Posted on 12/04/2004 6:55:55 AM PST by Mikey
The cause of educational freedom was given a great boost on the weekend before Thanksgiving at the Omni-Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. There, at this opulent inn, were gathered some of the smartest "rebels" in America, voicing uncompromisingly that the government should get out of the education business. The occasion was the 10th anniversary of the Alliance for the Separation of School and State, of which the indefatigable president is Marshall Fritz. He chose the Omni-Shoreham because they don't show pornography in their rooms.
Since 1994, Marshall has sponsored a Proclamation for the Separation of School and State, which, to date, has been signed by 26,000 individuals around the world. It reads: "I favor ending government involvement in education." Marshall wants to get 1 million signatures. If readers of this column would like to sign it, get in touch with Marshall Fritz at 1071 N. Fulton Street, Fresno, CA 93728, www.HonestEdu.org. Their phone is: 888-325-1776.
The keynote speaker at the conference was none other than our own Joseph Farah, who said, "It takes a radical agenda to fight a radical agenda. We are the rebels." In the fight to take back America, Farah told homeschoolers that they were "the vanguard of the Revolution." He urged parents, who haven't yet, to get their kids out.
In fact, "Getting the Kids Out," was the major theme of the conference. Other speakers included Michael Farris, founder of the Home School Legal Defense Association and president of Patrick Henry College. He was the recipient of the 2004 Alexis de Tocqueville Award presented by Tim and Beverly LaHaye. His address was on "Judging the Fruits of Secular Statist Education."
John Taylor Gatto, in a speech entitled "The Paradox of Extended Childhood," gave one of his stemwinders about the evils of public schooling and the benefits of educational freedom. He stressed that the structure of public education cannot be changed and that the education act, No Child Left Behind, should really read, Every Child Left Behind.
He also had the opportunity to tell us about the provocative documentary film he and a colleague, a former student, are making about American public schooling. We were shown a sample, which was quite impressive. He had just returned from Australia by way of a 28-hour plane trip. His wisdom is slowly spreading across the globe in ways that the media never hear about. He is a great American original in the spirit of Jefferson, Adams and other major thinkers who shaped this nation. His remarkable book, "The Underground History of American Education," is slowly making its way into the minds of Americans who care.
Also at the conference were the two men responsible for introducing the resolution at the Southern Baptist Convention calling for the removal of Christian children from the public schools. Bruce Shortt and T.C. Pinckney brought their story to the conference in a symposium, "Get the Kids Out" Strategy for Baptists. Shortt has also written a new book, "The Harsh Truth About Public Schools," that should send any Baptist minister into shock.
Another speaker was Brian Ray, president of the National Home Education Research Institute, which has become the primary resource for information on homeschooling that the media turn to when in need. Beverly Eakman, author of "The Cloning of the American Mind," led a round table on psychographics. Her earlier book, "Educating for the New World Order," has become a classic critique of government assessment programs that violate the privacy rights of students and parents. Yours truly also led a round table on Behavioral Psychology in the Schools.
Joseph Sobran gave one of his entertaining and provocative views of what our government is doing to protect us. Sobran has become something of a neo-anarchist in his later years, deeply suspicious of and greatly annoyed at the state. Homeschooler Cathy Duffy spoke about the future of education without government.
To have had so many great speakers and knowledgeable attendees at one conference for two short days is so rare as to be quite unexpected. Much to my surprise, I also received an award, The Diggers Award, for having written years ago on the need to get the government out of education.
I had attended four Alliance conferences in years past, and this one was not only the best, but also the most exciting. Not only were the speakers outstanding, but the conference resounded with a spirit of impending success as more and more people are beginning to understand that public education cannot be reformed and that the only solution is a return to educational freedom.
Dr. Samuel L. Blumenfeld is the author of eight books on education, including: "Is Public Education Necessary?" "NEA: Trojan Horse in American Education," "The Whole Language/OBE Fraud" and "Homeschooling: A Parents Guide to Teaching Children." His books are available on Amazon.com. Back issues of his incisive newsletter, The Blumenfeld Education Letter, are available online.
The public foolschool system has been getting worst and worst every year since the '60's
At least let's de-unionize the public schools.
Why are our children going to a place 5 days a week that is overwhelmingly voting for the Leftist on the ticket?
There's nothing wrong with having the government support education per se. The writings of the Founders show they considered this entirely appropriate and desirable. We don't need to get government out of the education business, we need to get them out of the indoctrination and social engineering business.
I agree. We should privatize education, yet we should make it available to either
a) lower rates to help out those less fortunate, so that the generation of children can do better then those of their elders
or
b) have financial aid to help the less fortunate.
Wouldn't you want to fix the problem instead of giving up on it.
Personally, I think the school system's problems are created by parents not getting involved in their children's education. If the parents don't care about their children's education in school, I don't think they will take the efforts with their education at home.
Congressional Record--Appendix, pp. A34-A35 January 10, 1963 Current Communist Goals EXTENSION OF REMARKS OF HON. A. S. HERLONG, JR. OF FLORIDA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Thursday, January 10, 1963 Mr. HERLONG. Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Patricia Nordman of De Land, Fla., is an ardent and articulate opponent of communism, and until recently published the De Land Courier, which she dedicated to the purpose of alerting the public to the dangers of communism in America. At Mrs. Nordman's request, I include in the RECORD, under unanimous consent, the following "Current Communist Goals," which she identifies as an excerpt from "The Naked Communist," by Cleon Skousen: [From "The Naked Communist," by Cleon Skousen]
CURRENT COMMUNIST GOALS
17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks.
"The public foolschool system has been getting worst and worst every year since the '60's"
... Indeed
Dude, you are WAY behind the times. The "education professionals" who infest the public schools DON'T WANT parents involved. The policies are deliberately intended to allow parents NO SAY WHATSOEVER in what their children are taught, and how they are taught it.
Completely agree. I've attended numerous public meetings in which parents have suggestions, or ask how they can be more involved. The School Administration is icy and just freezes parents out. But, of course, they turn around and say that parents aren't doing enough. It's right out of Saul Alinsky's "Rules for Radicals".
bttt
I take it you attended public school after the 1960's?
The entire thing is insane.
I don't think it is possible to do this without banning government from having anything to do with education ...public or private. Case in point... a government chartered 501-C-3 organization such as the teachers union (a teachers union has the same charter as your friendly neighborhood Methodist church - which means government can control what it can and cannot teach and preach) has turned public education into a 'jobs program' where employment of people has become the "purpose" of public education. It is not possible for government to maintain this control without "...indoctrination and social engineering...".
The 'purpose' of this public education - a jobs program - means that "education" is simply a by-product of the 'purpose'. Meanwhile taxpayers have the burden of supporting "No Child Left Behind" in order to insure that our "POORLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS" who should have been "highly" qualified the day they received their teaching certificate.
No parent wants a poorly qualified teacher in charge of their child's education. But you can't fire these non-highly qualified teachers because of tenure laws of teachers unions which fall under the oversight of that government control - 501-C-3. Public education has been in a downward spiral since they day government control removed "civics" (a death warrant for government control of education) from the classroom. If you received a public education (K thru 12) and did not attend college you have never had a “civics class” in public school …unless you are at least 60 years of age. Government control removed “civics” 60 years ago. Today’s classroom teacher (qualified or not) does not dare interfere with 60 years of indoctrination and social engineering. Why should they put their employment with medical and retirement benefits in jeopardy?
If there is to be a change... you and I will have to lead the revolt! That is why I maintain that "home schooling" is the best K thru 12 education available in the United States.
Dude, you give up too easily.
If parents get together, there are many ways for them to change the system. Just out of the top of my head, we could use the media, elected officials, etc...
School administrators are salaried people. They have to answer to somebody, most likely elected officials.
Of course, if the parents were united and involved in the first place, there wouldn't be any problems to begin with.
... we need to get them out of the indoctrination and social engineering business.
tacticalogic
Been tried---failed. I've seen a couple of these efforts at making even MINOR changes in the curriculum instigated by parents. The "ed-biz professionals" simply listen politely to the parental comments, and then go ahead and do whatever the hell they wanted to do in the first place.
"School administrators are salaried people. They have to answer to somebody, most likely elected officials."
No longer. This was "once" true, when local school boards were controlled directly by local voters, and had complete say over hiring and firing and budgetary concerns. That power has moved from complete local control, to "county-wide" control, to state control, and is not-so-slowly moving to federal control.
"Of course, if the parents were united and involved in the first place, there wouldn't be any problems to begin with."
You fail to understand that these changes were STEALTH changes, and every effort has been made to conceal the true curriculum changes from parents.
I'm afraid you are VERY naive and much too optimistic. There is zero chance of reforming the public school system. The only possibility left to concerned parents is to "get the hell out".
Check this out:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1294232/posts
Public school officials complain that parents "don't get involved" and when they do, they complain or actually go out of their way to subvert them. I'm not saying all school districts are like this, but enough of them are.
Getting some small number of their actions in the newspapers does nothing. Those stories are all about the POLITICS of the school systems, not the details of the programs, which are VERY closely held among the "education professionals".
I lived in South Louisiana from birth, through the onset of "desegregation", until 1995, and I watched the destruction of the public school system at the hands of the federal judges. The effect they have had on the educational system has NOT been positive.
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