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American Education: Where Do Bad Ideas Come From?
The Rubin Report ^ | 4/20/09 | Barry Rubin

Posted on 04/20/2009 9:14:00 AM PDT by Shellybenoit

A friend of mine is an expert on education. We were in his apartment in New York maybe 6-8 years ago. He said: the schools are so bad that I bet my son doesn't even know about George Washington. He called in his 12 year old son and asked what he knew about George Washington. His son said--no kidding, "George Washington Carver?"

In subsequent discussion, he couldn't tell us anything about the American revolution, the Constitution, or the Federalist papers. And he was a smart young man. He just hadn't been informed.

When I was a visiting professor at a U.S. university a couple of years back, a colleague told me that he had been ridiculed in a meeting for saying that teaching should be balanced. "Your idea is very old-fashioned and boring," another professor told him. "Here's how I teach my course on international environmental issues. In the first class I tell the students that the United States is the main cause of international environmental problems. In the rest of the classes I prove it."

Now, if you are asking yourself what people are being taught nowadays at American colleges, take a look at this:

(Excerpt) Read more at rubinreports.blogspot.com ...


TOPICS: Education; Politics
KEYWORDS: education; educationalbias

1 posted on 04/20/2009 9:14:02 AM PDT by Shellybenoit
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To: Shellybenoit

Bad ideas are viruses of the mind.

Liberalism is a disease.


2 posted on 04/20/2009 9:21:47 AM PDT by Uncle Miltie (If Liberals' GOAL was the Destruction of Western Civilization, would their behavior differ?)
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To: Shellybenoit

We throw tons of money at education and it does no good at all. Test scores do not improve. Public schools are a laughingstock. Why? There are many reasons. One is the concentration on liberal education rather than teaching subjects that will actually mean future prosperity for students. There is also no accountability. Failing students are rewarded even though they should be continually left back rather than graduated. Teachers and their unions are beholden to their far left political ideologies which teach hatred of America and capitalism.


3 posted on 04/20/2009 9:23:21 AM PDT by Ev Reeman
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To: Uncle Miltie

Gresham’s law as applied to education: The bad (set of “facts”) drives out the good.

Our kids have been given fiat currency as their heritage, and do not know the substitution was made.

No wonder the educationalists fear the home-schooling movement so much.


4 posted on 04/20/2009 9:27:22 AM PDT by alloysteel (When the chips are down - the buffalo is empty.)
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To: Shellybenoit
a colleague told me that he had been ridiculed in a meeting for saying that teaching should be balanced.

I attended an engineering college in the mid 60's and racked up 225 credits and two degrees. Of those 225 credits, I believe there were 5 electives from the humanities and social sciences (HSS, referred to as horse $h!t subjects!). That's not balanced either but you were stuck taking them anyway.

I had more math, chemistry, and physics in my first year then a liberal arts graduate would ever see in a lifetime.

Regards,
GtG

5 posted on 04/20/2009 9:35:57 AM PDT by Gandalf_The_Gray (I live in my own little world, I like it 'cuz they know me here.)
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To: Shellybenoit
excerpt ..
“Professor of Politics Shampa Biswas explains that Edward Said’s Orientalism is her intellectual foundation; that you can't criticize female genital mutilation since, after all, the Western world has anorexia, and that you can't say the September 11 attacks were immoral.

In a commencement address, she explains that the Bush adminstration seeks to relaunch nineteenth century imperialism and the main job of higher education is to fight against it.

If you think I'm exaggerating, go and see for yourself—it's even worse.

The fact that a person with this world view is teaching “politics” is pretty frightening, though protected by academic freedom. But please note, however, that the college is bragging about her and her views as something it's proud to have representing it. And they chose her to explain to the entire student body that its main task was to rebel against the evil American system's policies.””
___________________________________________________________

We are living in a crazy upside down world ... even in America.

Our way of life is being and has been subverted right out from under us, while we have been very busy entertaining ourselves to death; and thus the death of our way of life.

How can it be our schools are so strong on political correctness and self esteem that there is no education going on ... simply corruption of minds with global warming, mother earth,evolution, abortion/planned parenthood,teaching socialism/communism is good; and we are bad people for living well, etc.?

6 posted on 04/20/2009 9:36:49 AM PDT by geologist (The only answer to the troubles of this life is Jesus. A decision we all must make.)
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To: Shellybenoit

Where do bad ideas come from?

That would be . . . uhhh . . .

hell

and

hell

and . . . uhhh

hell.

Course there are various transmission channels . . . the oligarchy . . . OThuga . . . Dewey . . . Darwin . . .


7 posted on 04/20/2009 9:44:01 AM PDT by Quix (POL Ldrs quotes fm1900 2 presnt: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2130557/posts?page=81#81)
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To: Gandalf_The_Gray
I went to Eng school in the 70’s. It was up to 10 credits for the HS classes. Never have I wasted so much time in one place.
8 posted on 04/20/2009 9:45:48 AM PDT by mad_as_he$$ (Nemo me impune lacessit)
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To: Shellybenoit
RE: Arne Duncan, Obama's Education Secretary...

"[Bill] Ayers and his co-author Michael Klonsky responded to [Arne] Duncan in an article published in Phi Delta Kappan -- a professional journal for education -- describing him as 'the brightest and most dedicated schools leader Chicago has had in memory,'"

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2008/12/16/duncan-praised-bona-fide-reformer-chicago-educators/
________________________________________________________

"This is a guy [Bill Ayers] who lives in my neighborhood, who's a professor of English in Chicago who I know and who I have not received some official endorsement from. He's not somebody who I exchange ideas from on a regular basis."

Source: ABC News - Transcript: Obama and Clinton Debate, April 16, 2008
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/DemocraticDebate/Story?id=4670271&page=2
________________________________________________________

[Obama] is named Chairman of the Board of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge founded by Bill Ayers
(article typo has Ayers instead of Obama)

In late 1993, Bill Ayers, now an associate professor of education at the University of Illinois Chicago Circle Campus, organized a team to put together a grant proposal to secure nearly $50 million from the Annenberg Challenge. The money was to be used by Ayers and co. to bolster the radical Local School Councils reform project that Ayers and Obama had championed back in 1988 through the ABCs.

The grant application was successful and in early 1995 Barack Obama was named chairman of the board of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge. Ayers was named co-chair of the Challenge’s operative and strategic body, the Chicago School Reform Collaborative. Ayers and Obama work together for the next five years on raising an additional $60 million in matching money from local foundations and corporations and using the money to intervene in the governance of the Chicago public schools.

The Challenge through a multi-million dollar Leadership Development Initiative intervened in the School Council elections in the middle of what was known as the Chicago School Wars. At the same time Chicago Mayor Richard Daley was pushing, successfully, to gut the power of the Councils.

http://noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/08/12/the-obama-ayers-top-ten-highlights-of-the-20-year-obama-ayers-connection/
________________________________________________________

"The Small Schools Workshop was founded in 1991 at the University of Illinois at Chicago to provide support for teachers who were trying to create new smaller learning environments. Its director is Michael Klonsky, a former professor of education at UIC."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_Schools_Workshop
________________________________________________________

Some background on Bill Ayers' SDS comrade, Michael Klonsky
(Chicago Annenberg Challenge-related)

"One of Bill Ayers’ and Bernardine Dohrn’s comrades in the late 60s Students for a Democratic Society was Mike Klonsky. When Dohrn and Ayers moved in one direction toward the violent tactics of the Weather Underground, Klonsky, in the wake of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, dropped the pro-Russian communist politics of his parents and became a committed Maoist. As leader of the Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist) in 1977 [not to be confused with Communist Party USA. CPML no longer exists, CPUSA formed decades earlier and is still around-ETL], he travelled to Beijing and was toasted by the senior Beijing leadership.

When the crazy left of the 70s died in the 80s, Klonsky went to graduate school in education in Florida and then moved to Chicago.

While driving a cab there he [Michael Klonsky] was recruited by his old friend Bill Ayers to head up a new project called the Small Schools Workshop in 1991. It’s offices were in the Department of Education building at the University of Illinois Chicago Circle Campus where Ayers taught.

In 1995 the newly formed Chicago Annenberg Challenge headed by Ayers and Obama gave the Workshop a grant of $175,000.

The Annenberg Challenge also had its office space in the same building as Ayers Department and the Workshop, rent free courtesy of the University.

In 2008 Klonsky ran a blog on the official Obama campaign website on education policy and “social justice” teaching. When discussion of the Klonsky blog emerged in the blogosphere, it was promptly shut down by the campaign and all of the posts made by Klonsky were removed from the site."

http://noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/08/12/the-obama-ayers-top-ten-highlights-of-the-20-year-obama-ayers-connection/
________________________________________________________

In 1977, the October League was reorganized as the Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist) [again, not Communist Party USA (CPUSA) -ETL] and former SDS activist Michael Klonsky became party chairman. Also in 1977, Klonsky traveled to China and the CPML was recognized by the Chinese Communist Party as its official sister party in America.

(snip)

In January 1981, Michael Klonsky resigned as party chairman, and the CPML disbanded that same year.

The previous Red Encyclopedia description of the CPML was incorrectly combined with that of the Communist Party USA (Marxist-Leninist).

http://reds.linefeed.org/past.html
________________________________________________________

From Investor's Business Daily (IBD), August 27, 2008:

"Ayers, now a tenured distinguished professor of education at UIC, works to educate teachers in socialist revolutionary ideology, urging that it be passed on to impressionable students.

One of Ayer's descriptions for a course called 'Improving Learning Environments' says prospective K-12 teachers need to 'be aware of the social and moral universe we inhabit and ... be a teacher capable of hope and struggle, outrage and action, teaching for social justice and liberation.

The Annenberg papers are quite extensive — 132 boxes containing 947 file folders with 70 linear feet of material. They undoubtedly contain more surprises regarding Obama's relationship with Ayers, one of many relationships Obama has sought to hide.'..."

Article: Annenberg Papers: Putting On Ayers?
http://www.ibdeditorial.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=304729375940845
________________________________________________________


Voice of the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA [Maoist]
Revolution #63, October 1, 2006

Interview with Bill Ayers:
"On Progressive Education, Critical Thinking and the Cowardice of Some in Dangerous Times"
http://rwor.org/a/063/ayers-en.html
________________________________________________________

"This is a guy who lives in my neighborhood, who's a professor of English..."

YouTube Video:
The O'Reilly Factor confronts Bill Ayers:
October 24, 2008:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP3uvK9gTIY

9 posted on 04/20/2009 9:51:35 AM PDT by ETL (ALL the Obama-commie connections at my FR Home page: http://www.freerepublic.com/~etl/)
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To: Shellybenoit

Lost me shortly after this:

“A friend of mine is an expert on education.”

...and...

“He said: the schools are so bad that I bet my son doesn’t even know about George Washington.”

Well, then, your expert friend is no expert at all. He’s a colossal failure because parents should insure their kids are getting the education they need.

Pathetic.


10 posted on 04/20/2009 9:52:15 AM PDT by bolobaby
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To: Shellybenoit

Everyone knows that 5 out of 4 children can’t do math.


11 posted on 04/20/2009 9:57:34 AM PDT by hsrazorback1 (Seek truth.)
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To: Shellybenoit
Where do bad ideas come from?

from really lousy flawed world views such as:

-metaphysical naturalistic/materialistic monism
-German idealistic monism
-nihilism
-existentialism
-eastern pantheistic monism
-new ageism
-postmodernism
-islam

12 posted on 04/20/2009 10:00:48 AM PDT by mjp (pro-God, pro-reason, pro-egoism, pro-individualism, pro- limited government, pro-capitalism)
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To: Shellybenoit

Here pop, if you won’t teach him yourself, at least show him this......

The video is a description of the 5 supposed forms of government, from 100% government control (Communism, fascism, totalitarianism etc) to 0% government (anarchy) it obliterates all forms of government as only temporary and futile except for 2, oligarchy and republic. It does this in a clear concise manner, which effectively shows even a grade schooler about them. It then, in the last few moments, explains Rome, its beginning as a republic, and its morph into a democracy. The parallels are well put, and clearly where this country is today. It is an excellent way to spread the word to those who have never been taught proper history, and that is alot of people since they have been re writing it for so long now.

I have been posting this sucker all over all day, and sometimes I forget that some are stuck at work, so I have included the above basic description of the video, however it does not do the video justice. I beg, implore and urge all to view it who have not. THIS is the reason we are so angry. Taxes are a symptom, losing our republic is the disease!!!!!

http://www.marchforliberty.org/multimedialinks.html


13 posted on 04/20/2009 10:18:01 AM PDT by wombtotomb
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To: Shellybenoit
I finished my Masters in Education in 2002. We discussed the national curriculum change that was accomplished during the Clinton administration. They removed a lot of information about the First Continental Congress and the Revolutionary War in order to make room in the curriculum for diversity education. My kids know nothing about the founding of this country or the origin of our laws, but they can tell you who the first black person was to get a graduate degree in the state of Florida.
14 posted on 04/20/2009 10:27:15 AM PDT by mbynack (Retired USAF SMSgt)
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To: Shellybenoit

Bad ideas come from hundreds of thousands of communists posing as teachers.


15 posted on 04/20/2009 11:22:38 AM PDT by BuffaloJack (To stand up for Capitalism is to hope Teleprompter Boy fails.)
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