Curriculum Wars Rage in the Classroom

FoxNews.com ^ | April 17, 2002 | Kelley Beaucar Vlahos

[gubamyster]

WASHINGTON

[Dimensio]

I went to a high school where biology was taught in Biology, history was taught in History, chemistry taught in Chemistry, mathematics taught in the various math courses (Algebra, Geometry, Calculus, etc), physics taught in Physics and history taught in the various History courses (world history, US history, eastern history, european history, etc).

There was a Health class that touched on sexual issues, but it wasn't, IMO, advancing any specific "agenda" -- it was pretty much just fact based and there wasn't anything about any particular "lifestyle" discussed.

One of the common rules was "be nice to each other", though that was pretty much expected and no one assumed that an entire course needed to be set aside for it.

Religious concepts were taught -- in proper classes. There were a few elective religious history courses (eastern and western) and religion was discussed heavily in history courses because of the nature of religion in history -- it never came up as an "alternative" to biology.

Quite a sensible cirriculum overall. Unfortunately public school agendas hardly seem "sensible" nowadays.

[LurkedLongEnough]

While children are inundated with social messages about diversity, oppression and sexuality, they are missing out on the basics...

Meanwhile, teachers complain that "standardized testing" gives them "too little time for instruction"... BS! They are afraid test results will reveal their unequivocable weaknesses in teaching the basics.

[Spiff]

Michael Ponds, a spokesman for the NEA, said his group respects local control of school curricula. But he blames religious special interest groups for attacking the NEA in its support of evolution, tolerance of alternative sexual lifestyles and contraception.

As opposed to Ponds' socialistic, anti-religious special interest group (the NEA) who's decades-long siege upon our schools and the minds of our children deserves much of the blame for the current, disgusting state of our schools.

"The people involved in these efforts are people with kids in the public schools who want to have an impact," said Ponds. "But there are others who are part of an overall effort to insert religious instruction in the schools and undermine the public schools."

And there are others, like Ponds, who are part of an overall effort to insert socialistic, valueless, anti-religious instruction in the schools and undermine the souls of our children and thus the schools, our families, and our free society.

Heaven forbid some parents get involved and attempt to counter the NEA's poisonous effects on our schools and our children. In a better time Ponds would have been tarred, feathered, and rode out of town on a rail.

[Arthur McGowan]

It's frightening but true: No matter how outraged parents get about what is happening in the public schools, only about 10% of them are capable of thinking the following thought: We need to abolish government involvement in education.

[Dimensio]

are you claiming the right-wing indoctrination to the white dominated cultural oppression is somehow better than the fine education given today by the NEA?

The education that I received was a significant contributor to what I have become...

Er, that's not exactly a statement in its favour, I suppose :)

[GrandMoM]

bump

[tcostell]

"The biggest curriculum battles came about because parents got involved," said Jeanne Allen, president of the Center for Education Reform. "Parents were going nuts over what their kids were getting or not getting."

How dare those parents interfere in the work of these "experts".

More and more it seems to me that a degree in education is proof positive that you should have absolutley nothing to do with education.

By the way, remember my personal rant:

Average NY Public School spending per student: _______________________________$8,900.00 per year
Spending per student in Putnam Valley NY: ___________________________________$18,600.00 per year
% of Putnam Valley 8th graders who pass the standardized tests: ___________________67% (below 70% is a failing grade)

Putnam Valley Public Schools, all the incompetence at twice the price.
Brought to you by the NEA and the US Department of Education

[LibertarianLiz]

A Sweetwater, Wyo.-county school district voted 4-2 last week to allow high school seniors to opt out of new sex education courses that address homosexuality and contraception after parents there protested;
— Egged on by parents, three school board members in Panama City, Fla., called homosexuality a "sin," and said they oppose any curriculum changes "promoting or condoning" such a lifestyle;
— Dueling parent groups in Newton, Mass., have been arguing for more than five years against the "Respect for Human Differences" curriculum, which some parents there believe promote the gay lifestyle;

This is the reason that the NEA decided not to take a vote of all the members last year at their convention, regarding the integration of the homosexual agenda into the curriculum. They were receiving a lot of negative comments from smaller, and more conservative, states that this was just not going to fly, nor did they (the teachers) want to teach this stuff. (The only surprise here being the protest from parents in the MA school.)

This forced the NEA to go into private meetings, and pass the new curriculum standards without any input from their membership.

My husband's brother and his wife live in CA and their oldest girl should be entering kindergarten soon. I asked hubby if he ever talked to his brother and if they were aware what she was going to be subjected to. He didn't know, but it is obvious that a lot of parents are not going to sit by and have this stuff introduced into their children's curriculum. At least, I hope that is the case.

[nimdoc]

placemark

[Dimensio]

I went to what most people where would probably consider a "liberal" private school, but even they knew the difference between teaching facts and shoving an agenda.

[Motherhood IS a career]

you should be ashamed for comparing the propaganda you recieved to the very well rounded education available today in the public schools

You're joking, right? This is sarcasm... or are you a member of the NEA?

[Motherhood IS a career]

I agree. I went to public school, and I didn't appreciate the quality of education I received until now. Now that I see what they're pushing in schools, I realize I had it pretty well. Nowadays, I'm afraid to send my daughter to public school, for fear that no one will bother to teach her reading, writing and math, and that instead, she will be taught to feel good about her lack of education.

I can't stand the NEA. I don't think they have the slightest concern for kids of for their education. All they care about is their paychecks and employee benefits, and making sure there is no accountability on the part of teachers and administrators (unlike any job in the "real world".) I don't think anything has been more detrimental to education in the U.S. than the NEA, and THEY should be ashamed of themselves.

Howerver, as for teaching creationist theory in public school, it doesn't belong there. It's religious theory, and if you want your kids learning religious theory, take them to Sunday school. Evolution, on the other hand, is scientific theory, whether you like it or not, and science does belong in public schools.

As for other matters, such as discussions of homosexuality and tolerance of "alternate lifestyles", that doesn't belong there either. These are moral teachings which parents are responsible for.

Even sex education barely belongs there. When I was a kid, sex education entailed learning about how babies are made (purely mechanical) and the various STDs. No mention of contraception or abortion was ever made, and never were the words "right" or "wrong" uttered. It was pure science, and I think that was ok.

But this "warm and fuzzy" crap that they're pushing today... I don't know what that is, but I know what it's not -- it's not education.

[Motherhood IS a career]

Phheewww! I knew that no one with a clear perspective could make a statement like that, and mean it.
Thank you.