First and foremost, if we let our children grow up without knowing the Jesus and the plan of salvation. What a horrid thing we will see one day if we find out one day that we failed them and they will never be in heaven with us. If we never teach them another thing, we need to introduce them to the Savior early and frequently. They need to have an excellent example and they need to learn the Bible as early as they can read and maybe a little sooner.

That actually leads us into the second. Turning our children over to schools that won’t teach. It is especially important that they be taught to read. Note, I didn’t say, learn how to read. Reading is a skill that needs to be practiced regularly as well as just learned.

To be sure, writing, math, science and history are very important too. But, you see, it all hinges on reading. It is far more important than ever before as even a mechanic has to know how to read.

And yet, we think we have done what we should when each day we turn our children over to glorified babysitters. Both of my sons were reading in the first grade, and actually pretty well. There is absolutely no reason that by the time a child finishes kindergarten should have any less than a 300 to 400 reading vocabulary. They need to read some each day. I should have had them read to me while I listened. Better for them. Better for me. It will help them feel better about themselves and it would have given me an idea of their progress. Almost as important, it would give us some time together.

At this time in their life, their little brains are start forming based on what they do. They might indeed just hate it, but it is very important. If they learn how to read early, they will learn how to write. Learning history is very important. And, of course, you learn history by reading. Science is important. And science is learned by reading.

Math and algebra. Well, that is a different story for a different post. However, that is important too. It too should be practiced and practiced. With practice comes accuracy and speed.

Getting back to the point. Our schools are run by the government, not by teachers. Our teachers belong to unions whose interest is not the students. They just want to make sure the teachers have jobs and that they are well paid. For some reason, they seem to have more control of the schools than the parents or even the government. Who came up with the idea of doing things that way?

And by the way, when it is suggested we go to private schools, who are the first ones to complain? The democrats and the education unions. Which by the way, are the two most guilty of the poor education our children receive.

My conclusion. Get the government and the unions out of our schools and we might have a good education system. Letting the government and unions teach our children is a horrid thing, start to finish.