Today’s entry -I work with children from the age of 16 to 25 and I can tell you that sadly most have no idea what the Holocaust was about at all. Our schools are no longer teaching history. They've turned our schools into indoctrination assembly lines. Parents don't recognize their children when they come home. This principle is a danger to society and our children.
Bottom Line: This is the biggest issue of all. Yes, it’s offensive that William Latson is still employed by the Palm Beach County School District after suggesting the Holocaust wasn’t real. Yes, it’s unacceptable that Superintendent Donald Fennoy has only stated that his contract won’t be renewed rather terminating his employment. We literally have Holocaust survivors in Palm Beach County paying taxes to pay William Latson to do whatever it is that the School District deems he’ll do until his contract runs out. That’s outrageous and it demonstrates the importance of having a more responsive and responsible school board and superintendent. Still, those aren’t the biggest issues.
I’ve long said that the most pervasive form of bias in news media is omitting information. That’s also true in education. It’s remarkable that someone could be a Holocaust denier and become principal but if the curriculum isn’t prioritized, who’d know? Last year, there was a study conducted by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany that studied American Millennial adults for the purpose of determining their level of understanding of the events surrounding World War II and the Holocaust. Before giving you an idea of what they found, what do you think of when you hear Auschwitz? For 66%, two-thirds of Millennials, they think of nothing.
That’s right, two-thirds of Millennials have no knowledge, no context, for the largest most infamous Nazi concentration camp. What does that tell you about the state of public education in this country? But here’s the next, important point. Once informed, these young adults thought it was important and should be taught. At the end of the study 93% of these adults, two-thirds of which didn’t know the basics about the Holocaust previously felt it was important for the information to be taught in school. Additionally, 58% said they think it’s possible for something similar to happen again.
Often, we’re cynical or frustrated by the lack of perspective of younger generations. Could it be that the problem isn’t with them but with us? It’s not their fault they weren’t taught about the Holocaust, it’s ours. The question is when are we going to wake up and realize that the problem stems from the culture of the public education establishment combined with our voting decisions for positions like the school board? Rather than blaming younger generations for what they weren’t taught, we need to look in the mirror and realize the consequences of our voting decisions. We should also take responsibility for ensuring our kids are properly educated rather than leaving it completely in the hands of whatever is, or isn’t, being taught in the classroom.
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