Veterans Day: Some Politically Correct Public Schools Teach Unpatriotic Lesson

Why were any K-12 schools open for the sacred national holiday?

Something arguably unpatriotic occurred just outside the nation’s capital yesterday…

The most populous public school districts remained open, albeit to the detriment of military families and the vital lessons veterans can teach young people.

I attribute this dubious decision making to a morally hollow bunch of local government bureaucrats in charge of public education. This travesty took place Friday in Montgomery County, Maryland, where I reside. My wife is a recently retired school teacher for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) with a career spanning two decades.

It also happened in other populous school districts nearby: the city of Alexandria, as well as Fairfax and Loudon counties — not to mention sporadically nationwide.

Were the public schools closed where you live?

These are some of the most affluent suburbs within the greater Washington, DC-metro area, with average household incomes in the six-figure range — and with a few affluent zip codes much higher than that (Chevy Chase in Maryland and McLean in Northern Virginia, for example).

Montgomery County is the largest school district in Maryland with about 160,500 students. Fairfax County is the biggest school district in Virginia with nearly 180,000 students. Both school districts are among the nation’s largest and most diverse in the country.

Yet the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs states:

“There is no legal requirement that schools close on Veterans Day, individual states or school districts are free to establish their own policies on school closings.”

Still, many localities and big cities made the correct decision to close on Veterans Day. One good example is New York City, which is also one of the largest metropolitan public school systems nationwide. Even the notoriously ultra-liberal Washington, DC, public schools closed Friday to honor veterans.

Yet other public schools decided to stay open for reasons that are nonsensical and anathema to the best interest of students, at least in my view. My wife was a public school teacher here for two decades.

Thus, the question arises: Should all public schools be closed on Veterans Day?

Hurting Military Families

Professor Ron Avi Astor at the School of Education at the University of Southern California recently stated:

• “Nationwide, the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) estimates that there are several million children whose parents have served our country since 9/11. The vast majority of children in veteran and military families are being educated in civilian public schools.”
• “Recent studies conducted by researchers in California, Washington, and Iowa have shown that without proper school or community supports, military-connected children are at higher risk than civilian children for a range of negative outcomes, including substance use, being threatened by weapons, victimization in school, symptoms of depression, and thoughts of suicide.”

PC Run Amok

Rather than taking part in community service, attending a Veterans Day parade or any number of related “teachable” events, too many students were stuck in school this federal holiday. They missed an important and influential opportunity to observe and learn the lessons of Veterans Day.

There are many vital lessons that veterans can teach to a budding generation of leadership. But don’t tell that to some public schools which intentionally ignored the holiday.

This is because of a handful of politically correct school administrators pushing an agenda that does not support children of military families — not to mention patriotism generally, if you asked me.

Some schools that stubbornly chose to remain open were apparently too busy to be bothered with hosting Veterans Day assemblies or mandatory educational programs for the student body at large.

This is outrageous!

6 Critical Lessons

My late father, for example, served in the Army 10th Mountain Division as a young man. He learned many vital life lessons as an officer which later helped propel him to success as president of a global textile manufacturing company based in NYC.

Yet ironically, the values embodied by our veterans are missing from too many students trapped within a public education system in decline. That is, compared to the world’s other leading advanced industrialized nations which have already eclipsed America in STEM curriculum. Other countries advance while America falls further behind. This is a troubling predicament.

The critically important values of veterans, which more students need to learn, include:

1. Discipline

2. Determination,

3. Team Work,

4. Fortitude,

5. Perseverance, and

6. Respect for authority (among other things)

America’s veterans are shining role models for students in their formative years. Therefore, it’s unfortunate that some overly officious administrators of public schools are denying military families and veterans the minimal respect, admiration and appreciation they so rightfully deserve.

This is a sad lesson in local taxpayer dollars being used to foster vacuous values among students by public school officials with questionable motives.

Failing Grades

How many other public school systems across America appeared intentionally indifferent to Veterans Day observance and the important impact on military families — and all families?

In essence, by refusing to close on Veterans Day some public schools taught a troubling lesson during one of the most sacred military holidays of the year. For that, those school districts deserve failing grades.

What message does keeping public schools open on Veterans Day send to military families and veterans who have sacrificed so much for the country they love?

The good news is that many public schools across America followed the federal government’s example by closing for the solemn observance of Veterans Day.

All Americans should take time out to pay tribute to our troops at home and abroad. Many veterans put their lives on the line through acts of selfless sacrifice to defend our nation.

They deserve our respect every day of the year, but particularly on the national holiday honoring their service.