But it is most disturbing. It's like when school starts, people in cars multiply on the same roads that I've been using everyday without hassle. It's like people are sitting at home for three months, then all of a sudden on the first day of school they decide they need to drive around in morning rush hour traffic . . . . just for kicks.

They don't have kids. They just decide it's time to drive around and get in my way.

So, I ask you. Where are our priorities? WE, the working folks of America (and the world), are the people who keep the world running. WE are the ones who have places to be, things to do, jobs to do, money to make, and children to feed and clean so that they can even go to school in the first place. When you hinder how I do what I do, my quality of life suffers. And consequently, when my quality of life suffers, the quality of life of everyone around me suffers, too.

I blame our education system for anytime that I yell at someone while I'm at work from now until next May.

What I propose is this: Children should only be in school when I am not at work.

The summer months are fantastic. No school = No traffic. I have no problems getting to work when the children are not learning. Therefore, I am much happier and much more productive at work when I don't have to spend extra time in the morning being angry at cars. And children.

So, chlldren should only be in school for three months at a time. Three months on, three months off. Likewise, grown-ups should only work for three months at a time. Three months on, three months off. Of course, the months at work are the same three months that the children are not in school. And vice-versa.

Next, children should go to school starting after 5:00pm. When I go home from work, the kids can be in school. That way I am not competing for the road with crazy parents trying to get their children to school. Kids stay up late anyway, and from what I hear, it is a beating to get children to go to bed at a decent hour. So, if they're up and running around, why not make that time into productive time?

Put them in school so they can work our their energy and maybe learn something. Then when they get home at one or two o'clock in the morning, they'll be too pooped to terrorize you at home. They'll go right to sleep, then sleep most of the day while you are at work.

It's also a money saver for the schools. It is cooler at night. You won't have to run the a/c as much if the kids are in school at night.

I really think this plan will work if we can rise up, infiltrate our local school systems with this plan, and keep after it until we begin to see change in our communities.

It's time that we took a stand. It's time that we take the roads back. It's time that the children are not in charge of my days.

I don't even have kids. So right now, I am blaming your children for the past four days of ridiculous traffic, being late to work, and being angry when I get there.

I know you don't want me mad at your kids. But only you can fix this.

C.T.