If I were running schools.

We'd be in big trouble because I don't know squat about education. But there sure would be some changes.

I've expressed my opinion about math education. But, again, before we baffle kids with multiplying letters and numbers and adding all sorts of little symbols and new words, like exponential, multiplicand, etc., let's teach the fun part of math. Want to multiply 17 by 12? Write it down and take two times seven, bring down the four and carry the one. Then two times one, add the carried one and bring it down. Or, just teach that multiplying by 12 is to multiply by ten and by two. 10 times 17 is 170. 2 times 17 is 34. 170 and 34 equal 204. Why make it harder? Once they learn the principal, they can move on.

History. In school we read about wars. Place names we cannot pronounce. Generals names we cannot remember. Dates, dates, dates. Who cares. In school I read about a Civil War battle in a place they called The Wilderness. Didn't remember where it was, when it was, or who was commanding the opposing forces. Years after school, I read about that battle in a book by Bruce Catton. A large Union force was moving along a road through a woods when their commanders decided it was time to camp for the night. Strung along the road, the men stacked their arms nearby, removed their boots to rest tired feet, and proceeded to eat what food they had available.

Suddenly, from the woods behind them, a deer came charging down the road. Frightened and confused by the large body of men, the deer should have returned to the safety of the woods from whence it had come. It did not. The reclining soldiers laughed at the animal, and proceeded about their campsite rituals. Suddenly the cause of the deer's panic became known. A huge Confederate force, in a line perpendicular to the camping Union forces, marched out of the woods and assaulted the resting troops. Unable to escape, the Union soldiers were slaughtered and the enemy forces moved on down the road. As the battle passed them by, the woods became silent again, except for the moans and screams of dying men, calling for help that never came.

The Battle of The Wilderness. You can always look up the details. But remember those men and boys, strewn, dying, along that wilderness road. Why don't people ever learn the horrors of war? Because they are never taught those horrors.


Democracy. I would require every child to memorize the first ten amendments to the constitution, which constitute the Bill of Rights. Not word for word, but the spirit of each right. It is easy, really. There once was a TV program called "Eight is Enough". That is how I remember the 8th Amendment: "No excessive fines; No excessive bail; No cruel and unusual punishment." Okay, maybe young kids today never heard of "Eight Is Enough", but surely clever teachers can think up other memory tricks to make the job easy. But kids should know the Bill of Rights from an early age. Can you describe all 10 amendments?

Capitalism. Some years ago a small businessman in Arkansas opened a general merchandise store. His plan was to offer lower prices and better service with the creed that the customer is always right. Sam Walton called his store Wal-Mart. My oldest brother-in-law (now 89), then also from Arkansas, bought a small TV set from Wal-Mart. After a time it quit working and he carried it back to the store. Without condemnation or accusation, the manager of the Wal-Mart asked if he wanted to replace the TV. When the answer was yes, the manager said, "Well, go back to the display and pick up a new one." No cost, no obligation, no questions... Wal-Mart just replaced the defective unit.

My brother-in-law now lives in Texas. Visit him and ask about a good place to buy just about anything. He will point you to Wal-Mart. Honest dealing, low prices and customer service has built old Sam Walton's store into the largest retailer in the world. But today, people are demonizing Wal-Mart. Why? Because Hollywood and the entertainment industry at large, have chosen to attack America's business community. I would beat them to the punch in school. Teach what it takes to start and run a business. The costs. The risks. The hard work. The number of people who fail and lose it all, with no reward.


Geography. Very few Americans know anything about geography beyond their realm of familiarity. Can't we find a way to make geography interesting and memorable?

The joy of learning... and, it's free! My goal would be to make every child eager to go to school each day.