Some administers, at two-year colleges, have a romanticized perception of students. They constantly make excuses for many of these students, who from the get go, should not be in college in the first place. Several of these administers, along with many elected officials have pompous ideas about what is suppose to take place in the classroom. Even though they themselves have either very limited or no teaching experience at all, and if so, they have never taught a hardcore subject such a psychology, history, political science or government, mathematics, or any other core curriculum requirements. Yet, they think that they are authorities on what needs to be taught in the classroom environment. This to me, is the number one problem with America’s educational system, from K-12,up to the college level. We have too many unqualified and non-educators setting the agenda for educators who do not know what the hell they are doing or talking about. One would not have a plumber setting the curriculum for medical doctors, or a school teacher setting the agenda for pharmacists. Yet, everybody and their mother are setting the techniques and strategies for those of us within the educational system. This should not be. However, the reasons for America’s educational system operating this way is because of the followings:

 (a) There is a notion in our culture that anyone can teach, which is not true. Teaching is a gift like anything else:

 (b) Many people believe that educators teach general knowledge material that everyone already knows and therefore, does not require any serious expertise: 

 (c) Educators from K-12, up to the college level, do not have the respect that they once had about 50 years ago.

 (d) America as a nation pretends she values education and she really does not. America lets us know how much she values something by placing a price tag on it. For example, America values sports and we know she does, because there are very high price tags on athletes and coaches. What does America pay her teachers or professors?

 (e) Finally, many believe that teaching as a profession, is really an easy laid-back job which does not cause a great deal of stress, when in reality it is just the opposite.

   Administrators, elected officials, parents, and the general public, are not in the classroom, and therefore, need to sit down somewhere and be quiet, because the educational system in the U.S., has gone through a serious transformation that many of these individuals and groups do not truly understand.

 The Bowtie Professor Speaks!

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