[Tribune7]

All emphasis seems to be on multicultural education, the horror of vouchers, and the need for schools to be parents.

THAT is scary.

[TomServo]

Sounds like you'll have some future articles from this. Savor it.

[toolbreaker]

I am taking a "political beliefs" class where last nights' discussion was conservatism. The professor was very even-handed and presented a good lecture. The interesting thing was the visceral, jaw-clenching, anger that came from the students. They could not comprehend that conservatives were anything but vicious, racist, evil, war-mongering, fat cats.
Fascinating, the young products of our public schools!

[redpoll]

Hi Cathryn! I'm an English teacher and I've returned to college this year in order to update my credentials to fit the standards of the No Child Left Behind Act. The one-word answer to your question: yes. I've dealt with the same problem with ideological purity in my classes up here, too. My solution: find something else to do that occupies the higher-level thinking part of my brain, sometimes nod my head when the prof wants me to, and mine through the slag for the nuggets of wisdom that sometimes emerge. Practically all of the profs I've run into are old hippies reliving the glory days of 1968. I know that I need a piece of paper at the end of this process in order for my career to go forward. Another thought: there are some really great profs out there, too, who concentrate on teaching skills and methods that help students think. I stay sharp in those classes and keep in touch with them even after I'm done with the coursework. Last thought: in the end, your classroom is yours. I've found that students, especially in this era, are tired and bored of Leftist ranting and political correctness. Those of us who are conservative in outlook and demanding in our practice are a breath of fresh air. The best compliment I get from my students is, "You really taught me how to write well," or "You're the first teacher I've had who challenged me." So don't sweat the collegiate process. It's just a hoop to jump through... and hopefully someday we'll have vouchers, where good teachers can thrive.

[bluebunny]

I graduated from UT-Austin 2 years ago. I really didn't encounter much leftist stuff b/c I was a biology major. The most liberal was the intro psychology and most definitely my Greek literature professor. The Greek Lit professor was very leftist and weird. He made us read some book called the Satyricon(?) with all kinds of perverse sexual stuff in it. I just skimmed it enough to pass. I didn't want to read that gay crap.

[Sir Gawain]

On Campus: Liberal Faculty vs. Conservative Students

[Clara Lou]

I got my degree at TAMU, then, years later, did my teacher's certification through Baylor. The educations classes were just awful-- largely useless, but they were not liberal in any way, shape, or form. My only problem was that the idiot teaching the reading-related courses was still on the "whole language" toot. I had to clamp my hand over my mouth to control myself.

[Semi Civil Servant]

Think 1917 Russia. All the naive, slobbery, sentimental sloganeering regarding the beauty of Marxism -- "Declaration of the Rights of the Toilng and Exploited Peoples" -- before Stalin, before the mass murders, before Gulag, before the enslavement of Eastern Europe. Put it all in a dunce cap with a smiley face on top and you have the essence of teacher colleges and education departments in today's America.

Uniformly? Almost.

How did it get this way? Read "The Graves of Academe" http://www.sourcetext.com/grammarian/graves-of-academe/ by the late Richard Mitchell. This is the one book you must read to understand education in America.

The educationists in this country are a menace.

[ThanhPhero]

Are All Education Classes Liberal?

Yes.

[ChemistCat]

The liberals won if conservatives have to drop out of the education program.

They get to keep the jobs. They get to keep the universities. And best of all, they get to keep the students.

The solution? Infiltrate, subvert, and annhilate.

Conservatives have to become teachers--no matter what, or we lose.

[x]

"Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach. Those who can't teach, teach education." -- Modern American Proverb.

Education classes are generally liberal and have been since the heyday of John Dewey and Teachers' College at Columbia University in the mid-20th century. Education programs are notorious for loading students down with dubious educational "theory" and ignoring both the practical aspects of teaching, and the subjects that are supposed to be taught.

Part of the problem with education departments and schools is that everybody has to have those academic credentials (Masters or Doctorate). Consequently everyone is doing writing and "research" that's often of little use or significance, rather than prove themselves through actually teaching things. If you think back on your schooling, you may be able to find teachers who concentrated more on getting the next credential, rather than on their students or their understanding of their ostensible fields of expertise.

Another problem is that virtually everyone in education departments is focused on "living off" the state in one way or another. Creating the Ed.D degree was probably a great mistake. Doctors of Education tend to feel that their talents aren't rewarded by taxpayers, and this leads to dreams of revenging oneself on society or springboarding "social change" as a way of repairing one's own hurt self-esteem and overcoming feelings of uselessness.

[Zipporah]

One word answer~ YES

[wizardoz]

All emphasis seems to be on multicultural education, the horror of vouchers, and the need for schools to be parents.

Oh, sweetie, that's nothin'. Wait till you start reading Paulo Freire, who quotes Mao and Che Guevara with great admiration. I particularly loved how he designates any situation in which person A "exploits" person B as "violence." And since any capitalist venture is "exploitive," then any violent retribution isn't violence, it's "resistance." And "resistance" is how the "oppressed" show "love" and "free" the "oppressors" who are also "trapped" in the "exploitative" relationship. You read enough of this crap and pretty soon you see how people justify Palestinians shooting a 4 year old Jewish girl in the head. Because she's an oppressor! And they love her!

Have fun!

[geedee]

I'm rather hesitant about giving a blanket answer because I have a niece going to school in Lubbock and she says two of her Education-type classes are rather conservative and one is led by a flaming-liberal.

Since you're going to school in Austin -- the San Francisco of the MidWest -- the easy money says you'll be led by Commie-kazis.

[Bob J]

Tonight, UNSPUN with AnnaZ and Guest Hostess DIOTIMA!

September 25th, 2003 -- 10pmE/7pmP
Second Anna-versary!
with special guest,
(who was also the first guest!)

Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson
Of
B.O.N.D.

Click HERE to LISTEN LIVE while you FReep!

Click HERE for the RadioFR Chat Room!

[nunya bidness]

You might find this useful: Lies, Inc.: The Pledge Exposes The Failure of Government Schools

[P.O.E.]

Try Alternate Route. Even better, they now have something called "Passport" - all you have to do is take two tests (one in your subject and one on education), submit all the other paperwork (clearances, transcripts, etc.), pay a fee, and you're certified. Check if you're state has it, but here's a link to the program.

[mamarainsberry]

Yes they are. The teachers have been brainwashed by the democratic party. I had a hard time keeping my mouth shut during college. Wait until you get in the classroom. I was given a NEA voter LIST the last presidential race. I thought yeah sure! Good thing they can't get in the voting booth with me....yet!