Readin' Writin' and 'Rithmetic
In the Ohio Senate I represent the extreme Northeast corner of Ohio:
Ashtabula, Trumbull and Geauga Counties. Within my District I have the privilege of representing an estimated 40,000 members of the Amish Community. This number is approximately 10 t0 12 percent of the total district population. As you may know the Amish live apart from many of the modern conveniences we use in our everyday lives. With few exceptions they don't own automobiles. They shun electricity and do not use public schools. The Amish also prefer their own educational system.
It is this last item, the Amish School System that I wish to address. The Amish school system is large. At last count there were 114 Amish Schools in my District. Although they pay the same property taxes as we do, they do not accept tax dollars. The Amish build and maintain each of their 114 schools and students only attend school through the eighth grade. They do not continue onto high school or college. Finally and most importantly, the Amish education concentrates on the basics, reading and math. They do study other subjects such as geography, Ohio history and the U.S. Constitution. They do not study the sciences. They do not study foreign languages as they are already bilingual. They speak English in the business world, but at home they speak their own "Pennsylvania Dutch." Many Amish can also converse in German, although that is not universal in the community.
Let's now take a look at what an eighth grade Amish education, an education that concentrates on Reading and Math, has produced. The Amish are natural entrepreneurs. They own businesses just as we non-Amish do.
They are carpenters and furniture makers, as well as owners of lumber mills. They own and operate small grocery stores, large restaurants and successful bakeries. The Amish manufacture premium flooring. They grow many of the vegetables we consume. As a group they are one of Ohio's largest maple syrup producers. They farm thousands of acres that produce crops and raise livestock for the market. They are experts in solar technology and battery powered tools. I could go on and on regarding their talents and successes. All this on an eighth education. that is predicated on the basics, reading and math.
Amish schools do not have synthetic football fields. They don't have wellness centers, free lunches or performing arts centers. They don't have bus fleets or additional library wings. These are items we have come to expect our schools to have. We believe these features will enhance our children's future. This is all well and good but begs the question: Are we forgetting the basics? Recent public school test scores showing poor performances in reading and math abilities would suggest we have. Has mission creep in our schools caused us to lose sight of what their basic purpose is? It would appear so.
My Amish constituents have not lost sight of the basics. They heed the old saying, Readin' Writin' and 'Rithmetic. We should do the same.
Editor's Note: Senator Sandra O'Brien is a former elementary school teacher and Ashtabula County Auditor who serves Ohio's 32nd Senate District. Wach here recent interview on the President's Podcast as she talked about education and property tax reform.