Deconstructing Public Education

www.newsmax.com ^ | July 26, 2002 | Diane Alden

[yendu bwam]

When our kids were in public school (we took them out some time ago), they were always being taught reading and writing and math according to some new theory that we were always assured 'educational studies' justified. The results were horrendous. And when that was realized, they went on to other new theories. At the same time, homework instructions sent home by teachers were hardly recognizable as English, with frequent grammatical errors. We also became quite used to correcting mistakes on tests and homework MADE BY THE TEACHERS in math, science, geography, vocabulary, and so forth. Finally, a strong attempt was made to inculcate our kids with enviro-religion, a disbelief in the greatness of our country, and every-kind-of-sex is OK ideas. We were appalled. I honestly believe that my grandmother, sitting in her one room schoolhouse with five grades at one time, learned more and in better fashion than today's kids in public school.

[TomSmedley]

To admit failure would be to rock their world, and a lifetime of passing on garbage would have to be admitted. That would indeed destroy their self-esteem. But rather that than to keep on destroying America's children.

Bump

[thinktwice]

The only alternative for parents is to yank their children by the millions from public schools

Which, in most states, would probably -- at first -- result in imprisonment of parents and placement of their kids in worthless foster homes.

[Tailgunner Joe]

Not if they did it by the millions.

[thinktwice]

Ayn Rand had it right when she wrote ... "If men are to be ruled, the enemy is reason."

[maestro]

Wow!!

The Death of Darwin's British/American Bureaucracy!

Real Progress Possible?

[Ohioan]

American Academia was largely taken over from the top in the first half of the Twentieth Century. By the middle years, the most acclaimed Universities were all slavishly promoting the ideas of Fabian Socialist theorists, bent upon submerging America in an undifferentiated humanity. (See Myths & Myth Makers In American "Higher" Education.)

It is tempting to blame the whole problem on opinionated stupidity. But there is an element, which if not clearly definable as treason, is certainly its first cousin, involved also.

William Flax

[F16Fighter]

Excellent post...

Today's public high school grads by and large are under-qualified to work at car washes.

[txzman]

I have only one thing to say - GIGO (garbage in, ..etc...) I went to college to become a history teacher, but when I saw what they were doing to those destined for education, I was appalled. Teachers today are not taught what to teach, but merely how to conform to the mind numbing, upside down pyramid structure of the academic administration.

Fortunately my two daughters are not drowning in this mess.

[Irish Queen]

Thanks for posting this article. As a public and private school teacher of many years experience, I strongly agree with many of the points made by the writer. I began teaching in 1968. Every few years a new concept, program, philosophy, or curriculum would be proclaimed as the cure-all for the educational doldrums of that decade. Most of these "new" programs were simply recycled old programs with new terminology. It was as if the prime purpose of these curriculums and programs was to avoid having the children to actually learn anything. I call it the illusion of learning syndrome.

[Stand Watch Listen]

indexing

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

FReegards

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
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

[EdReform]

Bump & Ping

[jamaksin]

This is news?

Where is my McGuffey Reader + Primer + Cat/Butterfly?

[john in missouri]

When our kids were in public school... The results were horrendous... homework instructions sent home by teachers were hardly recognizable as English... We also became quite used to correcting mistakes... MADE BY THE TEACHERS... We were appalled. I honestly believe that my grandmother, sitting in her one room schoolhouse with five grades at one time, learned more and in better fashion than today's kids in public school.

This is exactly why we need to raise all teachers' salaries by at least 30%, build bigger, nicer school facilities, add lots more professional administrators and counselors, pass legislation to greatly restrict what homeschoolers can and can't do, mandate state supervision, teaching certificates, etc., and adamantly oppose vouchers or any other schemes which might take tax dollars away from our already struggling public schools, or which would allow parents to remove their kids from the public schools and pursue any other educational options.

[yendu bwam]

This is exactly why we need to raise all teachers' salaries by at least 30%, build bigger, nicer school facilities, add lots more professional administrators and counselors, pass legislation to greatly restrict what homeschoolers can and can't do, mandate state supervision, teaching certificates, etc., and adamantly oppose vouchers or any other schemes which might take tax dollars away from our already struggling public schools, or which would allow parents to remove their kids from the public schools and pursue any other educational options.

Good one. Let's just hire the followers of Mao, Stalin and Lenin instead!

[john in missouri]

Out of fear that my preceding post may be misread by some: that was entirely sarcastic.

And we have homeschooled our 4 kids since birth.

[Tailgunner Joe]

bump

[First_Salute]

One of the problems is the relentless writing of checks by alumni, to their alma maters, in willful ignorance of what said "mothers" are wreaking upon our communities.

"Public Education" has more money which it has wasted on "tools" than did the superior insitutions and systems prior to this national spending spree of the late decades.

To wit: the weather over Pennsylvania will make a good pilot out of you, should you care to learn, in either a C-123 or a C-17; but furthermore, the weather there will make a better pilot out of you in a C-123 than in an F-16. Great pilots have pre-existed sophisticated tools.

As have great teachers and many brilliant results with no more than a slide-rule.

"Public Education" has become a socialist pogrom teaching one thing: You are free because government persecutes whatever you believe or had been taught to believe is "intolerant" of you, "insensitive" to you, "excludes" you, is "mean" to you, and affects your lower- self-esteem in your virtual reality.

"Big Brother" will protect you from bullies; while you shine "Big Brother's" shoes.

That is the lesson.

[Saundra Duffy]

Here's the resolution we passed at the California Republican Assembly Board meeting two weekends ago, July 20-21. I'm kinda proud of it cuz I helped write it:

WHEREAS the public schools are more interested in indoctrining rather than educating California students, thus emphasizingpolitical correctness at the expense of the "3 R's", and

WHEREAS the teacher's unions, affiliated organizations and their allies on school boards statewide have sought to undermine parental authority and individual excellence, and

WHEREAS California State Law promotes homosexuality, the establishment of school-based clinics, comprehensive sex education, and abortion in the public schools, and

WHEREAS the teaching of American History and civics, including the U.S. Constitution, has been significantly compromised, and

WHEREAS California students perform abysmally in math, science and English, and

WHEREAS the family-related subjects of home economics and industrial arts (shop classes) are being eliminated in favor of school-to-career programs for ALL students, and

WHEREAS the Unz Initiative (to abolish bilingual education) has become law but is not being enforced, and

WHEREAS the teaching of art, music and physical education has been weakened, and

WHEREAS "special education" now means politically correct ideas of disability, not the traditional definitions,

LET IT THEREFORE BE RESOLVED that we, the California Republican Assembly, condemn the "dumbing down" and politicizing of public education, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we take a strong stand in favor of focusing on the teaching of traditional academics, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the California Legislature implement the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in favor of vouchers.