Thinking Out Loud By: Anthony Pellegrino

For over seven months I have been privileged to contribute articles to this column. l have touched on a multitude of subjects basically dealing with education and its vital role in the community and in our personal life. Also I have tried to explain the functions of the PSS showing both its strong and weak points. By no means am I an apologist for the PSS. The PSS is what it is, but we must understand how much it is at the mercy of all of our other institutions, and how much we are a part of its alleged failure in producing educated children.

In writing these articles it is not my intention to sound as a misterknowitall, but to alert you to realities and hopefully spark you into reacting to what I write about. To effectuate progress we must become an activist. Care and insist on quality teaching. Your silence allows sloppy education to continue. Demand change!

There is a message I want all of us to grasp:

Take back the schools that have been taken away from you by politicians, social do gooders that jump on the latest fads, profit hungry private corporations in collusion with government, college professors who attempt to change the course of education without merit, and all the other people who are trying to manipulate schools for their own agenda. Their meddling has turned classrooms from learning centers into fun centers with high paid baby sitters who cannot control or do not want to control their wards.

Insist that education return to mastering the basics of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and computation. No more social promotions. Work or get kicked out. Stop cuddling children and insist that they take responsibility for their education by studying. Parents demand that children shape up. Their future sanity is at stake.

Demand that schools enforce discipline. Without it there can not be learning. Too often students rule the schools. Remember: Children do only what adults allow them to.

Put back “public” into the Public School Systemyou, the parents, the owners of the system! Speak out. Demand quality. If you love your child, you will!

Share your concerns with me. My home number is 3227452, work 2333973, fax 233 9297 and emaii is tonypell@saipan.com. Let me have your input and let’s work together. No one can do it alone. We can make a difference if we join efforts.

Well, having gotten that off my chest, let’s share a bit of humorOccasionally airline attendants make the “inflight safety lecture” entertaining. Here are some real examples:

A. “There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out of this
airplane”

B. Smoking in the lavatories is prohibited. Any person caught smoking in the lavatories
will be asked to leave the plane immediately.”

C. From the pilot during his welcome message: ” We are pleased to have some of the
best flight attendants in the industry… Unfortunately, none of them are on this flight.”

D. Another Flight Attendant’s comment on a less than perfect landing: ” We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to the terminal.”

E. After a real crusher of a landing in Phoenix, the Flight Attendant announced: ” Ladies and gentlemen, please remain in your seats until Captain Crash has brought the aircraft to a screeching halt up against the gate. And, once the tire smoke has cleared and the warning bells have been silenced, we’ll open the door and you can pick your way through the wreckage to the terminal.”

F. How about this: “Last one off the plane must clean it….”
Have a pleasant day and smile. Make someone’s day. Let me hear from you.