How many people know that the Bully program in school was lobbied for in the legislature by the Human Rights Commission, Gay Pride and other gay rights groups? The answer is anyone who paid any attention at all.
They poll tested the word bullying nationally and found it to be a word people would support. After all who wants their child to be bullied? But is this program really about bullying or is it about attitudes? I have been told recently by teachers that "bullying" has gotten worse since the inception of this program. It sounds like the bullying is reversed now. The scenario,according to the teacher, goes like this. One kid gets hit over the head by another and the kid who did the hitting becomes the victim. It seems that now the kid who gets hit is seen to have caused the other child to hit him. This is because the bullying program is about subjective feelings and attitudes.
When I was teaching some of the things that we were supposed to punish children for under the "bullying" program were "making someone feel inferior" or "not making eye contact" or "excluding someone." As far as I know in the constitution of the United States of America, american citizens have the right of association . This means they can associate with whomever they darn please. Shouldn't our school children have the same rights?
I think America is being bullied. This is not unlike the former Soviet satellite states where your opinions were determined by the government and spies would lurk around to report you if you did not have the right opinions and attitudes. I saw and experienced this, this is not second hand information. As Andy Rooney recently pointed out, disagreeing with the Gay agenda is not a phobia, it is an opinion.
Yesterday in the news it was reported that in California the governor, Jerry Brown, has just signed into law a piece of legislation requiring schools to teach Gay history, the history of homosexuals, in their public schools. The people of the great state of California are of course trying to fight this with a referendum. The question is, how far are the people of America going to let special interest groups like the Gays go in using the schools to further their agenda?
When are the American people going to see this for what it is, an affront on the civil liberties of all of us? Where does this all end? Will schools just become propaganda machines for special interests and will values, opinions and attitudes be determined by the government rather than the individual?
Maybe it will take getting the truth out. During my campaign for the school board here in Helena my opponents swore up and down, and stated publicly, that all the offensive material in the Health Enhancement Curriculum had been taken out. You can find the final draft of that document on the Helena School District web site. Among many other things you will find on page 61 that ten year olds (fifth graders) will be taught "anyone can get STI's by exchanging bodily fluids orally,vaginally, or anally". I do not see how you can teach this without the children understanding what oral, anal and vaginal sex are.
And why do they want to teach about sex to fifth graders? Because they believe attitudes are developed early and if children don't know what sex is , and what homosexual sex is, how can they teach them that it is o.k. or normal? My opponents in the school board race won running on that they were for character, clearly indicating to parents that they were for moral standards. To many teaching small children about sex may seem moral but to many others it does not. The point is, my opponents did not tell parents what their concept of character was . They did not run on page 61 of the Health Enhancement Curriculum which will be implemented this fall, in fact they lied about it.
Thursday, 28 July 2011
Wednesday, 20 July 2011
THE FUTURE IS A THIEF IN THE NIGHT
I went to the Helena School Board planning meeting where they were ostensibly gearing up to plan for the next 10 or maybe even 20 years! The room always gets so quiet when they begin talking about the future. After all, they must be pretty smart to know what the future is!
The question is, do they really know what the future is or have they just been to a bunch of workshops and come back with a bunch of new made up education words to mess around with our schools and continue to degrade the academic environment and lower scores as they have since 2001? In The statistics we could get from the Office of Public Instruction- as reported on this blog earlier, Helena High has fewer students in the 11th grade who are proficient or advanced in every single academic area tested in 2010 as compared to 2001. Capital High had fewer proficient and advanced 11th graders in Reading, Math and Social Studies.
I've been around the schools for a long time and I remember when the Montessori students were going to be so smart that when they entered the middle school they would be way above everyone else and all the parents would decide to put their students in Montessori. That just never materialized . I remember when open classrooms were the answer and then they had to quickly put up temporary walls at Rossiter, 4 Georgians, Broadwater and Ray Bjork. Other experiments go on but they produce bad results such as combined classes and project learning(formerly called cooperative learning).
Anyone who has had their children in project learning knows that time is wasted, capable students are responsible for those not as capable and overall learning becomes narrowly focused and not complete if there is any at all. At the planning meeting the bad guy in the room was apparently "the industrial model",in other words, the teaching that built the country is the bad guy. Teachers teaching and kids respecting teachers, doing their work and learning is- believe it or not the bad guy!
Here's some of the new ideas, the "good guy". Competency graduation rather than Carnegie Standards (that's math,english, science etc.). What are competency standards? Well if you are aware of yourself and relate to other students, participate in class and generally get along with others you should be able to graduate. Oh- it would be nice if you joined some clubs or activities too. Notice I didn't say show up or get there on time- this is apparently an old industrial idea too-an idea made up by greedy capitalists who just wanted workers to show up to work on time. They are now wiser however and will be understanding if their employee just can't do those sorts of things.
If you think I'm joking I'm not- I certainly wish I was. So in my view we've got some pretty misdirected people here who think going to a workshop and regurgitating all the nonsense they dish out makes them an education expert and a soothsayer about the future. If it wasn't so damaging to our children(especially those at risk)and to our country it wouldn't be such a tragedy. But it really is. I only hope parents will wake up, or the board will.
The saddest thing about the whole day was this though- everyone talked about federal direction but not one single person noticed that education is a states right in our constitution. NO ONE. They live and breathe any direction and all grants from the federal government(except of course No Child Left Behind which requires accountability). DO THEY EVEN KNOW THAT OUR TENTH AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION GIVES AUTHORITY OVER SCHOOLS TO THE STATES? DO THEY CARE?
As they talked I could see the future creeping up behind them unnoticed. Our country is almost 15 trillion dollars in debt. These grants will go away and schools will not be filling peoples tanks with gas or giving free private lessons of all sorts to anyone. The rugged individual will stand up and take back America as they talk.
The question is, do they really know what the future is or have they just been to a bunch of workshops and come back with a bunch of new made up education words to mess around with our schools and continue to degrade the academic environment and lower scores as they have since 2001? In The statistics we could get from the Office of Public Instruction- as reported on this blog earlier, Helena High has fewer students in the 11th grade who are proficient or advanced in every single academic area tested in 2010 as compared to 2001. Capital High had fewer proficient and advanced 11th graders in Reading, Math and Social Studies.
I've been around the schools for a long time and I remember when the Montessori students were going to be so smart that when they entered the middle school they would be way above everyone else and all the parents would decide to put their students in Montessori. That just never materialized . I remember when open classrooms were the answer and then they had to quickly put up temporary walls at Rossiter, 4 Georgians, Broadwater and Ray Bjork. Other experiments go on but they produce bad results such as combined classes and project learning(formerly called cooperative learning).
Anyone who has had their children in project learning knows that time is wasted, capable students are responsible for those not as capable and overall learning becomes narrowly focused and not complete if there is any at all. At the planning meeting the bad guy in the room was apparently "the industrial model",in other words, the teaching that built the country is the bad guy. Teachers teaching and kids respecting teachers, doing their work and learning is- believe it or not the bad guy!
Here's some of the new ideas, the "good guy". Competency graduation rather than Carnegie Standards (that's math,english, science etc.). What are competency standards? Well if you are aware of yourself and relate to other students, participate in class and generally get along with others you should be able to graduate. Oh- it would be nice if you joined some clubs or activities too. Notice I didn't say show up or get there on time- this is apparently an old industrial idea too-an idea made up by greedy capitalists who just wanted workers to show up to work on time. They are now wiser however and will be understanding if their employee just can't do those sorts of things.
If you think I'm joking I'm not- I certainly wish I was. So in my view we've got some pretty misdirected people here who think going to a workshop and regurgitating all the nonsense they dish out makes them an education expert and a soothsayer about the future. If it wasn't so damaging to our children(especially those at risk)and to our country it wouldn't be such a tragedy. But it really is. I only hope parents will wake up, or the board will.
The saddest thing about the whole day was this though- everyone talked about federal direction but not one single person noticed that education is a states right in our constitution. NO ONE. They live and breathe any direction and all grants from the federal government(except of course No Child Left Behind which requires accountability). DO THEY EVEN KNOW THAT OUR TENTH AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION GIVES AUTHORITY OVER SCHOOLS TO THE STATES? DO THEY CARE?
As they talked I could see the future creeping up behind them unnoticed. Our country is almost 15 trillion dollars in debt. These grants will go away and schools will not be filling peoples tanks with gas or giving free private lessons of all sorts to anyone. The rugged individual will stand up and take back America as they talk.
Monday, 18 July 2011
PLANNING
Planning what? The schools.Whose going to do this planning? A firm. Why? Because the school board can't do planning on their own. Why not? They need direction according to the school board chairman. In fact, they've already sent an administrator to a workshop so she can direct them to get information ready for the firm. They will in fact be choosing between two firms. So apparently we have a new career here, belonging to a firm which directs school districts.
But I thought schools were short on cash? No not at all. Not only did they send the administrator to a workshop (undoubtedly out of state) they are hiring a facilitator for their planning sessions before they meet with the firm whom it was mentioned by a board member at the school board meeting, have gotten up to $50,000.00 in the past.
My,My, we do have tax payer money to throw around. It was asked eloquently by a board member why the HELENA SCHOOL DISTRICT couldn't just do their own planning. After all, we have facilities people who know all about our plant, financial people who know all about our finances and educators who certainly know about our curriculum. NO NO says the board chair- we need direction for global governance. I wonder if that's governance as in ONE WORLD GOVERNANCE.
The administrator who went to the workshop mentioned SOCIAL CHANGE over and over again. In fact she said we need to educate not just for the 3 R's but for the 4 C's. That would be critical thinking, collaboration , communication and creativity. I guess Helena can't teach kids to think critically, speak and write, work together and be creative without these out of state planners. I WONDER WHERE THESE FIRMS GET THEIR DIRECTION?
Our board chair mentioned they must plan for our communities priorities HMMMMM- I guess we need people from out of state to tell us what our priorities are- I certainly haven't seen community involvement or direction in any of these meetings.
Recently liberals who plan to change our society using our schools and our children have mentioned the old LITTLE RED SCHOOL HOUSE where all the children were together in one room. Even they admit that those children learned more. That aside- how would the people in Dodge have responded to a school board that wanted to spend tens of thousands of dollars for planning?!! I suspect they would have smelled a rat and ran them out on a rail.
How this all should work is that teachers plan, students learn and school boards administrate ( this includes deciding when to spend money for facilities improvement.) We don't need help from out of state firms to tell us what our communities values are. These people are charlatans and if the people of Helena were awake to all this I'm sure they surely would smell a rat!
But I thought schools were short on cash? No not at all. Not only did they send the administrator to a workshop (undoubtedly out of state) they are hiring a facilitator for their planning sessions before they meet with the firm whom it was mentioned by a board member at the school board meeting, have gotten up to $50,000.00 in the past.
My,My, we do have tax payer money to throw around. It was asked eloquently by a board member why the HELENA SCHOOL DISTRICT couldn't just do their own planning. After all, we have facilities people who know all about our plant, financial people who know all about our finances and educators who certainly know about our curriculum. NO NO says the board chair- we need direction for global governance. I wonder if that's governance as in ONE WORLD GOVERNANCE.
The administrator who went to the workshop mentioned SOCIAL CHANGE over and over again. In fact she said we need to educate not just for the 3 R's but for the 4 C's. That would be critical thinking, collaboration , communication and creativity. I guess Helena can't teach kids to think critically, speak and write, work together and be creative without these out of state planners. I WONDER WHERE THESE FIRMS GET THEIR DIRECTION?
Our board chair mentioned they must plan for our communities priorities HMMMMM- I guess we need people from out of state to tell us what our priorities are- I certainly haven't seen community involvement or direction in any of these meetings.
Recently liberals who plan to change our society using our schools and our children have mentioned the old LITTLE RED SCHOOL HOUSE where all the children were together in one room. Even they admit that those children learned more. That aside- how would the people in Dodge have responded to a school board that wanted to spend tens of thousands of dollars for planning?!! I suspect they would have smelled a rat and ran them out on a rail.
How this all should work is that teachers plan, students learn and school boards administrate ( this includes deciding when to spend money for facilities improvement.) We don't need help from out of state firms to tell us what our communities values are. These people are charlatans and if the people of Helena were awake to all this I'm sure they surely would smell a rat!
Friday, 8 July 2011
NOW ISN'T THAT PRECIOUS
I just heard from an anonymous source that those people in the Helena School District that are in favor of the new "HEALTH ENHANCEMENT STANDARDS" don't mind parental involvement they just don't want values forced on them.
Now let me get this straight. Stopping them from imposing values on peoples children is forcing values on them. If they just have to teach their controversial values at home someone is forcing values on them. Isn't that precious?
NO DICE! School is for reading,writing,math, spelling , social studies, science and maybe some extra curricular like music, P.E., library and electives in the upper grades. If you've got an agenda it doesn't belong in our schools. Teach your controversial values AT HOME!
Now let me get this straight. Stopping them from imposing values on peoples children is forcing values on them. If they just have to teach their controversial values at home someone is forcing values on them. Isn't that precious?
NO DICE! School is for reading,writing,math, spelling , social studies, science and maybe some extra curricular like music, P.E., library and electives in the upper grades. If you've got an agenda it doesn't belong in our schools. Teach your controversial values AT HOME!
Tuesday, 5 July 2011
IN HONOR
This blog is about our schools and I will depart just a little today for a very special reason- but I won't depart much. This blog is written today in honor of the greatest document ever written- THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
Recently TIME MAGAZINE wrote an article claiming that times have changed and our CONSTITUTION is maybe not so relevant anymore. Some may think that America is in decline and our best years are behind us- but not so fast- I prefer to believe that America is in a period of renewal. Perhaps this is the time when we all must make the ultimate sacrifice- speak out even if it means your reputation .
Our CONSTITUTION has never been more relevant, and I for one will fight for it to my last dying breath.This is what Calvin Coolidge had to say-
It is often asserted that the world has made a great deal of progress since 1776, that we have new
thoughts and new experiences which have given us a great advance over the people of that
day, and that we may therefore very well discard their conclusions for something more modern.
But that reasoning can not be applied to this great charter. If all men are created equal,that is final.
If they are endowed with inalienable rights that is final. If governments derive their just powers
from the consent of the governed, that is final. No advance, no progress can be made beyond
these propositions. If anyone wishes to deny their truth or their soundness, the only direction
in which he can proceed historically is not forward, but backward toward the time when there
was no equality, no rights of the individual, no rule of the people. Those who wish to proceed
in that direction can not lay claim to progress. They are reactionary. Their ideas are not more
modern, but more ancient, than those of the Revolutionary fathers.
Calvin Coolidge
July 5,1926
In our schools children are sent to visit one another within the school and without in various BUDDY
PROGRAMS. They are put in pods or at tables so that they never have a moment in independent space. All of these things are done to do away with that "old idea" of the rugged individual. That would be the individual who thought for himself, the individual with inalienable rights that come from God not the government.
Perhaps to some this seems an extreme view, but is undeniably true that "school reform" is about social change. This social change is collectivist, whatever name you want to put on that. OUR CONSTITUTION needs to be taught to every generation if we are to survive as FREE individuals who run the government not the other way around. Parents look around you and put yourself on the line to protect our freedoms from those who would do away with our CONSTITUTION and replace it with a collectivist state. Learn your history. Travel. I have seen collectivist states up close and personal. If we lose our freedom we may never be able to get it back.
Recently TIME MAGAZINE wrote an article claiming that times have changed and our CONSTITUTION is maybe not so relevant anymore. Some may think that America is in decline and our best years are behind us- but not so fast- I prefer to believe that America is in a period of renewal. Perhaps this is the time when we all must make the ultimate sacrifice- speak out even if it means your reputation .
Our CONSTITUTION has never been more relevant, and I for one will fight for it to my last dying breath.This is what Calvin Coolidge had to say-
It is often asserted that the world has made a great deal of progress since 1776, that we have new
thoughts and new experiences which have given us a great advance over the people of that
day, and that we may therefore very well discard their conclusions for something more modern.
But that reasoning can not be applied to this great charter. If all men are created equal,that is final.
If they are endowed with inalienable rights that is final. If governments derive their just powers
from the consent of the governed, that is final. No advance, no progress can be made beyond
these propositions. If anyone wishes to deny their truth or their soundness, the only direction
in which he can proceed historically is not forward, but backward toward the time when there
was no equality, no rights of the individual, no rule of the people. Those who wish to proceed
in that direction can not lay claim to progress. They are reactionary. Their ideas are not more
modern, but more ancient, than those of the Revolutionary fathers.
Calvin Coolidge
July 5,1926
In our schools children are sent to visit one another within the school and without in various BUDDY
PROGRAMS. They are put in pods or at tables so that they never have a moment in independent space. All of these things are done to do away with that "old idea" of the rugged individual. That would be the individual who thought for himself, the individual with inalienable rights that come from God not the government.
Perhaps to some this seems an extreme view, but is undeniably true that "school reform" is about social change. This social change is collectivist, whatever name you want to put on that. OUR CONSTITUTION needs to be taught to every generation if we are to survive as FREE individuals who run the government not the other way around. Parents look around you and put yourself on the line to protect our freedoms from those who would do away with our CONSTITUTION and replace it with a collectivist state. Learn your history. Travel. I have seen collectivist states up close and personal. If we lose our freedom we may never be able to get it back.
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