Schools focus on America's flaws, report says

Washington Times ^ | September 10, 2003 | Ben Feller

[Cincinatus' Wife]

The nation's public schools offer students plenty about America's failings but not enough about its values and freedoms, says a report drawing support across the ideological spectrum.

Without a change of approach, schools will continue to turn out large numbers of students who are disengaged in society and unappreciative of democracy, the report contends.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

The report accompanies an earlier institute-sponsored study, which contended that history and civics are lost in the national emphasis on reading and math.

3 F's, they're out: Edison sees teacher shake-up*** While the district does not have access to the standardized test scores of individual teachers' students, it can review results by subject and grade, she said. Since reading scores fell at Edison -- only 3 percent of freshmen and 4 percent of seniors were classified at least proficient in 2003 -- they decided to shake up the English department.***

To solve students' math problems, eucators go to school - Boosting teacher skills seen as key*** The report also recommends that colleges and universities boost their math requirements for education majors. Many schools require no more than a single math course for future teachers. ``It's a vicious cycle,'' Fortmann said. ``People don't learn math very well in school, they avoid math in college, and the cycle continues. What we're hoping to do here is break the cycle.'' ***

Pasadena teacher who assigned politically charged letter writing to resign*** Williams' supporters say the district proposed firing her in response to political speech. The district denies politics played any part in the decision to fire her.***

[gunnedah]

This is the Liberal Democrat Agenda. They have taken over the media,the educational system and when they control the US Supreme Court they will turn us into a Communist state or worse a dictatorship.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

NEA challenged on political outlays - Teacher's union fields "army of campaign workers"***"They're precinct workers," Mark R. Levin, Landmark's president, said of NEA UniServ directors. "It is the largest army of campaign workers that any organization has. They're free to do it - they just have to pay taxes on it."***

Professors take on role as high priests of activism***"This is a mock funeral for the innocent victims of the war against Iraq, and this was the closest thing I had to a minister's gown," University of Houston professor Bob Buzzanco quipped about the black robe with royal blue felt stripes that UH had given him to wear at graduation ceremonies.

The attire seemed fitting. As student activism continues to wane at many of America's campuses, professors such as Buzzanco increasingly find themselves playing dual roles of teachers and political organizers. ***

War dissent on campus: A problem or not?***THE SEPT. 11 attacks on America and the war against terrorism have touched off an important, often impassioned debate about patriotism and dissent. Attitudes on college campuses in particular have become a center of controversy.

Last month, the Washington-based American Council of Trustees and Alumni issued a report under the provocative title, ''Defending Civilization: How Our Universities Are Failing America - And What Can Be Done About It.''

The nonpartisan council - co-founded in 1995 by Lynne Cheney, the wife of Vice President Dick Cheney, and Senator Joseph Lieberman - blasts what it sees as the morally equivocal and downright anti-American responses to the conflict at many institutions of higher learning. According to the report, ''the message of much of academe was clear: Blame America First.''

This charge is supported by a list of 115 statements and incidents on campuses across the country. Some commentators find the report alarming in a very different way than its authors intended: not as evidence of rot in the ivory tower, but as evidence of a climate in which free speech is threatened and criticism of US policies is labeled unpatriotic. Writing in USA Today, Don Campbell, a lecturer in journalism at Emory University in Atlanta, derides the council for sounding like ''a pack of Joe McCarthy wannabes.''***

Sample U.S. History outline at Johnny Walker’s high school, Redwood.

[metesky]

It's a real surprise to see this from the Albert Shanker Institute, eh?

[gunnedah]

Tell it like it is. You should post this every chance you get and on every site possible.Great job.

[David Isaac]

It leaves me a little queasy to see liberals signing on to this. I would not mind so much, if they first uttered an apology and an acknowledgement of why our Social Studies education is in such an abyssmal state.

I do not think it was conservatives who said that social studies textbooks (and teachers, Mr Shankar) had to dwell on every possible American shortcoming while totally ignoring the "blessings" of Communism. Nor was it conservatives who said that History had to be at least 50% "inclusions", which meant of course that helf of real history had to be thrown out.

One has only to look at teacher education programs in college to see where the problem lies. And of course there are not too many social studies departments there that could be accused of being overly conservative.

To have associates such as Bill multiple-felon Clinton, would ot speak very highly of any association. There is no possible way he ever gave any thought to whatever others see as shortcomings in education and he only jumps on the bandwagon now, as part of his attempt to not look like the $#!theel that he is.

[freebilly]

The report accompanies an earlier institute-sponsored study, which contended that history and civics are lost in the national emphasis on reading and math.

In what century did they do this study...?

[Cincinatus' Wife]

It leaves me a little queasy to see liberals signing on to this.

It's a real surprise to see this from the Albert Shanker Institute, eh?

It means Bush's "Leave no Child Behind" is shaking things up and exposing the miserable reality of public education. The howling of taxpayers and parents has reached the volume required to get them to do butt cover and project the appearance that they are leading the charge. They certainly don't want conservatives making wider inroads into their 40 year investment in transforming public education into LIBERAL indoctrination.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

To have associates such as Bill multiple-felon Clinton, would ot speak very highly of any association. There is no possible way he ever gave any thought to whatever others see as shortcomings in education and he only jumps on the bandwagon now, as part of his attempt to not look like the $#!theel that he is.

His Oval Office trysts with Monica have children examining and servicing each other in alarming numbers. His and his wife's stature in Democratic Party circles speaks to the rot of that party.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Bump!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

history and civics are lost in the national emphasis on reading and math.

*** In what century did they do this study...?***

They're spinning against reality.

[freebilly]

The report calls for a stronger history and social studies curricula, starting in elementary school and continuing through all years of schooling. It also suggests a bigger push for morality in education lessons.

I can hardly wait for Big Education to commence the Moral Math classes....

[Cincinatus' Wife]

"persistently dangerous" - School-safety rankings - or just black marks?*** At the heart of the discrepancy may well be a reluctance on the part of educators to report campus crime fully. A survey by the National Association of School Resource Officers found that 89 percent of school police believe crime is already underreported. "It's the scarlet letter in education today," says Mr. Trump. "Administrators have said to me privately that they would rather be academically failing than be a dangerous school."***

[fatidic]

You've made a great case for no-strings-attached school vouchers!

[mtbopfuyn]

Did any of you ever sit through HS civics and get all giddy with delight? No? Didn't think so. Face it, for 99.9999% of teens, civics is boring, has always been boring, and I don't see a future when it will ever be anything but boring. It takes some maturity and living to understand the importance of governmental workings.

History, on the other hand, is boring because it's always been taught by memorizing dates of wars and names of dead guys. It's the rare teacher who takes the time to explain those old fogies in white wigs were in their 20's and wore padding to show off their legs. I somewhat enjoyed history I learned outside school but it wasn't until I was an adult and doing genealogy that history came to life. Again, there's nothing new to be newsworthy other than this very old and ongoing problem hasn't been solved.

Voting can not be learned in school. We take our kids with us when we vote.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Vouchers will help public schools - Fear loss of MONEY - But what of “for the children?”***The study found that public schools whose students were eligible for vouchers made significantly larger test-score gains than other public schools in the state. Even public schools that had only one failing grade but faced the threat of vouchers if they failed again made exceptional improvements. Similar low-scoring schools that did not face the prospect of voucher competition, however, did not make similar gains. In Florida, vouchers have provided public schools with powerful incentives to improve. If schools don't improve, they stand to lose students - and the funding they generate - to other schools.***

___________________________________________________

Next dump bi-lingual education! It will slash the alarming dropout - oops, early leaver (self-esteem, educrat speak) rate.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

I agree with much of what you say. Parents can nurture a love of history by encouraging lots and lots of reading and by taking trips to historic places.

[Arrowhead1952]

Voting can not be learned in school.

That may be the case, but we instilled our beliefs in our daughter long before she ever got into high school. There were many Sunday mornings she did not want to go to church, but I insisted she go. As a SR in high school, she has a totally different outlook on life.

She bought Ann Coulter's TREASON for me several weeks ago, and now she and her friends are reading it. They absolutely adore her. There are several in her class who listen to Rush and other conservative talk shows.

Her comment a few weeks ago was, "I can't wait until the 04 election. I will be old enough to vote, and there won't be any votes for a democrat!

[LiteKeeper]

INTSUM