Excerpts from Ronald Reagan's 1967 speech to California teachers...

Excerpts from Ronald Reagan's 1967 speech to California teachers...

Some of you might have heard or read that I am a fellow who said that it is a strange paradox that, in the society created on individual freedom, parents should be compelled to send their children to school. Now I said that; but at the same time, I said that it is a paradox we gladly enjoy or put up with because we know we cannot have a free society unless we have an educated and literate public or citizenry. This is part of the quote that somehow has been overlooked here and there.

Now, you might even have heard that I have described public education, or aid to education – it has come out both ways – as a tool of tyranny. Well, I did say something similar. I said education is the bulwark of freedom, but removed too far from the control of parents and local government, it can become a tool of tyranny.

Public education, in my opinion, is the responsibility of state and local governments. I believe that a diversity in education makes for a strong overall educational system, and I believe it minimizes the danger of an educational system becoming a propaganda system. And that brings me to my position with regard to federal aid to education.

I am only too aware that the federal government has preempted much of the tax base, and this has made it necessary for us to turn to the federal government for aid. Since the federal government created the need in the first place, it follows that the federal government has the responsibility to help meet that need, and in truth, it would seem that they are doing just that … except that when we have federal aid to education … when it is forthcoming … the gift is not unconditional. It comes with strings attached...

...

Now we in California, I believe, know better than a bureau or agency in Washington what the educational needs are of California. By the same token, we in Sacramento should recognize that you at the district level know better than we do the problems and the needs of your district. Now one of the reasons that school districts have a financial problem, perhaps is because, in recent years, Sacramento has imposed conditions and requirements on the local districts without, at the same time, providing the money to pay for those programs and those requirements. (Applause) The legislators will report in the morning whether they joined that applause...

...Education must be sustained and improved and money to make this possible must come from a system of taxation whereby all the citizens bear equitably a share of this burden.

Now, much as I may wish to learn about the intricate details of California’s vast educational system, I am sure that no one person has, or can have, a complete knowledge of the school system that has been designed to educate millions of young people, children, and adults … a program that is costing billions of dollars a year. Nor can one man find the answers to all the problems by himself. I will seek the advice and counsel of many, but high on the list will be the counsel of those who teach. I depended on you too many years for the answers to quit now.

But I want to see more problems solved at the local levels. I want to see teachers, administrators and school board members working together with regard to curriculum, selection of textbooks, student discipline, assignment, salaries and benefits.

There's more to highlight, but read it for yourself at http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/govspeech/01111967a.htm

Child-like

Yeah. Lots of posts today.

From my Facebook post,

To study every problem with "an open and empty mind, without preconception, without knowing what has already been learned about it must condemn men to chronic childishness". [He] insisted society could be progressive only by conserving its tradition.

Walter Lippman in retort to the progressive education model. (As written, direct quote, by Diane Ravitch)

I totally agree. We must know our history, and also have a base of knowledge in all subjects, before we become self learners or are in a facilitator-style classroom or what have you. If history becomes social studies or social science, as it has, we open our minds to nothingness because we ignore the past and were doomed to repeat the mistakes we haven't even learned about. And no wonder our children aren't ready for college, our people are stuck pseudo-worshiping reality tv, celebrities, and products. We're all (purposely molded to be) children.

memories

Just some random teacher memories....

My dogs were skunked and I didn't know that 'till they came in the house and everything got stinky. I showered and wore clothing to work that was hidden deep in the dresser drawers. As I pull into the parking lot I smell skunk. With time to kill before school starts, I dash over to the grocery store and get some aerosol air freshener and douse myself in the parking lot. I bring it with my to class just in case. The students walk in...."what smells so bad?" I kind of mumble my situation. A girl who is always very cold (but secretly looks up to me) says she will take me across the street at lunch, to the college, where I could buy some college sweats and a tee shirt. I ended up looking through the you-forgot-your-uniform loaner pile and had a school shirt, boys husky sized shorts, and combat-esque boots. The boots were my original outfit as there was some snow and mud at home. The kids called me cholo and then one said no, chola, because that's the feminine form. However, they decided to stick with cholo as it was what I looked like.

When learning of the digestive system in my 5th gr classroom, a student whose parents are doctors, blurts out, "urine exits through the penis". The class goes dead quiet and he repeats, "what? Why are you all looking at me? The urine does go through the penis."

Tenure

First, there is a terrible debate in education circles- "newbie" teachers and LIFO (Last In First Out) vs. tenured "master" teachers with many years experience. The later are generally vehemently opposing ridding of tenure.

I side with the former, having been in their shoes many times. I am not saying that new teachers are better than master teachers, although my allegiance to them makes people think so. But how can a teacher ever gain experience to become a master teacher if the system robs them of, well, experience? A permanent non-tenured, replaceable-as-widgets underclass is never a good thing. No wonder half of teachers leave the profession within five years. Okay so there are many reasons but back to my topic at hand here. I am not against master teachers, as I've known many great ones. My own mother was one.

I'm tired of the me vs them contention. New teachers are not all idiots, less-thans. They are also not all experts. Master teachers are not omniscient perfect-as-a-fream teachers, nor are they all, say, reading the newspaper during class, using the same lessons as 30 years ago due to burnout. It is a case by case basis. Can't we all just get along and protect teachers no matter the amount of badges...err...years they have?

Which brings me closer to my point about tenure. Rid of it. I know, some will say that I'm saying this because I don't have it so I'm jealous or misinformed or what have you. But my perspective is that you don't need tenure. Few professions have it and no one complains. People work their tails off and are rewarded or vice versa.

Oh, but administrators will take advantage of the lack of tenure and fire people they don't like and hire their buddies. Well first, doesn't this happen in the years before tenure is awarded? What about those teachers? No one ever mentions that. And even with tenure I'm sure those awarded tenure, in some cases, are "buddies".

Oh, but without tenure we'll also rid of collective bargaining I bet, and work 80 hour weeks, have abusive principals, unsafe working conditions, get fired on a whim... well thanks to unions, laws are in place for even, here it is, non-unionized people, to protect them in cases like this. If you have a true case against your boss or workplace, you can fight it, unions or not. But again, back to my point.

But...without tenure I could lose my job for the aforementioned reasons like playing favorites, not working 80 hours, etc. Revert to my last paragraph please. Additionally, as said many places don't have tenure. Get over it.

If you are truly a good teacher, without tenure, you will keep your job. If someone tries to fire you for an inane reason, they can't as there are protections against it. Without tenure, nothing changes much except a) you may have to work at keeping your job if you're told you're fired, instead of just, well, never even risking losing your job no matter what. b) tenured but "bad" teachers which are few, will be fired, and thus not taint public opinion on "tons of bad teachers in the classroom, unable to be fired".

I almost wonder, those who are all for tenure and vehemently against the loss thereof, are they scared of losing their jobs because they are truly ineffective, or are they not versed in law which exists to gasp protect your job even if non-tenured, as long as there is reason not to fire you.

I know many a good tenured teacher. So I say, rid of tenure because these teachers will keep their jobs because they're good teachers.

Sticky Statistics

Sticky Statistics..hard to say and type! But onto my point..

So the Exit Exam has a standard error of measure, hovering around 8 when looking at the lowest passing score (350) and neighboring scores.

So if a student received a 347 they did not pass. If they take it again and get a 350 they do pass as there was growth and that growth met the minimum requirements for passing (the 350 or above score). Okay. But I could not say "student X's score improved from the first to second test by 3 points" because it is below the Standard Error of Measure threshold of 8.

Well then couldn't I argue that student X with a score of 347 did indeed possibly, maybe pass? (And the antithesis, the just-passing student at 350 perhaps did not pass). Couldn't I argue (with the in-arguabiltiy of numbers) to the state or ETS or whoever that student with a score of 347 should receive a passing status? I could fight for all the barely-missed it kids.

See because this is real. One of my students did get a 347 and it's sad. Last year a student got 347. Then 348. Finally, 352. But she didn't need to take it three times in my opinion, as all scores hovered around 350 and statistically were identical. Her original score could have been passing. And given her hard life and diligent effort, heck, she deserved it.

Personal Update

My blog is not meant to be personal but....
I've not quite been pink slipped as it is all due to budgeting and the State budget. If the tax hike passes, whenever they submit it, I might have a job.
Prayed about my GRE for which I was not prepared. On the way to take it, my son got ill and so I got my answer to prayer. So no starting my PhD program for at least a year.
My grandfather died. Well he is my step-grandpa whom I was not close to but it is still sad knowing how it has affected my family especially my mom.
I am moving next week.
So....it's a crazy week and I'm feeling humbled but yet ok with it all as it is all in God's hands.

Progressive Education

I don't feel like my usual rambling comments about this article, but in short, it is an interesting read on Progressive education from "back in the day", 1938, during Progressive heyday.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,883101-1,00.html

Education- life skills or college bound?

As I slowly read Left Back by Diane Ravitch, I see this polarity between a pratical, life skills, vocational education and an elitist, college bound, rigor for all education. What if I want both?

I think it is absolutely immoral to marginalize and track students and place the "dummies" in "dummy" classes. How dare we deny people knowledge of the world, at an intellectual level for deep comprehension and a drive to change. Although I'm biting my own words when I think back to my high school days, "why do I have to learn Algebra II? I'll never use it". Okay so I still have yet to use it. But that leads me to my other point.

We should have some life skills and vocational training. As mentioned, I've yet to use Algebra II. So perhaps a business math, statistics, logic, etc type math course would have been more appropriate, and no less challenging. And we do need life skills training. I left high school not knowing how to apply for a job, balance a check book, understand credit card interest and debt, make calls to companies or employers or what have you, pay taxes, or understand the voter pamphlets. I had to learn it on my own and felt pretty idiotic, and "jipped" by my education system, for having to do so. And I know some students, and adults who for example cannot divide a fraction or identify the conjunction in a sentence but the offer something else to the world. They're great mechanics, artists, musicians, etc. They would have benefited from training aimed more towards their interest.

But...I think all students should be offered an elitist college level education. I think some courses are a must, like writing, reading, history, government to name a few. You need to know how the world works to work in it. You need to know how it all connects as well. Dummy classes don't offer this.

And education should be somewhat student centered. Many people, researchers, authors, etc on "my side" of education reform think student-centered education is a bunch of hooey. It can be. If a teacher becomes a facilitator and just says "here's some books and computers kids, do what you want" and a student turns in their senior project written like this "i wanna b a architect. They make good money. You have to go to collage for many years but it helps u succeed and you can design buildings like the empire state building or bridges or stadiums for sports or even school and you can b famous for the buildings you made that would be cool." is not what I'm talking about, but have seen. I know of a school in Brazil, "Graded" which is student centered but at a college level, where students pursue their own passions within a framework, with direct guidance. It's like montessori meets ivy league. This is what I'm talking about.

My short post has turned lengthy and I am beginning to lose focus in my ramblings so that is all for now. Off to apply for jobs; however, I still have not received conformation on my job status as all are ignoring my communications.

as the world turns...visions of pink slips dance in their heads

So plans have likely changed overnight. Looks like I'm losing my job...thanks to budget cuts and who knows what else at play. My resume reads like ADHD...job for a year here, year there, year everywhere. PhD likely on hold. Pink slips...three's a charm? This is my third...lucky me. http://www.playlist.com/playlist/additem/332251409

I'm in quite a murky mood today which is understandable. I am supposed to give a presentation about CAHSEE scores to the board tomorrow, minutes before the closed session where my non-existence is confirmed. I also said, before I knew of such status, that I'd review the student satisfaction survey and make graphs and tables to present to WASC. I wrote those darned surveys so I'm curious of the results but yet I don't want to see them because then I'd end up working for a place that fired me, terminated me, whatever you wish to call it. I had asked, before this "news" when I needed to come in this week. In my "sorry you're a goner" email my boss said to come in Wednesday. I can think of nothing more unappealing or undesirable right now. I have to pack up all my junk and leave and heck I should be a pro at this now but I'm not. I've been there for three years and it hurts. And now I don't know what the future holds as I was working part time which allowed me some time with my infant son which is something I hold dearly. Anyways I am rambling and emotionally upset so I will stop blogging this post. The rest of my family is taking this better than I. And I even kind of sensed this conclusion and it was like a relationship that had fizzled..I felt the fizzle and it was part "me"..I just didn't feel as passionate. But the "break up" is still just as tough. And while it is budget cuts at fault, it is hard not to take it personal. especially when at graduation i was the only staff member not mentioned, and staff that was let go last year attended and they got recognition. lovely.

on hiatus

I'm on blog hiatus for a bit...studying for the GRE (I'm good to go for the verbal part but have miserly math skills) which I'm taking next week yikes! Hopefully I will get scores before the last date passes for the PhD/EdD program deadline! I'm also moving, finishing my last week of work for the school year, and caring for my infant son so...I'm busy!

Enjoy my other posts...

Video: Against Testing

http://failingschools.wordpress.com/2010/11/10/students-speak-out-against-standardized-retardation/ or
I cannot recall if I've posted this but I do know I posted it on FB. It is an amazing video of students against standardized testing. I'd love to meet these students and shake their hands!

Social Studies and Indoctrination

(From my FB account....)

From Diane Ravitch's book "Left Back", regarding the American Historical Association and a publication from 1929..... Ravitch quotes that they "argued that the masses lacked the intellectual capacity to study history".

Kind of like when you tell someone they're stupid or ugly, tell them enough times and they believe it.

I had a love-hate relationship with History as a child. I went on my own historical research journeys, learning about such things as Native American tribes, pioneers, and genocide. But in school it seemed a boring course full of facts and figures but no "meat", meaning we might learn the dates and countries in WWI but not the emotions, lives, cultures, images, etc of WWI. When you just learn a date and place you have no connection to history, no interest. Defining terms at the end of a chapter or adding a date to a timeline is ludicrous. Okay you do need to know when and where WWI happened but if that is all you know, do you have vested interest in it? No. History often repeats itself and if you merely know "some guy named Hitler killed 6 million Jews during WWII in Europe" will you vow to stop genocide in its tracks when it rears its ugly head? Maybe, hopefully, but armed with only facts, you do not likely "care"...the passion is not there.

I always wondered as a child why History was so boring and why we couldn't learn more about this or that, more than just a paragraph, vocab term, and date.

Now I know why. The Progressives sought to turn history into "social studies" to use education as political engine for social control, change, same thing in their book. Yes, history (or "social studies") should as I said, inspire you to not repeat the bad parts so I guess that could be social change but the Progressives idea of social change was not that, but to transform society, culture, to a collective society.

I think, if you change history to "social studies" you do change the culture through historical omission. It is a slow and steady method of social change, one you won't see...kind of like children....they're babies and they grow slowly to adulthood and suddenly one day you wake up and your baby is finishing high school and you think when did this happen? Same thing for social change via the Progressives. I have awaken and realized something is amiss.

But back more to my quote as I diverged a little there. To say the masses are too dumb to understand history....egads! Keeping education "dumbed down" will ensure we're too dumb to understand it or even want to understand it. As if we understood it, we might wake up as I have and say, wait a minute guys....hold on...stop! We don't want your collectivism, your social control, we want FREEDOM to be who we are as guaranteed by our Founding Fathers, our governmental documents, our American Dream. Take back our hearts, minds, culture, thoughts and be who we are meant to be.... NOT a people under control of elite progressives, but a people of free enlightened thinkers.

---------------

George Counts, former head of AFT, A Kirkpatrick Group member and educator (oh and Bolshevik sympathizer)said..." if progressive education is to be generally progressive, it must emancipate itself from the influence of this class, face squarely and courageously every social issue, come to grips with life in all of its stark reality, establish an organic relationship with the community, develop a realistic and comprehensive theory of welfare, fashion a compelling and challenging vision of human destiny, and become somewhat less frightened of the bogeys of imposition and indoctrination. In a word, progressive education cannot built its program out of the interests of children"

Where to start? This sounds exactly like education today and some are happy with that. However, I think education should be supportive of free thought and will, individualism, and the like. Schools are not welfare machines, but places of learning and exploration. And when we become less frightened of imposition and indoctrination, we becomes slaves to despotism and I stand firmly against that. Such a suggestion infuriates me as it should.

Tracking Pathways, Special Ed, etc

Administering the exit exam is disheartening to say the least. Two special ed students gave up and walked out about 1/3 the way through. I did the usual heart to heart talk but also admittedly told them, I can encourage you to stay but I can't stop you from leaving, it is up to you. One student said, "I'm gonna be here next year. And the next...till I'm 20 like that boy over there. I'm never gonna pass this." Sad. Tragic. Wrong. We're basically setting up an underclass of special ed kids, to be failures in life because they can't pass a stupid test. Maybe they will open an orphanage for abused children and start a world renowned charity. Maybe they will be recognized artists and clothing deisgners. Every child has a talent and it just might not be in filling in the correct bubbles. They might not be able to include a single bit of punctuation in an essay, or find the missing angle in a triangle. But they are capable of great things..of which we deny them.

And then tracking...real quick mention here I swear. An adult student returned to take the exam yesterday and I suddenly remembered something. Early last year in her senior year she found out she was on the "life skills path" of tracking, meaning, no college prep classes, all remedial classes using AGS textbooks...basically a 3rd-5th grade level high school education, where she would not earn a diploma only a cert. of completion. She was mad. The principal had put her on this track because she was former special ed and had not (still has not) passed the exit exam..and her gpa was pretty low. But she wanted to go to a career college to be a blood lab technician. I recall counseling her on classes to take to put her in the "middle path" of diploma only.... changing her to college bound her senior year was too late, too drastic. I changed her schedule a bit, and her paperwork which was probably out of my job jurisdiction but who cares? She has yet to pass the exit exam but...thankfully has other than that met all graduation requirements and is enrolled in her career college and doing quite well! :)

graduation

A short post...gasp! As brevity is not my style.

Today is graduation for my school's small class (under 20) of 2011. I have known most of these students since grade 10; some I taught for 4 hours straight so I got to know them well. I am sad to never see them again but glad they finished high school and are on the path to adulthood. I wish them the best and some key students will truly be missed. P: I have listened to all your drama and calmed you down many times. I've encouraged you when you wanted to drop out many times. You have a kind heart and I wish you the best. J: You've been through tough times and deserve none of it. I love your creative unique personality! C: A quiet one, mysterious at times....but I know you're a kind gentle soul. A: I will miss our chats when you tell me everything wrong, not caring about curse words or drama. While school will be quieter with you gone, haha, your smile and warmth will be missed. And to all the students I'm not including, I still love you all and wish you the best!

Exit Exam Part II

So I administered the exit exam today (and yippee tomorrow is another fun filled exam day! Sarcasm...)
We almost had a knock down drag out fight. A girl meddled in another's business as pencils were distributed. Then out came the curse words and threats and "Ima f--- you up b---- I ain't afraid. Bring it". Oh my.
That disaster averted (thank God the special ed teacher walked in at that moment and escorted one of the gals out; she'd come to get her anyways to test with the special ed aide); on to testing. One adult student complained how he'd taken it at least 9 times and this was his last possible chance to pass. Another student said she was nervous because she will graduate tomorrow and wished she'd know if she really was a graduate or not. An adult student said "this test is pointless. I was on an IEP and I'll never pass it. Can I just leave?" Two students didn't have any heroes (related to the writing prompt) so they said they were going to fail. One of the girls in the almost fight was aggravated and broke her pencil, breaking a nail in the process. It was a bad break and she dripped a trail of blood on the way to the office to get a bandaid. After all that drama mixed with, well, her personality, she was done, checked out, only 1/3 the way through and walked out. She can't re-test till October...five months away! Another student said, can I re-take my math, I failed, and I said no, not this administration, wait till October. Another student asked if they could take English tomorrow as they didn't feel good. Sorry, no. And all wanted music "even classical, we don't care" but that is forbidden so I said sorry no. Even though they begged and pleaded "we will do better on the test".

My word of the day today kids is: SORRY.

Exit Exam

I am dreading the next two days. I get to administer, coordinate, etc the exit exam. This time around, it is for seniors and post- "grads" who have yet to pass the math and/or English exam.

These students are a mixed bag of pity. Most are special ed, and they don't "have" to pass to graduate now, (thank God someone had some common sense) but many want to pass it, or their parents want them to, so they take it. Again. And again. And again. By now they either know they won't pass and are feeling dejected, or they know they don't have to pass it and it is all just a routine. Or worse, they want to pass it and try their darndest but just can't do it. You see the struggle on their faces as they test, the worry, the fear, the "crap I don't know any of this" look. ne student this year took it for the first time, walked in confident and when she was the second to last testing, she put her pencil down and said "I don't know any of this. I am so unprepared. This is so hard. I give up. Can I, Mrs. D? Can I just stop and try again some other time?"

You also get the checked out kids. They take it 'cause they have to but they are soooo done with school. They don't see the validity of passing, thus earning a diploma. They've told me that they'll just go on welfare or sell drugs or be a border crossing coyote. And they're serious. To then its some stupid test, another hoop not worth crossing through.

And then I think of one student in particular who was special ed but exited. This student , "X" struggles with math immensely. A good student, X takes about 5 minutes per question. X analyzes it and goes through every scenario, possibility, equation, and weird pattern ever thought of to try and get the answer. Then comes the look of doom and gloom. And a single tear and a silent scream, at which point I ask if X would like to leave the room and go scream and then come back. I share my terrible experiences with math and offer hope. X then asks me weekly if the results are in, as do the parents. And then come the results.....3 points closer this time! But still 11 away from passing! Work on skill ___ and ____ and you will pass! You're close!

And the adult students come in, with menial jobs, a life outside high school, full of fear. I think all but one adult student attending this time is on their last try...you get a certain # of years to pass it before you just....don't pass, no diploma, sorry. They disrupt the exam, talking, and who can blame them? They feel like idiots, an adult stuck with little kiddos taking some stupid exam. Everyone knows they haven't passed it and so what a morale cruncher. If they were going to pass, they won't now because they feel like dummies and it is a self fulfilling prophecy.

Job Experience

Just thought I'd list my crazy amount of education-related job experiences in my life....
1999- volunteered at a Native American pre-school in Canada for part of the summer
2000- preschool job for the summer, in my home town
2001- K-6 daycare job for the summer
2003- substitute teacher in 3 districts, all grade levels. One long term position in a math classroom grade 6
2003??? Not sure the year but I taught a 3-6th gr combo science class for summer.
2003- English Conversation tutor to college students from Japan, China, Korea
2004- first "real" job, teacher grade 5. A "program improvement" school, high ESL and poverty.
2005- independent study/home school teacher to 30 children grades K-12; Long term sub teacher (inc. a position in continuation high, science, math, pe); Adult ed ESL Teacher
2005- or 06 or..? Summer school teacher, remedial math combo class grades 3-6
2006- continued subbing, also a tutor all ages at Sylvan
2007- Teacher, grade 5 in a title-1 school
2008-Teacher, English etc, Grades 9-12 in a charter school
2009- Teacher gr 9, data and assessments manager K-12, charter
2010- 1/2 time employee (and new mommy!) K-12 charter

Indoctrination isn't so scary...don't be afraid we won't hurt you

George Counts, former head of AFT, A Kirkpatrick Group member and educator (oh and Bolshevik sympathizer)said..." if progressive education is to be generally progressive, it must emancipate itself from the influence of this class, face squarely and courageously every social issue, come to grips with life in all of its stark reality, establish an organic relationship with the community, develop a realistic and comprehensive theory of welfare, fashion a compelling and challenging vision of human destiny, and become somewhat less frightened of the bogeys of imposition and indoctrination. In a word, progressive education cannot built its program out of the interests of children"

Where to start? This sounds exactly like education today and some are happy with that. However, I think education should be supportive of free thought and will, individualism, and the like. Schools are not welfare machines, but places of learning and exploration. And when we become less frightened of imposition and indoctrination, we becomes slaves to despotism and I stand firmly against that. Such a suggestion infuriates me as it should.

History

From Diane Ravitch's book "Left Back", regarding the American Historical Association and a publication from 1929..... Ravitch quotes that they "argued that the masses lacked the intellectual capacity to study history".

Kind of like when you tell someone they're stupid or ugly, tell them enough times and they believe it.

I had a love-hate relationship with History as a child. I went on my own historical research journeys, learning about such things as Native American tribes, pioneers, and genocide. But in school it seemed a boring course full of facts and figures but no "meat", meaning we might learn the dates and countries in WWI but not the emotions, lives, cultures, images, etc of WWI. When you just learn a date and place you have no connection to history, no interest. Defining terms at the end of a chapter or adding a date to a timeline is ludicrous. Okay you do need to know when and where WWI happened but if that is all you know, do you have vested interest in it? No. History often repeats itself and if you merely know "some guy named Hitler killed 6 million Jews during WWII in Europe" will you vow to stop genocide in its tracks when it rears its ugly head? Maybe, hopefully, but armed with only facts, you do not likely "care"...the passion is not there.

I always wondered as a child why History was so boring and why we couldn't learn more about this or that, more than just a paragraph, vocab term, and date.

Now I know why. The Progressives sought to turn history into "social studies" to use education as political engine for social control, change, same thing in their book. Yes, history (or "social studies") should as I said, inspire you to not repeat the bad parts so I guess that could be social change but the Progressives idea of social change was not that, but to transform society, culture, to a collective society.

I think, if you change history to "social studies" you do change the culture through historical omission. It is a slow and steady method of social change, one you won't see...kind of like children....they're babies and they grow slowly to adulthood and suddenly one day you wake up and your baby is finishing high school and you think when did this happen? Same thing for social change via the Progressives. I have awaken and realized something is amiss.

But back more to my quote as I diverged a little there. To say the masses are too dumb to understand history....egads! Keeping education "dumbed down" will ensure we're too dumb to understand it or even want to understand it. As if we understood it, we might wake up as I have and say, wait a minute guys....hold on...stop! We don't want your collectivism, your social control, we want FREEDOM to be who we are as guaranteed by our Founding Fathers, our governmental documents, our American Dream. Take back our hearts, minds, culture, thoughts and be who we are meant to be.... NOT a people under control of elite progressives, but a people of free enlightened thinkers.

Articles

http://contributor.yahoo.com/user/1090031/gem_mayers.html is....I hope....a link to my Yahoo Contributor articles; nothing new, just things from this blog but I'm trying to "branch out".

On FB (part II please read)

I'm on FB under Tres Edu but seem hard to find. http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/profile.php?id=100002301980029 might be my FB page???

Chaos Coalition: A not very Progressive Progressive Idea

I think I'm creating the "Chaos Coalition" which is anti Progressive (as in the political-esque progressives) but is very progressive (as in change, improvement).

The Progressives sought social control and I finally "get" why they did, even though I am vehemently against it. They saw the Fall of Rome so to say, with industrialization tearing our country asunder...capitalism begat greed, the classes were dividing, families values decreasing, crime increasing...so on and so forth. This really came to a head during the Great Depression, when a society as mentioned, faced with economic crisis, spun further down. I agree with the Progressives so far. Our society is going to hell in a hand basket. But here is where Progressives and myself part, and it is a "biggie".

Progressives feel that through social control, a Utopian- or at the very least an improved- society will result. Through social efficiency and everything towards the collective greater good, this Utopia would come about. They also encouraged a (often violent) destruction of the ruling class (except for the few elite Progressives who were suggesting these ideas, and were in fact in charge, the "elite experts" who would manage the transformation of the social order...they apparently were exempt)...a Marxist idea they knew of, but was rekindled during visits to Russia during the Bolshevik Revolution.

This relates to education in many ways, but to promote brevity for once, by having a managed education through social efficiency, everyone's place in society will be set in stone, and everyone will be happy as individuality and greed will disappear, collectivism will promote everyone to do what is beneficial to all.

What I believe is the "chaos coalition". Social control is denying man of freedom, individuality, and free will. This is the antithesis of Americanism, our Founding Fathers created a haven, America, free of despotism, a place where man could pursue his happiness. If we deny progressive ideas and actually give an "elitist", "classical" education to ALL students, an environment of learned, enlightened individuals (and society), imagine the things we could do! With the "chaos" of freedom of learning, we could have even more Einsteins, MLK Jrs, Nobel Prize winners... and I see education as a way to lessen poverty, crime, and other social ails. Knowledge is power and who are we do deny, or "control" that?