More Federal Hoops, Traps and Prisons?

THE SCHOOL LIBERATOR ^ | Mon, 6 May 2002 | Angela Wittman

[CyberCowboy777]

More Federal Hoops, Traps and Prisons? By Angela Wittman

On January 8, 2002, President Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The price tag on this "new" law is 26.5 billion dollars. This is reported to be eight billion dollars more than the last Clinton educational bill. The bill passed in the U.S. House of Representatives 381 to 41 and in the U.S. Senate 87 to 10.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's Community Update newsletter for January and February of 2002, this is a historic new law that will change the culture of the nation's elementary and secondary schools in order to improve student achievement. "We owe the children of America a good education," said the president at a signing ceremony at an Ohio high school. "And today begins a new era, a new time in public education in our country. As of this hour, America's schools will be on a path of reform and a new path of results." "For the first time federal policies will focus squarely on improving student achievement," [Secretary of Education] Paige said. The report goes on to say that the new law is considered to be the most sweeping reform of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act since it was first enacted in 1965.

I submit to you that this is nothing more than a repackaged federal intrusion into our God-given right as parents to over see the education of our children. Bush's education legislation will add new federal programs into the old Goals 2000 educational system. While virtually none of the goals in Goals 2000 has been met, many of the programs have been implemented in the government schools and will not be easily discarded.

Under the guise of "accountability" legislation; parents and taxpayers will be deceived into thinking they have "local" control of the schools. A federal mandate for testing will undoubtedly lead to a federal curriculum that has more to do with feelings and beliefs than actual knowledge of facts. If you have not examined a government school textbook lately, please do so. You will be amazed at the lack of factual information they contain. While serving as a school board member in my community, I reviewed the "new" textbooks being proposed by the administrators for adoption by the school board. I was alarmed at the cultural shift from our national sovereignty to the teaching and emphasis on other cultures. When I asked the local elementary school principal if there were other textbooks available for adoption, I was told that the content of other textbooks would not vary much, even though the publisher and book cover may be different.

In conclusion, let's review the educational goals set in 1990 by the National Education Goals Panel as recorded in their publication, The National Goals Report: Building a Nation of Learners 1999:

#1. By the year 2000, all children in America will start school ready to learn.

#2. By the year 2000, the high school graduation rate will increase to at least 90 percent.

#3. By the year 2000, all students will leave grades 4,8, and 12 having demonstrated competency over challenging subject matter including English, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts, and geography.

#4. By the year 2000, the nations teaching force will have access to programs for the continued improvement of the professional skills.

#5. By the year 2000, U.S. students will be first in the world in mathematics and science achievement.

#6. By the year 2000, every adult American will be literate and will possess the knowledge and skills necessary to compete in a global economy.

#7. By the year 2000, every school in the U.S. will be free of drugs, violence, and the unauthorized presence of firearms and alcohol.

#8. By the year 2000, every school will promote partnerships that will increase parental involvement and participation.

While none of these national education goals has been met; the hoops, traps and prisons are all in place. Isn't it time to completely and effectively separate school and politics?

------------------------------- Angela Wittman is a resident of Waterloo, Illinois and a former School Board Member. She is the former Founding President and Southern Illinois Coordinator of Citizens for Educational Freedom (an organization committed to implementing school vouchers)--a position from which she recently resigned. Angela is the Treasurer and Downstate Coordinator for the Constitution Party of Illinois. She is married with two grown sons, writes a monthly column for the local newspaper, The Clarion, and sells Real Estate in the Southern Illinois area.

[CyberCowboy777]

[CyberCowboy777]

"And what is a good citizen? Simply one who never says, does or thinks anything that is unusual. Schools are maintained in order to bring this uniformity up to the highest possible point. A school is a hopper into which children are heaved while they are still young and tender; therein they are pressed into certain standard shapes and covered from head to heels with official rubber-stamps."

- H.L. Mencken

[mad_as_he$$]

Oh another great Bush liberal program to further ingrain the sheeple attitude in our offspring. Flame on you Bushies - Can you honestly defend this?

[Alberta's Child]

It should be pointed out that the "Goals 2000" committee never expected any of these goals to be reached. This is simply the way things are done in government -- outline a bunch of clearly defined goals, but make sure the horizon year of your plan is far enough into the future that nobody will hold you accountable for the inevitable failure.

[Alberta's Child]

. . . a repackaged federal intrusion into our God-given right as parents to over see the education of our children.

This is hardly a Federal intrusion into our "God-given rights as parents" -- any parent who gives a damn about his or her child already knows what is going on and has no illusions about the fraud we call public education.

Now, if the author wants to claim that this is all a waste of taxpayers' money . . . I agree 100%.

[Free the USA]

Check the Bump List folders for articles related to and descriptions of the above topic(s) or for other topics of interest.

[concerned about politics]

Goals 2000 educational system. While virtually none of the goals in Goals 2000 has been met,

GOOD! Goals 2000 is a program to create a socialist society through the minds of the children. Clinton (as gov. of Arkansas) was on the commitee when it was designed!
The goal is to get rid of it through school choice. Break it up!
The cradle to grave agenda is lifetime, ultimate power of the NEA!
Bush failed the children by throwing more money at it, as well as the future of America.

Bush is a total failure. I refuse to vote for him again. He's givin away our chances to eliminate the leftist agenda in return for poll numbers. He wants to be remembered as one of the most favored presidents, and has sold us out to get the numbers! He's sold his soul for the polls!!! He preaches Godliness, while slithering around like a surpant, aiding the enemy at every turn. Enough!

[CyberCowboy777]

And then call for more money to fix the same problem!

[CyberCowboy777]

I agree, most parents freely hand over their kids to this failed institution. It relives them of responsibility and allows them time to pursue their own goals.