Education Reformers Fight Back Against National Curriculum
by Kyle OlsonThe U.S. Department of Education has been gobbling up more turf over the last several years, issuing mandates and pushing a one-size-fits-all set of standards. Now the most disturbing move is to implement a national K-12 education curriculum.
What’s wrong with that? To those who advocate for efficiency in education, this may seem like a good thing. It’s anything but.
A broad group of education reformers who are fighting this initiative has published a manifesto, titled “Closing the Door on Innovation.”
“A one-size-fits-all national curriculum based on mediocre high-school standards will stifle the educational innovation essential to closing the racial gap in academic achievement,” said Abigail Thernstrom, vice chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, who signed the manifesto.
Bill Evers, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education for Policy under President George W. Bush, recently participated in a question-and-answer session regarding a national curriculum.
Q: Some might say that a national curriculum would promote efficiency. What is your response?
A: The efficiency we should seek in K-12 education should be systemic and be grounded in sound rules and institutions. If we have pluralistic institutions with the right incentives, we will have better learning and more efficient and productive schooling than if we have a uniform and unified national curriculum. Such a uniform curriculum can too easily be bent in some wrongheaded way in the future. Monolithic national uniformity is inefficient if it cuts off examination of alternatives, readily becomes stagnant, resists feedback, and all too easily becomes captive of future fads and fancies.”
Q: Is there danger in a one-size-fits-all curriculum?
A: Officials in Washington cannot design a curriculum that is fitting and appropriate for all classrooms in huge country like the United States.
When U.S. Department of Education officials take the wrong path, as will happen at least sometimes, they will take all the public schools with them. It will be tough for teachers to rectify things singlehandedly in their own classrooms. Only an un-monolithic and multifarious array of local school districts, non-profits, and private companies will have the flexibility and maneuverability to locate errors, fix them, and advance the educational endeavor. Education Department officials should avoid the hubris that develops all too easily inside the Beltway. They should avoid the arrogance of power and try not to hamper technological advances that will diversify curriculum and liberate learning.”
Q: The increasing role of the federal government in education is not a new thing. How did we get to this point?
A: Politicians have promoted an expanding national government role in education during crises. This national role began with politicians who wanted to expand the frontier after the Revolution by providing for schools to aid land speculators. It continued during the ratcheting up of the national activity during the Civil War and Reconstruction. Politicians seized on fear of unemployment after World War I to push the national government into vocational education. After World War II, a new generation of politicians again played on fears of unemployment to make college education an add-on veterans’ benefit. During the Cold War, politicians sought to aid the newly emerging class of politically connected professors by supporting teaching and research in the hard sciences, social and behavioral science, and foreign languages. Then, during the 1960s, the big expansion came in federal aid to K-12, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This was part of a general effort on the part of liberals and Democrats to get around Republican governors and white-ethnic “big city machine” mayors to deliver federal largesse directly to sympathetic Democratic constituencies, in this case, in part, K-12 education professionals.
The current federal efforts, since the “Nation at Risk” report in 1981, draw on worries at first about Japanese economic success and later the success of China and other East Asian countries.
At the same time, I would point out that American public schools are underperforming, all too many American children aren’t learning much, and Americans’ productivity would improve it they had more knowledge and skills–so there are real problems. The issue is what should be done about them.
Q: What is the ideal system to you?
A: I cannot speak for the other organizers of the manifesto or for the other signers, but for me, the ideal system would be decentralized and have a pluralism of mechanisms by which education is delivered to students.
Q: If people agree with you, what should they do?
A: People who oppose the emerging federal policy of a combination of national academic-content standards, national test for all students, and a national curriculum should go on the www.k12innovation.com website and sign the manifesto. They should also write their U.S. Senators and their U.S. Representative and ask that Congress exercise its oversight authority on the U.S. Department of Education’s efforts on national tests and national curriculum. People who belong to Tea Party groups or other politically active groups should try to enlist those groups in the effort to push back against the Education Department’s national standards-national tests-national curriculum initiative.
Q: Anything else you’d like to add?
A: Three existing federal statutes — the General Education Provisions Act, the Department of Education Organization Act, and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (currently called the No Child Left Behind Act) — all prohibit or guard against the Department interfering with curriculum decisions of the states and local districts. The intent of Congress when it passed these statutes is clear from their legislative history: It is not the function of the U.S. Department of Education to establish the curriculum for K-12 education.
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43 Comments
Thats the American oops….
Thats the Commie way…
So, who gets to decide what "educated" is? Why? Should they decide? How much of this is shades of Coke, you can not judge yourself?
How about if we take the Hundreds of hours spent on Algebra and better use them to teach the Constitution and the Federalist Papers?
If the free market system were allowed to work it would provide an educated labor force by virtue of self-preservation.
Get rid of the department of Education, get rid of every federal function in education and especially the Unions.
Look what we have now with their help. They aren't going to fix anything because they are the problem.
"Government is not a solution to our problem, government is the problem."
— Ronald Reagan
Facts and education needs to vary across the nation. LOL!
The victors in war get to make up their own facts.
I am an educator, the solution to this is very simple. end the Federal Department of Education and follow the constitution. If you agree please come join our Facebook group Conservative Teachers of America http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_4282658... We need people willing to stand up on this and say enough is enough. It is a discussion that NO ONE wants to have and many of the front runners in the GOP have no backbone to address.
Yes the education system is an example of how progressives want things to be: top down, monolithic, authoritarian, dictatorial, monopolizing and one narrow minded view thrust upon everyone else. And its a grand example of failure. We spend the most in the world per kid and we rank 27th. And progressives want to turn every other aspect of our lives into the same train wreck.
The Dept of Education is finally getting its Federal control of the States and local community schools. Anyone of any ideology, except the Statists should see this as a monumental power grab and all will see it as a manifestation of the Statist agenda to take over the education of the nation's youth. There is no justification for allowing this unless you truly believe the states have no rights and the Federal government actually functions in the bet interests of the citizen rather than securing its own power base.
Stop this.
I don't recall seeing the Dept. of Education in the Constitution. Where does it get its power? Oh that's right….
Is there danger in a one-size-fits-all curriculum?….. Uh. Yeah!!! It means our children would receive more socialist/progressive indoctrination… Like those Progressive/Socialist champions paragons of Wisdom, Hitler, Lenin, and Alinsky, say, get the children early and you got your revolution guaranteeing real change.
I'm sure the Government will use Detroit as their model. And they won't be happy until all students spout off all information from a little RED book.
Naw, take the hours given to teach about gays and use that time to teach the Consitution!
oh, and they can leave off the GW/flat earth bullsh** too ~
I wouldn't trust these idiots' ability to set up an effective national one-size-fits-all puppy training curriculum.
Try and legislate a tax credit for those who Use a Private, Parochial or Home School. Good luck with that one!
The goals of the Progressive (Socialists) Party in the early 1900's was:
#1. Create a Private Central bank for the U.S.A….that's the F.R.B.
#2. Create a graduated Income tax system to re-distribute the wealth (after it's run thru their checking acc't)
#3. The hardest one for them…De-Christianize American thought somehow. Oh yeah, how much different is our Public School System than Russia's? We have more toys, bells and whisltles.
I'm so glad you're doing this. God Bless you.
The phrase "separation of government and classroom" comes to mind. It's too simplistic, though.
Local governments–districts, city councils, maybe even the states themselves–need to impose some structure. Even a set of national standards to use as reference points, no strings attached, can help teachers provide opportunities for all. To mandate the content, and/or the methods used to teach the content, is a recipe for disaster.
Most ladies know that "one-size-fits-all" isn't true. Teachers know that as well.
I say this 'one-size-fits-all set of standards' will work just like nationalized health care, not only killing the American people but killing the American mind.
Lesson #1 "Clockwise": PARENTS are the primary educator, not the state. The further you take "education" from the parents, the weaker and more prone to nefarious ends it becomes.
"Clockwise", are you going to post anything substantial in this discussion? Just wonderin'…….
Good for you. But, there are a lot of people who don't like or trust Facebook. Do you have another website?
When discussing public schools, it is appropriate and important to call them government schools. Headline…Government Schools Failed To Educate 47% Of Students In Detroit.
Time to stop the Fed gov's unconstitutional connections to state level schools.
The Association of American Educators is a non-union teacher advocacy organization, they just came out today against National Standards. AAE members get same legal liability protection from accidents in the classroom, none of the union nonsense. Please spread the word. http://www.aaeteachers.org/index.php/blog/426-aae...
The best way to stop this Marxist power grab toward universal indoctrination? Pull your children out.
Right you are. Lesson #2 — "Facts" are not fungible, but how facts are presented are. No one born and raised in Washington State has likely ever heard ot the term "Potsie" as a child's game…just as no child from Brooklyn ever heard of hopscotch.
Government has no business in business nor does it have any business in education…remember it was progressive lite Dubya who brought us no child left behind…….this is collective salvation for education, it works no better than it does in religion….
Here's a "national standard." No child will be graduated from High School unless he/she can do four things proficiently: Read, Write, Cypher, recite from memory the U.S. Constitution as amended and explain what each provision means by today's standards.
I can see it now, a district would decide to exceed the national standards and be fined for it. *inhales deeply* You smell that. That's the smell of bureaucracy. *cough cough* Stinks, doesn't it?
Schools started taking a dump shortly after the Edumacation Department was created and the more power they weild, the dumber America gets.
If you want your kids to succeed, keep them out of public education.
This is the worst thing that can be done to American students. I went to 6th grade in Michigan's suburbs north of Detroit. We then moved to Tenn. where I attended 7th grade in one of the largest middle schools in the country. It was like repeating my 6th grade all over again. The Tenn. school system was a full 2 years behind my Michigan school. We then returned to Michigan for my 8th grade year…. I was VERY behind. I had to double up math and science classes where possible just to catch up to my friends. The first thing that will happen if national standards are set is ALL classes will IMMEDIATELY go to the same standards as the worst schools in the country.
The only way for AGW to be plausible is if the world really was only 6500 years old..
I'm sure that's how it's sold to muslims in dar al islam.. to suggest the earth is anything but allah created is not wise when in paleo-nazi land.. literal OT Christians tend to just cover their ears and LALALALA if facts try to ruin their simple world…
The jizya aspect of cap and tax was the real drawing point though for muslim…
======
Progressivism is a religious term for faith precedent
In fact, the baha'i religion is being taught in schools.. unity in diversity and sustainable development are core baha'i doctrines…
http://bahai-library.com/uhj_turning_point_nation...
1. Promoting the development of curricula for moral education in schools
We advocate a universal campaign to promote moral development. Simply put, this campaign should encourage and assist local initiatives all over the world to incorporate a moral dimension into the education of children. It may necessitate the holding of conferences, the publication of relevant materials and many other supportive activities, all of which represent a solid investment in a future generation.
This campaign for moral development may begin with a few simple precepts. For example, rectitude of conduct, trustworthiness, and honesty are the foundation for stability and progress; altruism should guide all human endeavor, such that sincerity and respect for the rights of others become an integral part of every individual's actions; service to humanity is the true source of happiness, honor and meaning in life.
We also believe the campaign will be successful only to the extent that the force of religion is relied upon in the effort. The doctrine of the separation of church and state should not be used as a shield to block this salutary influence. Specifically, religious communities will have to be drawn in as collaborative partners in this important initiative.
As it proceeds, this campaign will accelerate a process of individual empowerment that will transform the way in which people, regardless of economic class, social standing, or ethnic, racial or religious background, interact with their society.
========
This is what they are after and why the drive toward "national standards" –
International Baccalaureate http://www.ibo.org/
If you have never heard of it before, I suggest you check it out. You just might find that schools in your neighborhood, at least in your state, are already imposing this internationalist agenda upon children. And we all know just how "pro – American" that curriculum is ( Think a vote at the U.N.) Dangerous this is.
California set to teach gay history and rights in schools
California is set to become the first US state to require the teaching of gay history and rights. from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnew...
Yea, I bet this would fly real good in the 'fly-over' states. And just who is going to decide what the curriculum will be?
A national curriculum = a license to control the thinking of ALL the kids in the country. From the folks whose mantra is "choice." Strong the irony is in this one.
Absolutely. I'm getting ready to take my final for math 123 where we were taught how to translate Babylonian and Mayan numbers. All I can say is, how SEIU stupid that this SEIU was taught in class (I have substituted SEIU for banned words).
If you want a good laugh, go to the Ohio Department of Education web site and read the pathetically low standards for Kindergartners. Math is a good example: right now one of the goals is to identify, and state the value of, a penny, nickel, and a dime. WEAK! With the new common core math standards learners will not learn about money until the second grade.
I guess they do not want the next generation to understand money and therefore not understand the trillions of dollars in debt that we have left them.
Seriously.
Except…what are "today's standards"? I feel have different moral standards than some of my countrymen, if you are considering moral standards.
Maybe I misunderstood, and you are suggesting that kids learn to explain the Constitution in "layman's terms."
<DIV>OK. What is “different” about your moral standards and where do you think they came from?</DIV> <DIV style=”FONT-FAMILY: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 12pt”> <DIV style=”FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif; FONT-SIZE: 12pt”>
<DIV>What I meant was that by today's standard, the word “regulate” means to control. In 1776, it meant to “make regular (read similar)” which is NOT the same thing as controlling. The term was used because, in case of a national emergency, it might be necessary to call up the militia (all able-bodied men over 16 years of age) and it would be to the nation's advantage if they were carrying similar arms, powder, ammunition, etc. and those supplies could be interchangeable and ifthe tactics of warfare in those days were well-understood. </DIV> <DIV style=”FONT-FAMILY: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 12pt”> <DIV style=”FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif; FONT-SIZE: 12pt”>
My moral standards come from the Bible. That's why I'm leery of "adjusting" them for "the way things are these days."
Now THAT makes sense; it's the same sort of "change" that we get when we read the Declaration of Independence with those S letters that look like an F: "When in the courfe of human events"
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