In Which President Garfield is a Puppet: Public Schools Should be for the Public

Last updated on: August 28, 2016 at 11:18 am by John Mark N. Reynolds

In Which President Garfield is a Puppet: Public Schools Should be for the Public 2016-08-28T11:18:35-04:00 John Mark N. Reynolds

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

20160820_175625681_iOS_opt Of all the things I expected when I got a bust of James Garfield (circa 1880), one of those things was not that it would become: The Voice of James Garfield. Yet this is what happens when one must go from college students to kindergarteners in the space of one hour. I work at an Orthodox, classical school that extends from kindergarten through college and James Garfield is an example to us at every level. . . and maybe he can serve the same function for you.

For the “littles” James Garfield is the boy who worked on canal boats, valued learning, and made it to the White House. For the “middles” James Garfield is the kid who studied in school until he saw the last candle go out in other rooms. For the college students, James Garfield is the man with a passion for justice: if the African-American was not treated as an equal before the law, then he would not rest.

Almost no American shows the power of classical, Christian education to transform a life better than James Garfield and so his signature graces our executive office and his bust sits in my office. Of course, if you teach, nothing “sits” for long. This week the bust of James Garfield toured the elementary, middle, senior schools and was present in the first college classes.

What can he teach?

James Garfield is quiet when the teacher says to be quiet. Why? He knows that a classical education helped him escape poverty. Used as a puppet, my James Garfield statue encourages students to participate by reminding them that they may not have to go from a canal boat to the White House, but they can go from inner city Houston to the White House.

James Garfield learns many languages including Latin, Greek, and German so his expanded mental vocabulary can help him master many skills. Used as a puppet, my bust of James Garfield tells students that English is not “real” and other languages have treasures to give to them. The Arabic they speak at home should not be forgotten, because every word helps capture a slightly different idea and there is no language more precious than the one learned from mother.

James Garfield’s life poses hard questions: “Why is he allowed to be shot, suffer horrific medical care, and die with less than a year in office?” The statue of James Garfield sits in my office reminding The Saint Constantine School college students that civil service reform was made permanent by the great man’s death. Not even the old grifter Chet Arthur could go back to milking the treasury after Garfield was murdered by a man looking for government patronage.

James Garfield used “public” schools to rise to greatness, but never shook the bigotry against Catholics and Orthodox he learned there. Government schools would teach the establishment orthodoxy, which was the creed of the Protestant establishment. He was better than his times on race, but he messed up on localism. He failed to see that imposing Protestant values on a Catholic or Greek neighborhood was tyranny.

Government schools are not public schools. They have become arms of the state and big business often hostile to local values and morals. We need public schools that are open to all, but tied to a local community. As I introduced Garfield to my students, in fun and in serious discussion, I knew this- James Garfield was right:

Next in importance to freedom and justice is popular education without which neither freedom nor justice can be maintained.

We must give the resources to each community to educate their own children as they would. Some will choose secularism, some Islam, some Christianity. A republic has room for all ideas and we will prosper when freedom and justice are not denied by a school system that imposes secularism as the door.

James Garfield would agree if he could see how little public is left in public education.

Education

Previous Post

August 27, 2016

The Sorting Ceremony: Finding an Academic Home

Next Post

August 29, 2016 Black Lives Matter

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Apologetics Art Culture Education On Books On Education Philosophy Politics Pop Culture Spiritual Reflections Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 July 2025 June 2025 September 2024 July 2024 June 2024 December 2023 June 2023 September 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

How did Moses' mother save him as a baby?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Hid him in a cave Dressed him as a girl Sent him to another city Placed him in a basket on the river

Books by This Author John Mark Reynolds

See All Titles »