Your Education Dollars At Work

The Washington Times ^ | 10/16/2002 | John McCaslin

[BSunday]

Couch potatoes Leaders of the National Education Association had better switch off their television sets and start studying Reality 101. Last week, after viewing NBC's prime-time show "The West Wing," the national educators took the incredible step of issuing a news release headlined: "NEA backs President Bartlet's call for school quality. Wednesday's 'The West Wing' featured President Bartlet's plea for more teachers and better-funded public schools. NEA strongly agrees." Reaction on Capitol Hill? Republicans, if nobody else, are "shaking their heads," says David Schnittger, communications director for the House Education and the Workforce Committee. "What's interesting is the NEA doesn't give credit to the actual president — President Bush — for actually delivering a whopping 38 percent increase in federal funding for teachers this year as part of the No Child Left Behind Act," Mr. Schnittger reminds this column. Under those reforms, he notes, federal funding for teacher-quality programs this year jumps 38 percent — by $787 million — to $2.85 billion to help train, recruit and retain quality teachers. Mr. Bush's support "is far more than was ever provided under President Clinton," Mr. Schnittger adds. In its news release, the NEA also applauds the fictitious President Bartlet for pointing out in his weekly address to the nation that there's "too much mayhem in our culture — and we can do something about that." It so happens that the nonfictitious president, Mr. Bush, is speaking to that precise point in his nationally televised address this evening. We'll be sure to bring you NEA reaction to that speech, or any comments from President Bartlet and his Hollywood speechwriters.

[BSunday]

Can we just draft a resolution and have their headquarters bombed?

[Phantom Lord]

No suprise that phony 'educators' are following a fictional president.

[BSunday]

Although it was taken from a column, I don't think so.

[TankerKC]

This same item is reported here: US News.Com (look under "Extra Credit"), but I don’t see anything on the NEA site.

[ladylib]

What do you expect from people who think that a picture of a gun is a real gun?

[Stand Watch Listen]

Here are links to various education threads (also containing numerous helpful links)

FReegards

The silence of the lambs: McMillan blasts bureaucrats for destroying public education
Source: WorldNetDaily.com; Published: August 15, 2002; Author: Craige McMillan

Taking Charge: Let's Stop Aiding and Abetting Academicians' Folly
Source: HOME EDUCATION magazine; Published: July-August 2002; Author: Larry and Susan Kaseman

’Open Directory’ --Society/Issues/Education/Education_Reform

Deconstructing Public Education
Source: www.newsmax.com; Published: July 26, 2002; Author: Diane Alden

Specious Science In Our Schools
Source: Toogood Reports; Published: July 9, 2002; Author: Alan Caruba

SYMPOSIUM Q: Is the National Education Association Being Fair to Its Religious Objectors?
Source: INSIGHT magazine; Published: June 10, 2002; Authors NO: Stefan Gleason ////\\\\ YES: Bob Chase

Public Sector Subverting Productive Industry
Source: Toogood Reports; Published: May 16, 2002; Author: Henry Pelifian

History of America's Education Part 2: Noah Webster and Early America
Source: Sierra Times; Published: March 27, 2002; Author: April Shenandoah

How Communist is Public Education?
Source: sierratimes.com; Published:March 22, 2002; Author: Chuck Morse

History of America's Education Part 1: Johnny is in trouble
Source: Sierra Times; Published: March 20, 2002; Author: April Shenandoah

Audit rips Georgia schools' curriculum
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution; Published: March 11, 2002; Author:JAMES SALZER

Why schools fail: Samuel Blumenfeld warns Bush's education legislation is ineffective
Source: WorldNetDaily.com; Published: March 2, 2002; Author: Samuel Blumenfeld

Public School Isn't Like I Remember It
Source: Too Good Reports; Published: February 28, 2002; Author: Phyllis Schlafly

What Is Lacking In Our Educational System
Source: Too Good Reports; Published: February 28, 2002; Author: Ben Cerruti

The charade of education reform
Source: WorldNetDaily.com; Published: February 2, 2002; Author: Dr. Samuel L. Blumenfeld

American public schools: Working just as designed
Source: WorldNetDaily.com; Published: January 21, 2002; Author: Vox Day

High Schools Fail Thanks To Grade Inflation And Social Promotion
Source: Toogood Reports; Published: December 5, 2001; Author: Vin Suprynowicz

WHY AMERICANS CAN’T READ
Source: Accuracy in Media; Published: December 4, 2001; Author: Reed Irvine and Cliff Kincaid

The Failing Teacher and the Teachers' Code of Silence
Source: CNSNews.com; Published: December 3, 2001; Author: Glenn Sacks

Time for outrage! Linda Bowles reports latest results in America's public schools
Source: WorldNetDaily.com; Published: November 27, 2001; Author: Linda Bowles

Illiterate in Boston: Samuel Blumenfeld explains U.S.'s ongoing reading problem
Source: WorldNetDaily.com; Published: July 20, 2001; Author: Samuel Blumenfeld

NEA - Let our children go!
Source: WorldNet Daily; Published: June 23. 2001; Author: Linda Harvey

COOKING THE BOOKS AT EDUCATION
Source: Accuracy In Media; Published: June 5, 2001; Author: Cliff Kincaid

Why Do Schools Play Games With Students' Minds ?
Source: The Detroit News; Published: April 1, 2001; Author: Thomas Sowell

The Public School Nightmare: Why fix a system designed to destroy individual thought?
Source: http://home.talkcity.com/LibraryDr/patt/homeschl.htm; Author: John Taylor Gatto

Dumbing down teachers
Source: USNews.com; Published: February 21, 2001; Author: John Leo

Free Republic links to education related articles (thread#8)
Source: Free Republic; Published: 3-20-2001; Author: Various

Are children deliberately 'dumbed down' in school? {YES!!!}
Source: World Net Daily; Published: May 13, 2001; Author: Geoff Metcalf {Interview}

Could they really have done it on purpose?
Source: THE LIBERTARIAN; Published: 07/28/2000; Author: Vin Suprynowicz

New Book Explores America's Education Catastrophe
Source: Christian Citizen USA; Published: April 2000; Author: William H. Wild

Deliberately dumbing us down (Charlotte Thomson Iserbyt's, "The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America"
Source: WorldNetDaily.com; Published: December 2,1999; Author: Samuel L. Blumenfeld

Deconstructing the Western Mind: Gramscian-Marxist Subversion of Faith and Education
Source: www.petersnet; Published: Winter 1997; Author: Frank Morriss

Littleton Crisis to Government Control

The UN Plan for Your Mental Health

[hedgetrimmer]

Here is a course syllabus for US history at our local high school. Does this seem like a normal history course?


VIDEOS: INCLUDING (BUT NOT LIMITED TO): MANUFACTURING CONSENT, SALT OF THE EARTH, METROPOLIS, WOODSTOCK Units of Study (activities)

FIRST SEMESTER

Unit One: Political Theory & Historic Concepts.

This unit lies our and examines the political theories generated by the Enlightenment and contextualizes them with the founding of the United States. Special attention is given to the development of political tradition and of the Constitution. Other political theories are also discussed. In addition, time is devoted to laying out basic outlines that will serve as tools for the rest of the course. (History-Social Science Framework: 11.1.1, 11.1.2, 11.1.3, 11.3.2, 11.3.3, 11.3.5)

Unit Two: Technology & The Environment.

From the Industrial Revolution to the Information Superhighway, this unit follows the development, progress, and implications of technologies and their places in history. Students examine the rise of mass production, the impact of new technologies, and major developments in communication, travel, medicine, production, and entertainment. In this unit, students also consider questions of ethics regarding technology (for example, the dropping of the Atomic Bomb) and issues pertaining to the environment. Each student makes his/her own webpage highlighting a new technology of a previous era. (11.1.4, 11.5.6, 11.5.7, 11.7.6, 11.7.7, 11.8.6, 11.8.7, 11.11.5)

Unit Three: Immigration & Population Shifts.

Historically, immigrants came to the U.S. seeking better economic opportunities and freedom from persecution, but often they came across strong feelings of prejudice and nativism. Even within the borders of the United States, populations shifted (and continue to shift) because of economic, political, and social reasons. This unit investigates these shifts and their effects on the nation's landscape. Immigration is America's story. (11.1.4, 11.2.4, 11.3.4, 11.5.7, 11.8.2, 11.9.7, 11.11.1)

Unit Four: Progress, Imperialism, and the Big Stick (the 1890s & 1900s).

At the turn of the 20th century, the United States entered the world stage of Imperialism. This unit examines the elements that contributed toward this choice. The Spanish-American War, the Open-Door policy, Panama, and Roosevelt's Big Stick Diplomacy are closely regarded. An emphasis is also given to the social and political climate of the time, including Populist and Progressive movements, the Pullman strike, Plessy v. Ferguson, and Social Darwinism. (11.2.1, 11.2.7, 11.2.8, 11.4.1, 11.4.2, 11.4.3, 11.4.4)

Unit Five: From Isolation to the War To End All Wars (the 1910s).

In this unit, students draw comparisons between Roosevelt's Big Stick Diplomacy, Taft's Dollar Diplomacy, and Wilson's Moral Diplomacy. Students also study the nation's shift from Isolationism to military participation. A Close analysis is made of the War's conclusion (Treaty of Versailles) and its aftermath (Wilson's 14 Points, the League of Nations). Students also examine Congressional acts of the time and four new Amendments to the Constitution (nos. 16-19). (11.2.9, 11.4.4, 11.4.5)

Unit Six: Race.

The American Civil War did not solve the issue of race in the United States. In this unit, students examine the origins and effects of the Ku Klux Klan, exclusion acts, Jim Crow laws, race riots, and internment camps. Students inquire about what makes such events happen and how can such events be prevented from happening. Historic events that influenced the course of history (Brown v. Board of Education, sit-ins, freedom rides, the Civil Rights Act, Proposition 187, etc.) are studied. Individuals such as Marcus Garvey, Jesse Owens, Jackie Robinson, Rodney King, and Rosa Parks are considered. (11.1.4, 11.5.2, 11.7.5, 11.10.1, 11.10.2)

Unit Seven: The Jazz Age (the 1920s).

This unit focuses on the far-reaching and enduring social and economic changes wrought in the 1920s. With the workweek dropping from 60 to 48 hours and social barriers dwindling, play became as important as work. The rich and the commoner rubbed elbows in the common pursuit of drink. The White House met scandal. Gangsters and captains of industry consorted freely…and it all ended in a Crash. (11.5.1, 11.5.3, 11.5.4, 11.5.5, 11.6.1, 11.8.1)

SECOND SEMESTER

Unit Eight: The Great Depression & The New Deal.

It was not the first depression of the U.S. economy, but it was certainly the worst. In this unit, students examine the human toll of the Great Depression. Students surmise why economic depressions occur and what specific elements led to this one. Students also investigate steps taken by Hoover and Roosevelt to combat the economic crisis. (11.6.2, 11.6.3, 11.6.4, 11.8.5, 11.8.8)

Unit Nine: Labor.

Labor history in the United States is a story rich in human drama and tragedy. It is also one of progress and hope. In this unit, students study the effects of industrialization on living and working conditions, especially in relation to the development of the United States as a major industrial power in the world. Students examine organized labor, poverty, and the changing role of women. Specific references are made to Upton Sinclair's The Jungle. (11.2.1, 11.2.2, 11.2.5, 11.2.6, 11.6.5, 11.11.3, 11.11.6)

Unit Ten: A Nation at War (the 1940s). (11.7.1, 11.7.2, 11.7.3, 11.7.4, 11.7.5, 11.7.7, 11.8.5, 11.8.8, 11.9.1, 11.10.1)

Unit Eleven: The Cold War, Elvis, & the Red Scare (the 1950s). (11.7.8, 11.8.3, 11.8.4, 11.8.5, 11.8.8, 11.9.3, 11.10.2, 11.11.2)

Unit Twelve: The Longest War & The New Consciousness (the 1960s). (11.8.5, 11.8.8, 11.9.2, 11.9.3, 11.9.4, 11.10.4, 11.10.6, 11.10.7, 11.11.2)

Unit Thirteen: The "Me" Decade (the 1970s). (11.8.5, 11.8.8, 11.9.4, 11.11.2, 11.11.4)

Unit Fourteen: The Reagan Revolution (the 1980s). (11.8.5, 11.8.8, 11.9.5, 11.11.2)

Unit Fifteen: The New World Order (the 1990s). (11.8.5, 11.8.8, 11.9.1, 11.9.6, 11.11.2)

Here are some recommended readings

- Columbus & Western Civilization, by Howard Zinn
- Why Autonomous AIM Opposes Columbus Day and Columbus Day Parades, by Glenn Morris and Russell Means

[hedgetrimmer]

see previous post

[Teacher317]

Ummm, a US History course that glosses over the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries, the Revolution, the Founding Fathers, Westward Expansion, and the Civil War (all crammed into Unit 1) and starts with the Industrial Revolution in Unit 2? Elvis and Rodney King get mentioned in the outline, and Washington, Franklin, and Jefferson don't? It looks more like the History of the US Progressive Movement rather than the History of the US.

[hedgetrimmer]

Any ideas about how to protest this curriculum to the school district?

[Teacher317]

Well, I'm rather jaded after all my personal wars with the stupidities of the system. You can go to the school board and let your opinion be known, you can ask the principal for the committee that chose the textbooks and give them a good earful, you can write to the state Dept of Ed and ask them if a US History course that does not adequately cover the Revolutionary War is acceptable by the State's Standards (although that course description does seem to be citing the State Standards: 11.6.2 etc)... but in all honesty, I doubt any of them will care. They think they know best, and the opinions of teachers, students, and parents really have very little impact.

(Remember, you're talking to a disillusioned runaway from the system... I'm in Law School as of this past August.)

[hedgetrimmer]

Well, I know its against the law in California to teach communism to the kids, so how do I prove thats what they're doing with their curricula?

[attagirl]

I just so happen to have gotten a heads up about Howard Zinn. Can't find it in my old e-mails. If I can get it re-sent, I'll send to you.

[hedgetrimmer]

That would be terrific. We have pointed out inaccuracies in his book, but can't get the school to stop using it.

BTW, I am still showing that Rethinking Schools newsletter to people. It is a real eyeopener. Thanks for that!