besalel
Participant
Q: “Are we ok with the state of education in our yeshivos?”
Generally speaking, yes. We are successfully meeting the critical needs of the vast majority of children.
Q: “Do we believe that there has been a decline in the quality of the education? Or …”
Perhaps Torah learned “al yeday hdchak” was better. Otherwise, no. In fact, as others have pointed out, both delivery and retention of our education have improved.
Q “Are we comfortable with the sight of too many our brethren struggle to string together coherent sentences in English”
The vast majority of your “brethren” speak English well, primarily because their parents have decided that English should be their first language – or at the very least, speak English at home.
You demean those who speak Yiddish to their children, and frankly, that is not very enlightening.
In addition, this is not a legal or even a societal issue. According to US law, English is not an official language of the United States. Instead of being proud of your Jewish heritage and the rich Yiddish culture, you live in shame.
Q: Do we want our children to be able to express themselves in written and spoken word? Are they given these tools in school?
See above.
Q :Do we not want every one of our children to work in any kosher field they choose – even those that require an advanced education and degree?
Personally, I would be happy with them working in the frum community, while having an income that allows them to spend time with their family and learning.
Q: “Or am I the crazy one? Is everything perfectly fine? Is there a problem here – at all – that needs to be addressed?”
You’re not crazy, you’ve become “Americanized” and your values are not what they should be.