Bountiful Breakfast, Luscious Lunch, and More

Questionable practices like the provision of free meals during virtual schooling to the influence of powerful teachers' unions, the narrative unveils systemic issues with public “education.”

The easiest way to look at it — which is a social justice math way of looking at it — is when you don’t teach a student how math can impact them in the real world, then you’re doing them a disservice, and therefore you’re oppressing their knowledge and understanding. Yet if you’re teaching them to understand and accept the world as it is, you risk harming and possibly re-oppressing them. Teaching them why it matters to them personally is how you actually support every student of every race in one lesson. You teach them to consider their identity and ask: How can I make the world better?
Shraddha Shirude

Click Me

Words 2,794 | Read Time 11 min | Enjoy!

Foreword

This essay revisits my post published on March 12, 2021, to remember the tumultuous period marked by the COVID-19 “crisis” within educational institutions. It delves into local shenanigans that unfolded amidst the unprecedented challenges schools face. By reflecting on past experiences, this essay seeks to illuminate the lessons learned and contemplate the path forward in navigating the delicate balance between education (collectivist indoctrination), safety, and societal needs.

I want to clarify my intent not to paint all teachers negatively. Like many institutions, the education system seems influenced by what some may perceive as a diluted and overly politicized ideology, where dissenting voices may feel marginalized. Additionally, we must extend sympathy to those who have lost loved ones directly due to COVID-19. Equally tragic are those who have suffered as a result of the lockdown measures, a reality not captured in official statistics.

Introduction

As a second-grade youngster, Friday, November 22, 1963, is a day never forgotten, burned into memory. Loud and clear in my head, there is the principal’s voice over the loudspeaker during grade school class telling us about the death of John F Kennedy. JFK met his fate locally at 12:30 PM Central or 1:30 PM Eastern Time. After that, news came through the good old broadcast radio, and somebody who heard it called the principal. It was mid-afternoon that we received the principal’s words on the PA system about JFK and her instruction to go home to end the school day early. Using the same two-mile walk to get to school that fateful day, Fred made the trek back home in a daze.

This moment leads us to a personal history lesson about education back then. Then, later in this essay, we see the stark reality of the total depravity of today’s system that claims to “educate” the children.

Beautiful Beginnings

Your author had the privilege of classical education in private schools through high school graduation. Grade school instruction included the subjects of cursive writing, math with timetables, sentence diagramming, history, and reading, among others. High school education included algebra, geometry, science, world history, second language studies, and biology. Throughout this private schooling, ethics and discipline were a constant part of the educational process. In addition to scores for subjects, report cards included punctuality, conduct, dress code, health habits, and obedience.

As a youngster, dealing with strict discipline and a regimented curriculum was a drag. However, that brigade gave me a keen sense of intrinsic value and how to survive and prosper as a functional society, which is a joy.

The school educated me, with the family supplying all the other essentials. And, of course, my parents instructed me on household matters and social behavior. Like the rest of the students, the parents supplied clothing, schoolbooks, stationery, and food. Lunch at grade school consisted of a brown bag. Sometimes, a thermos bottle held a cold or hot beverage. In high school, it was a brown bag for lunch or, at times, a stipend from my parents that enabled the purchase of cafeteria lunch—no such thing as a “free” lunch meal. We had our breakfast at home before going off to school.

Before entering the workforce after graduation, the autumn leaves and winter snow transformed into green bills. Raking, shoveling, cutting, and other odd jobs supplied a bounty to enjoy. The joy of working to keep your harvest was (and remains so for the dwindling cogent un-woke folk) beautiful. My education taught me the ethics that there is nothing wrong with a desire to work and keep the reward. The fuel for a prosperous society is the desire to create or supply a service. Society gave one a sense of purpose, individual responsibility, and a drive to add to, not subtract. Our teachers instructed us to give to the charity of choice to help those in need. Boys were boys, and girls were girls.¹ It was a beautiful thing indeed.

As an average student, your author still received the occasional reward for excellence in specific courses. For those on the honor roll, that distinction was undeniably a noble goal achieved. Today, we hear that the honor roll disrespects those who may not reach that status. For example, Boston has suspended advanced and gifted programs due to “Equity” concerns.

Even for my friends in public schools, education was about education back then. Fast forward to the system today that we “dare call education.” The total collapse of a productive society is a direct result of the absolute garbage fed to the students by the school “system.” With few exceptions, education is in the back seat in the modern school system. It is nothing more than a social justice (Communism) indoctrination program.

Today, real-life stories abound, but few will dare to admit or even realize that the following anecdotes give credence to the word garbage as in garbage in, garbage out. So, now, let’s move on to some real-life, real-time facts and stories.

Free Food Fraud

While enjoying lunch at a restaurant with a cogent-minded friend, he (no pronouns necessary) lamented about the state of his public school district and the food situation. With two teen boys in the local public school, he informed me about the status of the cafeteria. Much to my dismay, even when the school was in 100% virtual mode during the COVID Power Play [TM], cafeteria workers remained to prepare food while the teachers stayed home. The fact that these workers prepared breakfast took me off guard. My buddy said, “Fred Smith, you live under a rock; it is common knowledge that the school system provides free breakfast and lunch.” The following data burst sent me into orbit, choking on my food upon hearing the above astonishing news.

The debased woke-school system supplies a “free” bountiful breakfast and luscious lunch for the students from households below a certain income level. Of course, nobody dares question an “upper class” student if they partake in this free food fraud. We do not want to make a scene that could show that students come from various wealth strata. We are all equal now. How nice, indeed.

During the COVID Power Play, with the “students” receiving instruction by virtual methods, the food finds its way into the students’ mouths at home. How does this work? The woke parents drive to the school to pick up the food and take it home to their children—one round trip for breakfast and one round trip for lunch. For the woke folk, no shame, no embarrassment, partake in the babysitter state. It is about the program inculcating in the darlings the desire to embrace the Nasty Nanny State Nanny Care. Behold the program to inculcate the darlings in enjoying the government-sponsored slop as “nutritious” food fit for the landfill.² But wait, there is more.

The hybrid model contained in the COVID Power Play got temporarily sidetracked on the downslope (a couple of days of virtual slop instruction at home and a couple of days of super slop at the school). So, can the students partake in the cafeteria food in the hybrid mode at school? Nope. We must continue the woke fight to stop COVID in the cafeteria area. The “COVID variants” (an excellent title for a science fiction thriller) will soon get us all. So, it is a short day at school to get home in time for lunch.

Out of bad comes good. During COVID Power Play, it was nice not having to stop my vehicle for the buses to pick up or drop off the darlings. Also, in a fleeting moment, the classroom disruption mitigated in-person Marxist instruction.

Treat the Teacher Special

A colleague from work lamented that his schoolteacher’s wife has reservations about returning to work in the classroom. Naturally, it is all about the children. My co-worker wondered why the teachers would go to school during flu season; it had been no problem in the past. But he gets it; it is all about the money. The all-powerful teacher’s union has a job to do. COVID is the perfect reason to reduce the teacher-to-student ratio.

Meanwhile, private schools have been open for months, but we hear little of that. In partnership with the school boards, the teacher’s union could learn something from the private sector. However, as my colleague stated, “Fred, you do not get it. There is no partnership; only the unions run the schools.”

Returning to the matter, it is about fewer students per teacher and more classrooms to build. COVID is the perfect planned emergency that shall not go to waste. The union held the children hostage at home by demanding vast sums of money out of thin air before even considering a return to the proper (no such thing anyway) educational environment. How about 128 billion dollars for elementary and high schools in hyperinflationary fiat money from the March 2021 COVID bank-busting bill? To my surprise, a total stranger, a compelling young person of 25, told me he wanted to know what happened to the money not spent during the COVID Power Play (e.g., low HVAC power consumption, no bus transportation, reduced maintenance, etc.). There’s hope for humankind; a cogent-thinking young man exists!

While talking about the children, a local television news spectacle about the darlings is worth mentioning. The first- and second-grade children returned to the classrooms in the nearby large debased city. The system welcomed the kiddies with a long red carpet down the sidewalk and a rainbow color balloon arch at the door. At least that was an effective use of resources to requisition and purchase the balloons and red carpet. For sure, the school district invoked the competitive bidding process for the acquisition of balloons and carpets. And, there is swampland for sale in Texas. Regardless, this is an excellent example of the fiat money we send to the creepy school system put to “practical” use. And oh, the teacher greeting the children at the balloon rainbow arch had on some expensive high-heeled shoes.

What an organization can do is impressive by donating money to their favorite Democratic candidates. Donating to the machine that supplies their funding should be illegal for a public servant’s union. It is akin to a hand in the cookie jar, but worse, a lot worse.

One cogent non-woke good friend can attest that no non-woke person shall apply to any public teacher job posting. My buddy retired a few years ago and had the luxury of teaching a workshop class. As it is an innocuous subject, he survived by keeping his mouth shut. His stories abound about the sheer lunacy of the Marxist-inclined teachers. With the recent birth of the Caustic Cancel Culture Pogrom (CCCP), rest assured this cauldron would find a way to attack workshops. Right on target, in the early days of the Harris/Biden co-presidency, Trump’s apprenticeship incentive program ended up in the woke cancel trash heap. Gender affirmation takes precedence.

Now for the winners of the Fred Smith 2021 Sloppy Schooling Awards.

1. First place (gold): LA teachers warned to not share vacation pics as the union seeks a safe return to classrooms. 

2. Second place (silver): the teacher’s cheerleaders, the students. Throughout the 2020-2021 school year, your author witnessed many a large teen group having a good time. Often, these sightings occurred during virtual schooling time. At least they were outside close together in large groups (with no masks). Rest assured, many of these darlings protested in solidarity with their teachers to keep the schools closed. 

3. Third place (bronze): the debased-woke three-person Good Morning America (GMA) programming show cast. Sitting together in the same studio that unmasked threesome went into ecstasy, telling you to wear a mask. After all, George Stephanopoulos et al. say it is all about the teachers and children in the schools. Fred, Fred, get real. This GMA environment is just fine as these paragons of truthfulness are six feet apart and located in an environment protected by a highly filtered HVAC system. Optics do not apply to the Reincarnated Illuminati.

4. Fourth place (lead): teachers with all necessities delivered to their front door. After all, we feel sorry for them having to stay home for so many months. They sacrificed plenty by missing entertainment, sports, family gatherings, etc. [the truth is the opposite]. All the other people making the goods, preparing food, and delivering right to their door can be thankful to have their jobs to serve the teachers (who do not have to do any meaningful work to get their full pay and top-shelf bennies).

Super School Solar Panels

It was another lunch with another cogent non-woke friend, and we had an enjoyable conversation. Unexpectedly, he tells me about a local high school that excited the students about the environment and how they can help Mother Gaia.

Earth advocates found a clever method to involve students in a practical effort to protect the planet. With much excitement, solar panels were installed on the expansive roof of the high school, creating a remarkable sight for those attuned to environmental concerns. The panels and contractor garnered attention and seemed promising, but they vanished from the school roof without explanation. Despite efforts to uncover the truth, there’s been a conspicuous absence of any news or speculation regarding the fate of the panels.

Regardless, solar panels are ugly. It takes 79 solar workers to produce the same amount of electric power as one coal worker. The more workers are needed to make a particular product, the lower the salaries are, and the price increases. Perhaps the “carbon footprint” of the 79 workers is not a consideration. Therefore, Burisma Joe’s pontification that the canceled XL Pipeline workers will get high-paying green jobs would make Edward Bernays blush.

Projecting PC to the Stratosphere

While public schools are at the forefront of the CCCP, private schools are right up there, too. Hot off the press, a private K-12 school in New Woke Crappy has a beautiful “Inclusive Language Guide” document addressing “hateful language.” The terms grown-ups,” “folks,” “family,” or “guardians” are good. Vulgar words include “mom,” “dad,” and “parents.”

Meanwhile, the uber-woke Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation bankrolled activists who believe math is racist. “A group of fringe educators has compiled a six-part toolkit offering an ‘integrated approach to developing an ‘anti-racist math practice’ viewed through a social justice lens. It chides the ‘concept of mathematics being purely objective’ as ‘unequivocally false.’ It argues focusing on the ‘right answer’ to math equations is an example of white supremacy.” Read more about it here.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the recollection of Friday, November 22, 1963, remains vivid, marking a pivotal moment etched in memory—a day when the news of JFK’s death reverberated through the school’s PA system, disrupting the normal flow of education. The educational landscape of the past, characterized by discipline, rigorous curriculum, and a sense of intrinsic value, contrasts sharply with the current state of affairs in the educational system. The narrative exposes the stark realities of today’s “education,” marred by social justice indoctrination and bureaucratic inefficiencies.

The narrative unveils systemic issues plaguing modern education, from the revelation of questionable practices like free meals during virtual schooling to the influence of omnipresent and uber-woke teachers’ unions. Amidst the COVID-19 Power Play planned chaos, concerns over safety, funding allocations, and the prioritization of political agendas over educational needs come to light. The narrative also sheds light on the erosion of traditional values and the imposition of politically correct ideologies, even in private institutions.

As the educational landscape “evolves” into a Darwinian Dystopia, it becomes imperative to confront these challenges and advocate for reforms prioritizing genuine learning and academic excellence. The anecdotes presented serve as a call to action, urging stakeholders to reevaluate educational policies and practices to ensure that future generations receive the quality education they deserve.

Parting Shots

Public “education” is an element of the Ten Planks of the Communist Manifesto 1848 (page 25).

The Nauseating National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers are nothing more than a Make America Communist Altogether amalgamation. Ensconced in a PRIDE flotilla, they do this while overlooking known evil. Their motto: Educators the Proud MACA-WOKE Inculcators.

---

Tips appreciated!

I warmly encourage you to consider becoming a paid subscriber if you have the means. Tips are appreciated, too. Regardless of your choice, your support is deeply appreciated. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your invaluable support!

1. Who would have thought that saying “boys and girls” would become hate speech? I hope this does not give our commie debased woke folk an idea, but will Mr. Rogers face cancellation because he was a Caucasian Christian minister who often used the term “boys and girls?” Quickly get the flick A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood before it faces the CCCP pogrom. 

2. Fred’s buddy, a cogent non-woke person, ensures his sons get a real home-prepared breakfast and lunch.