CraigMaxim wrote:philbymon wrote:
"I don't think schools should be holding proms anyway."
"I don't send my kids to school to socialize.
I send them to LEARN something."
Socializing is also a learned process. I really wish that public schools still taught ettiquette & dance.
Maybe instead of getting masters degrees in education, teachers should be getting dance instruction at Fred Estair Dance Studios, so they can properly prepare children for the future? 
There used to be a thing called PARENTS Phil. Before they became little more than financers of ROOM AND BOARD, they had RESPONSIBILITIES, like teaching their children things called MANNERS, and enrolling them in dance classes, or karate, or piano lessons, or hey... GUITAR LESSONS! Has the school district been paying YOU for those, Mr. guitar instructor?
Or do you take checks from parents still? 
The more of your child's rearing you concede to others, is directly proportional to the amount of OTHER'S values, you will see in your child.
Think about that.
School is for EDUCATION.
REAL EDUCATION, that will prepare them for COLLEGE, giving them a chance at actual CAREERS.
Parents... want your child to dance? Get off your ass and take them to dance class. It's laziness and dumping off, that conceives the attitude that SCHOOL TEACHERS should assume a PARENT'S or a COMMUNITY'S rsponsibilities.
Spend precious few school hours on dance and etiquette?
Hmm...
Among the top 36 industrial countries in the world, America ranks 18th in education.
Good time to be teaching them the cha cha!
What could be more educational than to learn how to deal with situations in a mannerly fashion? To deal with office politics without resorting to nastiness? To handle life situations without resorting to violence? To lift up others with a simple "thank you?" These ARE lessons that will help our children to get ahead in life, Craig, however you may want to put them in the "unnecessary fluff" pile.
Americans go through 12 years of mandatory schooling, often 2 to 8 years of college, graduate schools, etc., & STILL don't understand how to relate to each other interpersonally in pleasing ways that would help them to advance in thier careers, thier marriages, & thier friendships & other associations.
Americans are so concerned with being a society without chaste that they forget the importance of having
class, of the use of simple ettiquette, & thus, of showing respect. Ettiquette teaches us to show respect, or regard, for others. It is a necessity in negotiations. It is a huge aid in getting ahead. It is a tool of paramount importance when dealing with ppl from other countries, who HAVE been schooled in the finer art of relating to others.
Our generation decided early on that these were useless things, these "manners." Our children have grown up without simple respect for anything or anyone. We scoff at the mere mention of it all, calling it unnecessary fluff that should be left to the parents to teach. The problem is, the parents weren't taught it either, & they know not how this may have adversely affected them in thier careers, or indeed in any area of thier lives.
Ettiquette & dance were taught as though they were important as gym class, Craig. Looking at your rebelliousness, I can see where you'd think this was unnecessary, but, had you had been taught these things, I daresay that these little lessons would have taken you farther than you are at present. I know it's true for me.
Ettiquette teaches one to think before speaking or acting, to take into account those thought processes & emotional responses of others, to take responsibility for one's words & actions, & to control one's own emotions in social situations. What other curriculum could do that?
The tool of ettiquette is one that we all use, to varying degrees, but few know that much about, in this country.
A fine example of public schooling recently was before a federal judge for being in possession of, & using, marijuana on federal land. Remember that there are NO federal "misdemeanors," so he was facing a felony charge.
And how did he address the judge?
"Dude! I was..."
The judge went off on him, of course. A little education in manners, the knowledge of knowing how to talk to ppl would have been a huge boon for this guy.
That isn't the best example, but I'm sure you get the general drift of what I'm saying.
One of the reasons that outsiders think we are such uneducated buffoons as a ppl is because
we don't know how to BEHAVE in social situations. Teaching manners early on in school will help with problems in class conduct, too, which will also help the children to SIT STILL & LEARN. Face it, Craig - our children are
not being taught how to act by thier parents (cuz 1/2 the time the parents don't know how to act, either!), & they are often apt to act out in school & thus disrupt the class.
I firmly believe that the reintroduction of this invaluable class would boost our nation's IQ, & EQ (emotional quotient), as well.
You want to see ppl to be able to sit & discuss things in a calm fashion? Teach them simple manners. You want to see ppl actually listening to each other? Teach them simple manners. You want to see ppl working together in an amiable fashion? Teach them simple manners. Things get done faster, with fewer hurt feelings, new ideas get heard & bandied about, children learn better, things are better all around when you apply the simple ettiquette formula.
I'm not saying that ettiquette will solve all of our problems. I WILL say that it will help us in many ways so that we can handle them better.
It is an invaluable tool in life. It needs to be taught, but I expect it to continue to be ignored by our rebellious society, which glorifies the banal.
