I am a straight chiropractor. I received my degree in chiropractic 29 years ago from Sherman College of Straight Chiropractic. I have also been a public school teacher for the past 33 years. Yeah, I know: I must be old!
I am going to take the liberty to explain how the human body compares in function to the public school system of today. Chiropractors remove nerve interference. My unique health profession believes that the human body possesses within itself an inborn wisdom which runs the entire living system. We refer to this inborn, inherent wisdom as Innate Intelligence. Allow me to explain.
Everything is made up of matter. A rock is not alive. Living matter is different. The matter which makes up living tissue is endowed with qualities far different than the rock. Our bodies seemingly function without the necessity of our mental control. The Major Premise of straight chiropractic is that this Innate Intelligence which each of us possesses is completely consumed by the task of doing whatever is best for the body.
Could you imagine if a public school system worked the same way? Let's imagine and say that the state and federal government was the brain. The local Board of Education would be the spinal cord and the nerves exiting the cord could be compared to administration such as school superintendents and principals. Of course that would mean that the organs, tissues and cells of the school system would be the teachers.
Okay, back to the human body. When the brain creates perfect health messages it does so with the sole intention of doing what is best for the body. Now I'm not referring to our minds and thoughts here. Certainly, there are people thinking stuff which is not good for their health. No, I am saying that the involuntary part of our brain which delivers instructions constantly for the well-being of the whole body is the source of and headquarters for good, healthy decisions. Whew! Are you following me? The brain will never send messages that are not the best thing at the moment. Innate Intelligence only knows how to do what is best for the body in which it resides.
Think of it this way: Innate Intelligence expresses itself by giving life to the matter at its disposal. There is a force which links Intelligence and matter to make life. Hang in there with me. I will make it all as clear as I can.
Question: Does the leadership of the American Public School System do the same? Are all decisions, (and I mean ALL), by leadership at the government level made because they are the best thing for the body of education at large? The human brain can't help but send the best messages to the heart, liver, lungs and spleen. That's its job. It only knows how to do the best for the body. Now if in my analogy the teachers represent the organs mentioned above, is the state and federal leadership making their decisions with what is best for the teachers in mind?
Of course there is an obvious flaw in my analogy that the human body runs itself perfectly well while our public school system seems to be is disarray.
People are sick! Their bodies are not working right and plenty of people we know personally are dying way too young. So what is that about? Alright, I am going to give the reader one perspective on sickness and disease. There are many reasons why people get sick but I am not going to address poor diet, lack of exercise or the habit of taking far too many prescription drugs. No, I'm going to talk about the 'subluxation' because then I can make a legitimate parallel to public education. A 'subluxation'? What in the world is that?
When a bone is out of position in the human spinal column chiropractors call these misalignments 'subluxations'. They interfere with the transmission of the mental impulse carrying health messages from the brain to the rest of the body. Chiropractors correct subluxations.
Okay, now let's compare this health phenomenon to public education. Our state and federal government are not evil men and women out to destroy public education. Well, not on purpose. The Common Core is a plan to increase our students' academic achievement. We all want that. We hope to see our kids compete and succeed in college. So the 'brain' of public education creates intentions which are to be implemented by the local Board of Education, (the spinal cord), and the local administrators, (the spinal nerves), so that the teachers, (the various organs, tissues and cells of the human body), can relay the necessary and vital information to the students. Unfortunately, our public schools are sick. Young people are not performing up to expectations. Who is to blame? Where is the 'educational subluxation' which is interfering with our school systems expressing life?
I know the answer. We all do. No, it's not the teachers' fault. And I also don't believe that it is fair to point a finger at leadership either. I repeat: We all know why the body of education is sick. Common Core is not a bad idea. Okay, so the implementation via the state tests needs some serious adjusting. Hey, chiropractors adjust the spine so the body will express life more fully.
Our leadership is capable of doing the same to the current state of education. So where is the subluxation? Where is the bone out of place putting undue pressure on the spinal nerve and creating interference to the flow of life within the 'educational body'?
I told you that I know. We all know but we're just not allowed to say it. It's a different world today than fifty years ago. Think about what is so different about it and you've got your answer. Try to remember your own parents, the neighborhood you grew up in or the friends you used to hang around with. Now you know too, don't you? What has really changed?
Why can't we say it?