Posted on 04/22/2018 11:45:23 AM PDT by Sean_Anthony
Whether the teacher is marginalized or a successful indoctrinator protected by the teacher’s union or by tenure, at the end of the day they must do as they are told in order to stay employed.
If you’ve ever been marginalized by progressives for your conservative views, for your anti-communist teaching philosophy and other divergent opinions, you were not alone.
If you’ve worked in highly progressive academic environments and were not re-hired as adjunct, granted tenure, or were not even considered for tenure unless you belonged to organizations such as the NEA, AFT, or other Democrat-supporting organizations, you were not alone.
"Fellow-citizens, the ark of your covenant is the Declaration of independence. Your Mount Ebal, is the confederacy of separate state sovereignties, and your Mount Gerizim is the Constitution of the United States. In that scene of tremendous and awful solemnity, narrated in the Holy Scriptures, there is not a curse pronounced against the people, upon Mount Ebal, not a blessing promised them upon Mount Gerizim, which your posterity may not suffer or enjoy, from your and their adherence to, or departure from, the principles of the Declaration of Independence, practically interwoven in the Constitution of the United States. Lay up these principles, then, in your hearts, and in your souls – bind them for signs upon your hands, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes – teach them to your children, speaking of them when sitting in your houses, when walking by the way, when lying down and when rising up – write them upon the doorplates of your houses, and upon your gates – cling to them as to the issues of life – adhere to them as to the cords of your eternal salvation. So may your children’s children at the next return of this day of jubilee, after a full century of experience under your national Constitution, celebrate it again in the full enjoyment of all the blessings recognized by you in the commemoration of this day, and of all the blessings promised to the children of Israel upon Mount Gerizim, as the reward of obedience to the law of God." - John Quincy Adams (Final Paragraph - "The Jubilee of the Constitution" A DISCOURSE Delivered at the Request of The New York Historical Society In the City of New York, On Tuesday, the 30th of April, 1839, Being the Fiftieth Anniversary Of the INAUGURATION OF GEORGE WASHINGTON as President of the United States on Thursday, 30th of April, 1789, by John Quincy Adams (Eldest son of John Adams, born in 1767, served as Minister to the Netherlands under President Washington, as minister to Prussia and to Russia, as Secretary of State, and as U.S. Senator. He was the Sixth President of the United States and from 1830 until his death in 1848 served the nation as a United States Congressman)Do any multi-decade or retired teachers remember when the National Education Association (NEA) provided booklets and other materials based on Biblical teachings and America's founding documents in order to teach children their rights and responsibilities as good citizens?
Perhaps an examination of this web site may refresh the minds of such teachers. Or, perhaps a reading of this factual account of NEA publications may enlighten others who are younger to understand the degree to which the "progressive" control of education in America may have contributed to our current dilemma.
"Posterity, you will never know how much it cost the present generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it. If you do not, I shall repent in heaven that ever I took half the pains to preserve it." - John Adams - 2nd President of the United States and advocate for the Declaration of Independence
"Ideas have consequences." - Weaver
I told a teacher I referred to Common Core as KK being it was a fascist system. Her reaction was not well received.
I don’t know when things changed but I went to several schools, including 3 high schools in 3 different states, and the teachers avoided politics and for the most part kept their opinions to themselves. I was living in a democrat bastion when Reagen was running for re-election in 84. Politics were not discussed by the teachers.
This article says it like it is so well, I cc’d it to several educator friends.
This is a GOOD ARTICLE. I’ll comment below on pieces of it.
“If you’ve ever been marginalized by progressives for your conservative views, for your anti-communist teaching philosophy and other divergent opinions, you were not alone.”
A standard tactic of the Left is to say something like “you’re the only one complaining about the math program, others think it’s a great approach”, when, in fact, half of the parents are complaining. But unless parents have some kind of network INDEPENDENT of the schools, they’ll never realize they’re not alone. One of the tactics the schools use is to assign seating at PTA meetings in such a way that cluster-groups of parents who are wise to what’s going on are broken up. They’ll have 5 to 10 at a table, and after having broken up the cluster-groups, they’ll have their ‘facilitators’ lead the parents in the ‘right’ direction, per their goals, during their ‘workshops’. This has been documented and is widespread.
“Incisive parents who were involved in their children’s education understood the schemes and fads early on and took measures to protect their children by home schooling them or putting them in private schools.”
Ideally, parents should NEVER expose their kids to the public school system in the first place, as that gets them tracked and will make it harder for the parents to pull them out, not to mention the early damage. In Texas, and probably many other states, if your kids have never enrolled in public schools, the schools have NO CLUE that they even exist, and have no legal right to ask questions about them (unless part of a DPS investigation). Certainly that was the case for my kids, who never sat foot in those institutions. In some of the more left-wing states, you can probably still ignore the schools, if you home school, and then claim ignorance if you do get caught, as many of them require parents to submit curricula, work done, and progress reports to the schools, if home schooled. Also watch out for pediatricians - always have a story ready for them, like your kids are going to some Christian or Catholic school - never admit to home schooling, in ANY state - it just doesn’t do you any good, and it will be recorded and likely reported.
“Other parents who were seldom seen at school or PTA meetings were oblivious, did not care who influenced their children’s world views, or were too trusting of those empowered to shape their children’s minds eight hours a day.”
It’s usually a combination of “well, I went to public schools and I turned out fine”, and “who am I to second guess the ‘experts’ in education, for they can only want what’s best for my kids”. The first one is comparing different times and it’s likely you don’t remember all of the make-up work you did have to do to compensate for the declining schools, even back then (tutoring, after-school programs, etc.). The second one regarding ‘experts’ is actually correct, if you LIVE IN ASIA. But most Americans do not, so they’re just FLAT-OUT WRONG about this assumption regarding the United States. It takes a lot to reach this point of cynicism, but if you consider EVERYTHING ELSE that the Left is doing to this country to destroy it (starting with mass immigration), and the fact that the Left is in complete control of the public schools, then it may become more obvious - for to take the position that the Left will SUSPEND their agenda for this country in the public schools (i.e., that the Left would act in the best interests of the kids), when they push their agenda EVERYWHERE ELSE, now including the NFL, takes a fertile mind.
“And a small percentage of parents were only concerned that Johnny received free tuition and free meals, thus they did not have to be responsible or participate in the education of their progeny. Why bother if the state provides free education, free meals, and paid teachers?”
Now no parent will ADMIT doing this, instead they’ll rationalize by saying “well, I pay property taxes for these damn schools, so I’m going to get my money’s worth”, or “I can’t afford to educate my kids outside of the public schools”. For the first one, keep in mind that a ‘gift’ can often have terrible consequences, as in the case of most lottery winners...sometimes better to NOT accept a ‘gift’. For the second one, what you are really saying is the following: “I can’t afford to educate my kids outside of the public schools, AND still maintain my lifestyle”. This is where parents have to set priorities - what’s more important for the kids, to live in a really big house, but go to schools whose personnel despise them (at least if they’re white or Asian), or to live more modestly, maybe even in an apartment, but be able to provide for a good education for the kids. Are your kids REALLY going to be damaged for life because you chose not to spend your money trying to ‘Keep up with the Jones’?
“Everybody knows that children see teachers as the ultimate authority and respect them.”
This is something to consider - most kids will trust their teachers before they trust their parents, because the teachers appear to be ‘friends’ to them. Consider that fact while also considering that the LAST THING most teachers have in mind is the welfare of your kids, at least for conservative parents.
“Parents blame their children’s problems on teachers and administrators. Administrators blame everything on the lack of funding or the “low” teacher salaries when compared to the private sector.”
The STANDARD EXCUSES. They keep using them because they work on far too many parents. Needless to say Christian/Catholic schools do MUCH BETTER, often with the same types of kids, and with far less money. The difference is that, those schools, to the extent they’re permitted by government, will try to act in the best interests of the kids.
“Teachers say that parents are the problem, their lack of involvement in their children’s education.”
Another standard excuse - parents are crappy and don’t give a damn about their kids, leaving the teachers with a number of kids who prevent the others from learning. Well, in Asia, and most other countries, that not a problem, even for kids with lousy parents - the kids KNOW that when they are on school property, they better behave, or life will get really, really, bad for them - including physical punishment and banishment. In the US, we reached the point of REWARDING schools that do nothing about bad kids, leading directly to the Florida shooting.
“Parents are not teaching their progeny manners, respect for authority, how to get along with other children without throwing a temper tantrum, lack of modesty in clothing...”
Fine! Then SEGREGATE those children so that the rest can learn.
“Teachers find fault with parents who never show up at school regularly, who never help their children do homework, or check their homework every night...”
It shouldn’t matter. You deal with those their brats SEPARATELY if they disrupt learning. But note how this is the LAST THING the Left is willing to do. If the schools want to complain about ‘broken households’, then they can lobby to end No-Fault Divorce and Welfare, the two government policies most responsible for broken households. Do they lobby for that? ARE YOU KIDDING?
“...yet are not allowed to discipline students in any way for fear of lawsuits, and must provide justification in writing for their lesson plans every day.”
How many teachers’ organizations or other ‘educational’ entities lobby for the restoration of corporal punishment (hint, less than one)? How many argue for restrictions on lawsuits (hint, even fewer)? They support the Democrats, who support the policies they are complaining about. Think about that.
“...instead of doing the jobs they were hired to do, teach our children.”
Were they REALLY hired for that, or to impose an agenda, a brainwashing, on our kids? Given the testing results over the past few decades (including having to dumb-down the SAT about a decade ago to get the scores looking better) and given comparisons of US students with the students of EVERY other advanced country, and many (if not most) non-advanced countries, I think one can safely state they were not hired to ‘teach our children’.
“Teaching is an art and cannot be taught by the College of Education”
Thomas Sowell suggests simply SHUTTING DOWN these ‘colleges of education’ as they are the breeding ground for virtually all of the crappy teachers and administrators (i.e., most teachers and administrators). Think about it, people WITHOUT formal ‘education’ training teach others ALL THE TIME, and with much better results, be it home schoolers, private schools, corporate training, the military, etc. But those ‘schools of education’ STILL exist, and are a huge part of the problem.
“Unfortunately, in order to keep their jobs, most teachers use all the prescribed lesson plans, worksheets, and textbooks provided by Common Core or whatever orders come down from the administration via the Department of Education which attaches their orders to school funding and grants.”
Sadly most teachers in this country are VIRTUALLY CLUELESS as to what works and what doesn’t, in large part due to the above (i.e., schools of education). For example, when Whole Language was being pushed in California by some guru at their teachers’ convention, that guru was a ROCK STAR, with the teachers screaming in joy as he explained the idea that kids can learn to read by first having Shakespeare shoved in their faces. Only later, after a full generation of kids had been subjected to this crap and came out illiterate or severely reading/spelling impaired, did the former schools superintendent there, Bill Honig admit (or claim) that he was ‘tricked’ by others into forcing Whole Language through.
“Even though President Trump had expressed his intent to end Common Core in our public schools, the current Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos, a wealthy business woman and educational activist with no experience in public education, has made no effort to end Common Core which is very much alive and well in most of our public and private schools.”
Sadly that’s true. She was probably the best person to try to put an end to this garbage, but the ‘education lobby’ is simply too strong to fight. Besides controlling Democrats, they control many, many, Republicans. It is up to parents to NOT try to fight this monster through their kids (i.e., complaining about this or that at the public schools)...parents must, instead, PROTECT their kids from this bunch, by getting them out. We need to fight the battle where it needs to be fought, in DC first, and then in state capitols. That’s the only hope...and there’s not much hope there, unfortunately.
“Whether the teacher is marginalized or a successful indoctrinated or protected by the teacher’s union or by tenure, at the end of the day they must do as they are told in order to stay employed.”
She misses it on this one. The teachers are doing EXACTLY what they are being told to do, starting up in DC, and filtering down by edict. And sadly, the teachers are also doing EXACTLY what they want to do, because, in most cases, they have no clue - they’re the useful idiots for the puppet masters above them.
PING! You gals will likely like my comments above.
Actually, the state knows about your kids.
When my oldest was four, we got a letter from the school district that my school aged child needed to have her immunizations records with me when we went to register for school.
No indication that I had any options of doing so or not.
It was written in a way that was very intimidating.
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Yipe, probably tracking birth records. We never anything like that, so maybe they didn’t know in my case.
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