Maryland now requires ‘environmental proficiency’ to graduate from high school

Pajamas ^ | 6/21/11 | Bryan Preston

[ZGuy]

Well, the least Free State — literally — is outdoing itself in the idiocy department.

In an historic vote today, the Maryland State Board of Education provided specific guidance to all public schools to require that each student be environmentally literate before he or she graduates from high school. The vote cements Maryland as the first state in the country to approve a graduation requirement in environmental literacy, a credit to Governor O’Malley, to board members, and to Dr. Nancy Grasmick, State Superintendent of Schools.

In other words, despite the growing evidence of fraud within the global warming/climate change debate, Maryland schools will, by law, force feed enviro-propaganda in the classroom. And your kid will swallow it whole, or not graduate.

The state school board vote clarifies for schools that each child must receive a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary environmental education that meets the approval of the State Superintendent of Schools. Regulations given final approval by the board provide critical flexibility and oversight for school systems as they develop effective environmental literacy programs aligned with the Maryland State Environmental Literacy Standards.

What this will up doing, is take time away from the basics, which students will actually need in order to get a job and function in life, and put time into digesting political propaganda. Knowing the Fee State as I do so well, I can’t even say that this surprises me. Ideologues like Martin O’Malley own that one-party, deep blue state. Factor in the fact that Maryland is home to one of the few growth industries in the Obama economy — government — and it all makes sense. They’re using the schools to manufacture good little liberals and Beltway bureaucrats.

I used to live in Maryland. The contrast between that state and Texas continues to amaze me.

[massgopguy]

Next up. Same Sex experience in order to graduate.

[Jack Hammer]

No, you don’t have to know how to read; no, you don’t have to know how to add, subtract, multiply, or divide; no, you don’t have to know when the Battle of Lexington took place; however, if you don’t recycle your empties, you can’t pass out of high school.

George Orwell, call your office.

Or, better yet, Knucklehead Smith call yours.

[JimRed]

Translation: Student has to have bought the propaganda to graduate.

[hal ogen]

Maryland reaches out yet again to establish itself as THE Freak State (in perpetuity). Congratulations, Maryland, in your ongoing idiocy.

[SMARTY]

‘Environmental proficiency’?? Sure. America has a real chance at economic recovery and prosperity with a curriculum like THAT!!

[goldi]

I wonder why O’Malley sends his girls to a Catholic prep school?/s.

[jimfree]

I live in Maryland and this is child abuse. Fortunately my daughter is in her 30s and homeschooling hers in Virginia.

[FrdmLvr]

And THIS is the reason I have been against state standardized testing and graduation requirements, whether state or federal. These tests will NOT largely test academic achievement, but instead test the indoctrination that teachers like me have been trying to skirt while cramming in "old-fashioned" academics and American values (mainly behind closed doors, I might add).

Within a generation, the requirements for high school graduation will be understanding a UN created curriculum which includes sustainability, diversity, world governance, etc. and demonstrating it through a standardized test, and then having performed a certain number of "volunteer" hours in school-sanctioned community projects, also known as "community service", (Planned Parenthood, EPA projects, Democrat election campaigns, suburban kids cleaning up inner city neighborhoods, etc.)

[t2buckeye]

Two points about standardized testing at least in New Jersey where I teach (yes, there ARE conservatives who teach in New Jersey)

The HSPA test which assesses math and language schools always has the most BORING stories that the kids must read and respond to...the reason? They must go through a process to make sure there are no stereotypes, etc. For example, a short story by Amy Tan would not be allowed because a Chinese person works in the laundry. The kids fall asleep as they are reading such uninspired writing on the test.

The biology test is almost ALL about environmental issues...NOT biology! So teachers who have spent the year actually teaching biology will see students with poor scores. So, those who decry the test scores, remember that the most indoctrinated of ALL teachers (those that work in the Department of Education) are the ones writing them.

[wbill]

you don’t have to know when the Battle of Lexington took place

I surfed into "Are you smarter than a 5th grader" last night and this very question was on.

The adult contestant guessed "West Virginia".

I weep for my generation.

[steelyourfaith]

 

Beam me to Planet Gore !

[FrdmLvr]

The biology test is almost ALL about environmental issues...NOT biology! So teachers who have spent the year actually teaching biology will see students with poor scores. So, those who decry the test scores, remember that the most indoctrinated of ALL teachers (those that work in the Department of Education) are the ones writing them.

Exactly right!

[SuziQ]

So they should know all about how humans cause Global Warming, but they don’t have to know how to either read, write, or do mathematics. Brilliant! /S

[wayoverontheright]

How else are we going to get our kids to hate capitalism if we don’t equate capitalism with catastrophe? </sarcasm

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Political indoctrination is now an educational requirement.

[max americana]

So basically they have to be like hippies crying over trees, or else they wont get their diplomas?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G880gxjj9dI

[SaraJohnson]

Me too! I used to live in Maryland and now live in Texas. Growing up as a Navy brat, I’ve lived just about everywhere. I am glad I am not in Maryland anymore. Texas is corky but we are not dominated by zombies yet.