I go to most of the many many school board meetings here in Helena (sometimes several a week!!). It can get rather depressing after awhile.The picture the board and school administration like to draw is one of massive family disfunction.Everyone has to work two jobs and they can't have dinner with their kids or afford food.Families just won't do homework with their kids or be involved in their schooling.These families don't even have a kitchen table for the kids to do their homework!! Wow. Do you see why it gets depressing? Then comes Halloween.
Remember I taught for 30 years in Helena-nine of them at Bryant our poorest school.The number of youngsters without a costume (in my class) might amount to about one. The kids had fun and their parents provided them with wigs and makeup and all kinds of wonderful costumes.We would have a parade around the school every year. The parents loved sending treats- I tried to divide treat responsibility so we wouldn't have too much but there was always the parent that sent treats even when it wasn't their turn!This is not the world picture that the liberals NEED to continue and expand their programs- they need the dismal world described above. Our assistant superintendent warned us ominously at the last planning meeting that the "world has changed"- when I tried to nail him down to exactly how it has changed I got no answer.Tonight, Halloween, I see all these youngsters in their costumes- many of them elaborate and home made, all of them with their parents in tow- and I wonder- just how much has the world changed- or how much has the story changed so that government can have the excuse to grow and grow and grow and attempt to take over families?
It occurs to me that it is not about healthy families as much as it is about HEALTHY SCHOOLS. As the election nears we see stories in the newspaper about ELEMENTARY children doing mock voting in school. Their teacher proudly asserts that he told the children what the candidates stood for and then took them to vote. Do you think he presented the Republican views fairly? I really doubt it. Should little children have to be dragged into all of this? The reason they are not of voting age is because they are not ready to UNDERSTAND all of these things. Teach patriotism FIRST and they'll vote when the time comes. These children aren't even being given the precious gift of knowing what their country and their constitution stand for, the precious gift of knowing who their forefathers were and the wonderful smart and courageous things they did to build this wonderful country. They are taught contemporary leftist values and then are told to vote- don't worry about understanding anything- just vote for us. I get it.
At eleven o'clock this morning we saw all the children from our local school going downtown to trick or treat. This is crazy. When I taught we never let the children put on their costumes until after last recess. An hour for parading and eating treats was enough. We actually TAUGHT during the rest of the day. Once the children have those costumes on the academic day is over.WHY GIVE UP ALL THIS TEACHING TIME?? I can tell you why- COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS- another way of saying public relations- getting the business community to buy in so they vote for the right school board members and support all the bonds and levies. COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS are big now- this is taking teaching time away from classrooms. A simple field trip is enrichment- a PARTNERSHIP is intrusive and demanding- this is not teacher choice or curriculum driven- this is REQUIRED by the school administration to pad their friends non- profit pockets and develop connections.
This STORY about how all the kids are starving and must have breakfast,snacks, lunch and dinner along with food sent home for the weekend breaks down at the high school level when they begin assessing fines on the students- fines they apparently can't reverse even if they are in error. One student who parked in an unmarked spot at three o'clock because he was going on the bus to Butte for an activity was fined $10.00 (the standard fine) and it couldn't be reversed- or so the secretary said countermanding the principals order.My, My, we can't afford food but we can pay a weeks worth of breakfasts or lunches made from home to the school when they deem it necessary. Are these HEALTHY SCHOOLS or agenda driven schools that make up the story as it suits them?
The homosexuals in our community are pushing for a non- discrimination ordinance so they can - according to one teacher- TELL STUDENTS ABOUT THEIR SEXUAL PREFERENCES. TEACHERS SHOULD NEVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES TALK TO CHILDREN ABOUT THEIR PRIVATE LIVING ARRANGEMENTS!!DO THEY THINK THESE CHILDREN BELONG TO THEM??
School has become so much about agendas and not school that our gifted and talented program has just gotten a grant for an ORCHARD!! That's right - an ORCHARD!! I asked the gifted and talented administrator to enlighten me as to who would prune the trees and harvest. Is this gifted education- working in the orchards?Our superintendent brushed me off- he didn't want to get "bogged down".
PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAVE LOST THEIR WAY AS THEY TRY TO MEET AGENDAS RATHER THAN CURRICULUM GOALS. You can talk all you want about "collaboration"-and maybe you think picking apples is a lofty academic goal. Maybe you think ALL academic goals should be social. But , the plain truth is that PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE DYING under this tutelage and need to get back to TEACHING THE STUDENTS BASIC INFORMATION AND LOVE OF COUNTRY SO THAT THEY CAN GROW UP WITH LOYALTIES AND KNOWLEDGE THAT WILL ALLOW THEM TO BECOME SUCCESSFUL PARTICIPANTS IN OUR CAPITALIST SOCIETY.
Wednesday 31 October 2012
Saturday 27 October 2012
LIBERALISM IN ITS DEATH THROWS
It is said that you should never swim up to someone who is drowning because they will pull you down with them and you will both drown. Watch out for the Liberals as they are drowning and thrashing,specifically, watch out for COMMON CORE STANDARDS.
I could have entitled this blog- COMMON CORE LIES.Here are just a few of the bloopers.Did you know this is a "states initiative"? Yes indeed," Why would you suspect the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WANTS TO CONTROL YOUR CHILD'S EDUCATION?!!!" Give me a break,the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT thought of this whole mess.Not only did they put the Governor's Associations up to this, they offered MONEY and WAIVERS to get school districts to do it!! They are also FUNDING THE TESTS!!NO ONE is this stupid- the Liberals have been pushing for a national curriculum for at least 50 years- now they want us to believe they are hands off!! They are funding the Smarter Balanced tests for Common Core curriculum despite statutes forbidding the feds from determining curriculum. You see, when the Liberals got their department of Education in 1979 they PROMISED(wink, wink and double fingers crossed behind their backs) that they would NEVER write school curriculum, oh no, this was a states rights issue. So it was put into the law, that under no circumstances would the Federal Government write curriculum.Oh, now what are you thinking? Are you thinking that these power mongers have broken their promise and are lying about it? WELL, YOU ARE RIGHT!!It makes me almost pukishly sick to watch the lies and the dance, as all their mouth pieces rush out to say what they are told to say, "The Federal Government is not involved in this!"
Try to get one of these mouth pieces to explain "higher level thinking skills." The most I can get from them is that the kids are going to determine what the author is thinking . You call that author's point of view and it is certainly not a new reading skill!! Another Common Core lie is that they would never PROPAGANDIZE your children. Oh no!! That would NEVER be their intent. Why haven't I found one piece of curriculum or test question yet that was not full of political agendas?? The latest lesson was on baseball in an internment camp!!
Another big Common Core lie is that this program has been researched and had trials. Get someone to tell you when and where and how it came out. I certainly haven't found any. President Obama even said his Common Core curriculum was implemented and doing very well in many places- how would he know that when the tests won't even be completed until 2014??!!
The Liberals' idea that Government can solve all problems is a total failure,and as they flail and lie, they are drowning with bad ideas and 16 trillion dollars in national debt (going up 2 billion dollars a day!!).Don't go up to these drowning Americans just throw them a life preserver called Mitt Romney and save America with the ideas that built this country from the beginning.We need to throw out the Liberals and THROW OUT THEIR IDEAS- they want to get into your charter,private and home schools by controlling the tests too- don't let them. Our wonderful patriots in Indiana are fighting hard and holding these people accountable. Don't let these drowning Liberals take YOUR state's schools with them as they go down either!!Montana needs to fight too- let the trials go on in Massachusetts and California- if they succeed ( which they will not) there's always time to join-in the mean time Montana can save its' schools, its' children's education and FORTY MILLION DOLLARS- by letting the other states and their mouth pieces drown in this mess.
I could have entitled this blog- COMMON CORE LIES.Here are just a few of the bloopers.Did you know this is a "states initiative"? Yes indeed," Why would you suspect the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WANTS TO CONTROL YOUR CHILD'S EDUCATION?!!!" Give me a break,the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT thought of this whole mess.Not only did they put the Governor's Associations up to this, they offered MONEY and WAIVERS to get school districts to do it!! They are also FUNDING THE TESTS!!NO ONE is this stupid- the Liberals have been pushing for a national curriculum for at least 50 years- now they want us to believe they are hands off!! They are funding the Smarter Balanced tests for Common Core curriculum despite statutes forbidding the feds from determining curriculum. You see, when the Liberals got their department of Education in 1979 they PROMISED(wink, wink and double fingers crossed behind their backs) that they would NEVER write school curriculum, oh no, this was a states rights issue. So it was put into the law, that under no circumstances would the Federal Government write curriculum.Oh, now what are you thinking? Are you thinking that these power mongers have broken their promise and are lying about it? WELL, YOU ARE RIGHT!!It makes me almost pukishly sick to watch the lies and the dance, as all their mouth pieces rush out to say what they are told to say, "The Federal Government is not involved in this!"
Try to get one of these mouth pieces to explain "higher level thinking skills." The most I can get from them is that the kids are going to determine what the author is thinking . You call that author's point of view and it is certainly not a new reading skill!! Another Common Core lie is that they would never PROPAGANDIZE your children. Oh no!! That would NEVER be their intent. Why haven't I found one piece of curriculum or test question yet that was not full of political agendas?? The latest lesson was on baseball in an internment camp!!
Another big Common Core lie is that this program has been researched and had trials. Get someone to tell you when and where and how it came out. I certainly haven't found any. President Obama even said his Common Core curriculum was implemented and doing very well in many places- how would he know that when the tests won't even be completed until 2014??!!
The Liberals' idea that Government can solve all problems is a total failure,and as they flail and lie, they are drowning with bad ideas and 16 trillion dollars in national debt (going up 2 billion dollars a day!!).Don't go up to these drowning Americans just throw them a life preserver called Mitt Romney and save America with the ideas that built this country from the beginning.We need to throw out the Liberals and THROW OUT THEIR IDEAS- they want to get into your charter,private and home schools by controlling the tests too- don't let them. Our wonderful patriots in Indiana are fighting hard and holding these people accountable. Don't let these drowning Liberals take YOUR state's schools with them as they go down either!!Montana needs to fight too- let the trials go on in Massachusetts and California- if they succeed ( which they will not) there's always time to join-in the mean time Montana can save its' schools, its' children's education and FORTY MILLION DOLLARS- by letting the other states and their mouth pieces drown in this mess.
Friday 19 October 2012
YOUNG PARENTS GIVE ME HOPE!!
I was at the Broadwater School planning meeting- townhall- Tuesday night. I looked at the crowd around me- mostly young and many school teachers from Broadwater and I wondered how things would go. What I found out is that the young parents are not as dumb and easily persuadable as our Superintendent might hope. After his lofty introduction about needing new buildings to "teach 21st century skills" one young father raised his hand and asked what the 21st century skills were!! I was cheering inside and gleefully waited for the Superintendent to squirm out of this one. He explained how all the children need to "collaborate" and do research.I'd like to talk to you about collaboration and research.
This young father did not follow up his question- very few people do educational research or know about the history of educational curriculums- but I think he could feel he was being snowed with this "21st century" stuff. Who determines what 21st century skills are? The 21st century skills are determined by socialists who run our school bureaucracy. The 21st century is what they say it is! As I've mentioned on this blog before- no one knows what the next 100 years will bring- this is a manipulation by the socialists to get what they want and shut you up. They hope you will just trust that they have some crystal ball that they look into and that they are "experts" that know the future. OF COURSE THEY DON'T KNOW ANY MORE ABOUT THE FUTURE THAN YOU DO!! The superintendent actually said that all people now work in situations where they have to "collaborate" and "think outside the box". BALONEY. Many more people are working from home today, thereby requiring more of an ability to be self disciplined and able to work on their own than ever before.
The reality is that the socialists have been trying to prepare your children for a socialist world for 50 years. When I was in college "collaboration and creativity" were called FREE SCHOOL. Then it was called THE OPEN SCHOOL. Then it was called COOPERATIVE LEARNING.Today it is called PROJECT LEARNING AND COLLABORATIVE LEARNING.Why do you think they keep changing the name? They change the name because IT NEVER WORKS!!
PROJECT LEARNING in the new national curriculum "Common Core" is a disaster waiting to happen. Projects are fine to REINFORCE LEARNING. They are fun but they take up a lot of time and in no way teach a full curriculum. Self starters will do the work and learn the most- at risk children often learn NOTHING in these projects. What we do know from educational research- and any person who knows curriculum will tell you- DIRECT INSTRUCTION WORKS!! This is the old idea of teachers teaching students with whatever means- power points,white boards, school books etc. EVERYONE LEARNS IN THIS ENVIRONMENT. You teach, you practice and you test. You review, you reinforce, you build upon knowledge. You do redoes with youngsters who need more help and alter practice if that is necessary. EVERYBODY LEARNS!! Christopher Lohsee from the Association of School Chiefs admitted that the KIPP academies that use direct instruction are the most successful in the nation. Teresa Burson, our Helena School District Curriculum director, admitted "Direct Instruction Works". A man named Engleman who developed the Distar series for inner city youth was amazingly successful with his direct instruction curriculums. He was so successful that we later used these curriculums for Developmentally Delayed children. DIRECT INSTRUCTION WORKS.
What the Socialists are now saying to defend their socialist type teaching, that doesn't work- is that students don't need to learn so much knowledge today, and they won't be able to critically think (think outside the box) or " collaborate" with others if they are taught only through direct instruction. I have one name of a movie for them,APOLLO THIRTEEN!! Those astronauts were not taught in the "Project Learning" model- but when an emergency came they had the knowledge and discipline to get the job done- they successfully brought their friends home using a slide rule!!
We do know that there will be ever more technology in our future, but here's the thing-YOU CAN'T DO RESEARCH IF YOU CAN'T READ AND YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND THE RESEARCH IF YOU DON'T HAVE KNOWLEDGE!! I don't know what the 21st century will be anymore than anyone else- but I know this- children raised with personal discipline and morals who are given the opportunity to LEARN THE KNOWLEDGE THEY NEED, will do just fine in the 21st century- whatever that turns out to be. Critical thinking and creativity follow people with the knowledge and personal discipline to work and try- think Edison, Bell,the Wright Brothers,and any other great person who has brought our world forward-they didn't learn in projects. Our founding fathers built a great nation with amazing ideas that still keep us free today- because they had KNOWLEDGE and INTEGRITY.Don't let these jokers fool you.God willing this will never be a socialist nation- and I have some voting advice for all you wonderful young parents- in this next election VOTE FOR THE AMERICANS!!
This young father did not follow up his question- very few people do educational research or know about the history of educational curriculums- but I think he could feel he was being snowed with this "21st century" stuff. Who determines what 21st century skills are? The 21st century skills are determined by socialists who run our school bureaucracy. The 21st century is what they say it is! As I've mentioned on this blog before- no one knows what the next 100 years will bring- this is a manipulation by the socialists to get what they want and shut you up. They hope you will just trust that they have some crystal ball that they look into and that they are "experts" that know the future. OF COURSE THEY DON'T KNOW ANY MORE ABOUT THE FUTURE THAN YOU DO!! The superintendent actually said that all people now work in situations where they have to "collaborate" and "think outside the box". BALONEY. Many more people are working from home today, thereby requiring more of an ability to be self disciplined and able to work on their own than ever before.
The reality is that the socialists have been trying to prepare your children for a socialist world for 50 years. When I was in college "collaboration and creativity" were called FREE SCHOOL. Then it was called THE OPEN SCHOOL. Then it was called COOPERATIVE LEARNING.Today it is called PROJECT LEARNING AND COLLABORATIVE LEARNING.Why do you think they keep changing the name? They change the name because IT NEVER WORKS!!
PROJECT LEARNING in the new national curriculum "Common Core" is a disaster waiting to happen. Projects are fine to REINFORCE LEARNING. They are fun but they take up a lot of time and in no way teach a full curriculum. Self starters will do the work and learn the most- at risk children often learn NOTHING in these projects. What we do know from educational research- and any person who knows curriculum will tell you- DIRECT INSTRUCTION WORKS!! This is the old idea of teachers teaching students with whatever means- power points,white boards, school books etc. EVERYONE LEARNS IN THIS ENVIRONMENT. You teach, you practice and you test. You review, you reinforce, you build upon knowledge. You do redoes with youngsters who need more help and alter practice if that is necessary. EVERYBODY LEARNS!! Christopher Lohsee from the Association of School Chiefs admitted that the KIPP academies that use direct instruction are the most successful in the nation. Teresa Burson, our Helena School District Curriculum director, admitted "Direct Instruction Works". A man named Engleman who developed the Distar series for inner city youth was amazingly successful with his direct instruction curriculums. He was so successful that we later used these curriculums for Developmentally Delayed children. DIRECT INSTRUCTION WORKS.
What the Socialists are now saying to defend their socialist type teaching, that doesn't work- is that students don't need to learn so much knowledge today, and they won't be able to critically think (think outside the box) or " collaborate" with others if they are taught only through direct instruction. I have one name of a movie for them,APOLLO THIRTEEN!! Those astronauts were not taught in the "Project Learning" model- but when an emergency came they had the knowledge and discipline to get the job done- they successfully brought their friends home using a slide rule!!
We do know that there will be ever more technology in our future, but here's the thing-YOU CAN'T DO RESEARCH IF YOU CAN'T READ AND YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND THE RESEARCH IF YOU DON'T HAVE KNOWLEDGE!! I don't know what the 21st century will be anymore than anyone else- but I know this- children raised with personal discipline and morals who are given the opportunity to LEARN THE KNOWLEDGE THEY NEED, will do just fine in the 21st century- whatever that turns out to be. Critical thinking and creativity follow people with the knowledge and personal discipline to work and try- think Edison, Bell,the Wright Brothers,and any other great person who has brought our world forward-they didn't learn in projects. Our founding fathers built a great nation with amazing ideas that still keep us free today- because they had KNOWLEDGE and INTEGRITY.Don't let these jokers fool you.God willing this will never be a socialist nation- and I have some voting advice for all you wonderful young parents- in this next election VOTE FOR THE AMERICANS!!
Tuesday 16 October 2012
A VERY GOOD DAY
I had a very good day on Sunday when I read Governor Romney's position on education in the Daily Caller. The article related that Governor Romney actually thinks schools are a STATE issue!! Finally someone who has read our Constitution!! It gets better- he will more than likely be the next PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!
Governor Romney's position sounded like he had read my post "PLEASE RELEASE US LET US GO!" He is AGAINST FEDERALIZED COMMON CORE STANDARDS AND TESTS!! If states want it they will have to FUND it themselves. He said "TO FINANCIALLY REWARD STATES BASED UPON ACCEPTING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS IDEA OF A CURRICULUM , I THINK IS A MISTAKE. AND THE REASON I SAY THAT IS THAT THERE MAY BE A TIME WHEN THE GOVERNMENT HAS AN AGENDA THAT IT WANTS TO PROMOTE." You think??!! Has Governor Romney heard of preparing global citizens for global governance?? I would guess he has- but in any event- the GOOD NEWS- is that he is not supporting Common Core!
The Daily Caller also reports that Romney minced no words when asked about Federal aid to help the 46 Common Core states pay the costs of implementation ( which is estimated to be upwards of SIXTEEN BILLION DOLLARS!!)He said " They're on their own because education is a state responsibility -and besides, Washington already is SIXTEEN TRILLION DOLLARS in the red and counting."
Governor Romney is for having the money follow the child- what a novel idea- just like in my blog "PLEASE RELEASE US LET US GO!". School choice seems to be the NEW IDEA for America! This is GOOD NEWS!! Now let's see if he follows through or if the subversive left undermines him and is successful in changing his views. They've been so successful at this before- but maybe these times they are a changing and the Socialists won't have the power they have had over previous administrations- maybe- just maybe- we'll be able to thwart their propaganda machine. I'll keep blogging- maybe this GOOD NEWS will be the beginning of LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL in Education- maybe America will take its' place as NUMBER ONE in education in the world-as it has been NUMBER ONE because of its' military might and economy.There's a reason why the whole world is speaking English.
Governor Romney's position sounded like he had read my post "PLEASE RELEASE US LET US GO!" He is AGAINST FEDERALIZED COMMON CORE STANDARDS AND TESTS!! If states want it they will have to FUND it themselves. He said "TO FINANCIALLY REWARD STATES BASED UPON ACCEPTING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS IDEA OF A CURRICULUM , I THINK IS A MISTAKE. AND THE REASON I SAY THAT IS THAT THERE MAY BE A TIME WHEN THE GOVERNMENT HAS AN AGENDA THAT IT WANTS TO PROMOTE." You think??!! Has Governor Romney heard of preparing global citizens for global governance?? I would guess he has- but in any event- the GOOD NEWS- is that he is not supporting Common Core!
The Daily Caller also reports that Romney minced no words when asked about Federal aid to help the 46 Common Core states pay the costs of implementation ( which is estimated to be upwards of SIXTEEN BILLION DOLLARS!!)He said " They're on their own because education is a state responsibility -and besides, Washington already is SIXTEEN TRILLION DOLLARS in the red and counting."
Governor Romney is for having the money follow the child- what a novel idea- just like in my blog "PLEASE RELEASE US LET US GO!". School choice seems to be the NEW IDEA for America! This is GOOD NEWS!! Now let's see if he follows through or if the subversive left undermines him and is successful in changing his views. They've been so successful at this before- but maybe these times they are a changing and the Socialists won't have the power they have had over previous administrations- maybe- just maybe- we'll be able to thwart their propaganda machine. I'll keep blogging- maybe this GOOD NEWS will be the beginning of LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL in Education- maybe America will take its' place as NUMBER ONE in education in the world-as it has been NUMBER ONE because of its' military might and economy.There's a reason why the whole world is speaking English.
Thursday 11 October 2012
THE SOCIALISTS ARE CRASHING
Socialism in school is crashing and burning as it reaches its' most radical edge. I went to a presentation by our curriculum director Teresa Burson on Monday. This was a presentation for teachers, the students were at home not having any instruction at all. The school district will do this for THREE MORE DAYS this year.Apparently it's only important to be in school if a school nurse keeps you there- at the board meeting Tuesday night the school nurses were presenting to get their numbers up and the reason we need more nurses?- " It's important for children to stay in school with their teacher and school nurses can keep kids from being sent home" OH- I thought instruction time just wasn't so important anymore what with FOUR DAYS off of school for teacher meetings EVERY YEAR, and all the other programs that so blithely take students out of class. BUT- back to Teresa. She had some very interesting news about the TESTS that your students will have to complete while only getting part of their education.
You won't believe this one- but it is true-right from the horses mouth as they say.She gave an example of ONE QUESTION from the Common Core tests, don't confuse this with the test, it is ONE of the questions-it will take at least ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY MINUTES to complete!!This is a woman with a masters and she said SHE was overwhelmed with this question! The students will have to read a three page question about a woman who does conservation measures to bring her heating bill down and then finds out that her bill doesn't go down.The students will figure out why her bill didn't go down by doing calculations with given data and then MAKE A PAMPHLET FOR AN ENERGY COMPANY AS AN ADVERTISEMENT EXPLAINING THEIR ANSWER!! Do you think the people that are making these tests, or wrote this curriculum, have traveled throughout the United States to see what children are doing in our schools? How do you think kids in inner cities who don't even have command of the english language will do with this test question? WHAT IS GOING ON?!! I believe the individual who said we are watching the destruction of two hundred years of public education in America is correct.
But why did I say Socialism in school is crashing? Well,for the first one hundred and fifty years or so of public education in America, schools were locally controlled (think the "little red school house").Teachers taught the basic math, reading, spelling and civics and the school board oversaw the process. Gradually, over time, new subjects like music and P.E. and library were added. New teaching techniques and ideas came into being and curriculum companies developed. Then the socialists, starting with John Dewey who thought there shouldn't be anything taught without a social agenda, began to get their claws into the schools. The Federal department of education was a result of that effort. Today, the socialists run our schools, even talk politics like green agendas and voting for Obama, IN SCHOOL.But, as I mentioned and demonstrated above, they are reaching their radical edge, they are crashing and burning.Public schools did well under local control, but today we will have to think of other answers like vouchers or charter schools, because Common Core will not work and our schools have been usurped to the extent of insanity. Let me give you some more examples of Socialist extremism in school.
I was at a cross country meet yesterday. A beautiful fall day and all the parents were enjoying the meet on the green grass of the golf course when students began coming up and asking for MONEY. These students were being used to collect money for a non-profit and their parents were being solicited at a school event.Many non-profits use school children for advertising or collections now IN SCHOOL.I don't think children should have to leave school to work for Food Share. I think charity is a family affair and should never be forced on anyone- certainly not by a government institution that is BEING PAID TO TEACH CHILDREN TO READ.I think this is socialist extremism,but if you don't, here's another example.
I tried to enlighten a school board trustee at the school board retreat about sending home bags of food from Food Share. I told her that parents are reporting to me that their children are coming home with food that they neither need nor want.One mother asked her six year old why she had this food that they did not need.Her child told her that the teacher was picking a different child each week to take the food home.I told the trustee how I remember as a teacher having to find students that needed coats. It was embarrassing. None of the kids needed coats. I went out to the coat rack and tried to find the oldest one. This is socialist extremism- looking for problems that are not there. This is at Bryant school- a Title one school(federally identified as a poverty school). I taught at Bryant for nine years- these children are not starving - just try to get them to finish their lunch!! The response from the trustee was shocking- she held up her hand against me as if fending off an attack and then informed me that I was threatening Marcia Wall's job in her non-profit called Stuff The Bus!! This is a non-profit that provides school supplies- I was confused. What do school supplies have to do with sacks of free food from Food Share? They are both non-profits. Maybe she felt not supporting the idea that children are all in desperate need of financial help to survive would burst the propaganda bubble and threaten ALL non-profits. She went on to tell me that her son knew kids whose parents did drugs and neglected them so they needed the food. SERIOUSLY? A school board trustee who thinks a bag of food is the answer to parental neglect? Not hardly- she should be calling social services immediately.The mind set is mind numbing. If you're still not convinced that socialism in school is crashing and burning I have more for you.
The socialists are now at the extreme of wanting schools to be regional community centers that are open until 8:30 at night and provide dinner as well as homework assistance- schools that take over the role of the family. The stated goal of their early childhood program is to receive children AT BIRTH.They are reaching extremes for the money but also because THEIR PROGRAMS HAVE NEVER WORKED!! Think of the war on poverty in 1965- that's 47 years ago - did it work?
What the attempt to turn America European socialist has done is to make us like them- culturally, morally,and fiscally bankrupt. A once great nation has lost its' way. The socialists are crashing and burning- let's stop them from taking our schools and our kids with them.
You won't believe this one- but it is true-right from the horses mouth as they say.She gave an example of ONE QUESTION from the Common Core tests, don't confuse this with the test, it is ONE of the questions-it will take at least ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY MINUTES to complete!!This is a woman with a masters and she said SHE was overwhelmed with this question! The students will have to read a three page question about a woman who does conservation measures to bring her heating bill down and then finds out that her bill doesn't go down.The students will figure out why her bill didn't go down by doing calculations with given data and then MAKE A PAMPHLET FOR AN ENERGY COMPANY AS AN ADVERTISEMENT EXPLAINING THEIR ANSWER!! Do you think the people that are making these tests, or wrote this curriculum, have traveled throughout the United States to see what children are doing in our schools? How do you think kids in inner cities who don't even have command of the english language will do with this test question? WHAT IS GOING ON?!! I believe the individual who said we are watching the destruction of two hundred years of public education in America is correct.
But why did I say Socialism in school is crashing? Well,for the first one hundred and fifty years or so of public education in America, schools were locally controlled (think the "little red school house").Teachers taught the basic math, reading, spelling and civics and the school board oversaw the process. Gradually, over time, new subjects like music and P.E. and library were added. New teaching techniques and ideas came into being and curriculum companies developed. Then the socialists, starting with John Dewey who thought there shouldn't be anything taught without a social agenda, began to get their claws into the schools. The Federal department of education was a result of that effort. Today, the socialists run our schools, even talk politics like green agendas and voting for Obama, IN SCHOOL.But, as I mentioned and demonstrated above, they are reaching their radical edge, they are crashing and burning.Public schools did well under local control, but today we will have to think of other answers like vouchers or charter schools, because Common Core will not work and our schools have been usurped to the extent of insanity. Let me give you some more examples of Socialist extremism in school.
I was at a cross country meet yesterday. A beautiful fall day and all the parents were enjoying the meet on the green grass of the golf course when students began coming up and asking for MONEY. These students were being used to collect money for a non-profit and their parents were being solicited at a school event.Many non-profits use school children for advertising or collections now IN SCHOOL.I don't think children should have to leave school to work for Food Share. I think charity is a family affair and should never be forced on anyone- certainly not by a government institution that is BEING PAID TO TEACH CHILDREN TO READ.I think this is socialist extremism,but if you don't, here's another example.
I tried to enlighten a school board trustee at the school board retreat about sending home bags of food from Food Share. I told her that parents are reporting to me that their children are coming home with food that they neither need nor want.One mother asked her six year old why she had this food that they did not need.Her child told her that the teacher was picking a different child each week to take the food home.I told the trustee how I remember as a teacher having to find students that needed coats. It was embarrassing. None of the kids needed coats. I went out to the coat rack and tried to find the oldest one. This is socialist extremism- looking for problems that are not there. This is at Bryant school- a Title one school(federally identified as a poverty school). I taught at Bryant for nine years- these children are not starving - just try to get them to finish their lunch!! The response from the trustee was shocking- she held up her hand against me as if fending off an attack and then informed me that I was threatening Marcia Wall's job in her non-profit called Stuff The Bus!! This is a non-profit that provides school supplies- I was confused. What do school supplies have to do with sacks of free food from Food Share? They are both non-profits. Maybe she felt not supporting the idea that children are all in desperate need of financial help to survive would burst the propaganda bubble and threaten ALL non-profits. She went on to tell me that her son knew kids whose parents did drugs and neglected them so they needed the food. SERIOUSLY? A school board trustee who thinks a bag of food is the answer to parental neglect? Not hardly- she should be calling social services immediately.The mind set is mind numbing. If you're still not convinced that socialism in school is crashing and burning I have more for you.
The socialists are now at the extreme of wanting schools to be regional community centers that are open until 8:30 at night and provide dinner as well as homework assistance- schools that take over the role of the family. The stated goal of their early childhood program is to receive children AT BIRTH.They are reaching extremes for the money but also because THEIR PROGRAMS HAVE NEVER WORKED!! Think of the war on poverty in 1965- that's 47 years ago - did it work?
What the attempt to turn America European socialist has done is to make us like them- culturally, morally,and fiscally bankrupt. A once great nation has lost its' way. The socialists are crashing and burning- let's stop them from taking our schools and our kids with them.
Thursday 4 October 2012
Elections Have Consequences
Sitting at the Helena School Board Retreat Tuesday morning I watched as Trustee Cherche Prezeau stated her position that she wants regional community centers that are open until 8:30 at night,instead of the neighborhood schools that we now have in Helena.If Trustee Prezeau was going to pay for these centers herself and then spend her time volunteering there and organizing other volunteers this would still be a very bad idea, but at least you could respect her for being a caring and dedicated person. What is REALLY distasteful is that this individual seems to think of herself as a caring individual while using her position to FORCE YOU TO PAY FOR IT!! Kind of like her oh so righteous position on forcing our School District health plan to accept partners who are not legally married. Trustee Prezeau is not on this horrible health plan and she does not have to pay for it, or suffer the consequences of what she did to the health care and costs of the people on the plan.
The idea behind regional community centers is to turn our school buildings into "one stop shopping" for all social needs, not only of the school children, but also for the community at large. This would be not only for those who are not school age, but also for those who don't even have school age children in the household. HOW DOES THIS PLAY OUT FOR OUR SCHOOLS??
First of all, it takes the primary, and certainly the only reason we build and staff schools, that of EDUCATION FOR OUR SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN,and establishes EDUCATION as only an adjunct to other tasks that will be involved at the location, the former SCHOOL BUILDING.In that transformation it moves the EDUCATION of our children out of the primary role of the location, to a department within the building.To illustrate this concept, think of a building which is made up of different departments, which shares the same resource, the children.In a manner this is already happening. The Helena Education system now allows access to the children by numerous non-profit(and FOR PROFIT) entities. These entities such as Big Brothers Big Sisters or Food Share depend on "head count" for their funding-the schools are a goldmine for them.The students time is shared at the expense of their classroom learning time. As a teacher I remember having to give up students and class time almost constantly. The non-profits took precedence over teachers and teaching.
Now, Trustee Prezeau and others such as Trustee O'Neil (State president of AWARE - a non-profit umbrella organization for Youth Connections and Head Start) want to double down on depleting education time by making the former school, a location where non-profits RESIDE. These non-profits have the authority to come into classrooms and pull individual students or whole classes away from their education, to serve whatever need the non-profit has to enhance their own funding stream.
If you want your child's education to be a "department" within the "building" that will be haunted by non-profits trolling for headcount, then you want the "regional community center" concept.If you want "schools" which take children in the early morning hours and keep them until bedtime, completely replacing the family, with education being a "catch as catch can" proposition,"schools" that share building space and children with "favored" non-profits, then regional community centers are for you. If you want your "schools" to have to bulk up security for 14-16 hours of the day, because with the presence of the non-profits you get people wandering in looking for "services", then this is your program.
However, if you want EDUCATION to be the reason you have a "school" building, and the reason these buildings have earned the position as the number one item on your property tax bill, then you need to ask the school board you voted for why they want millions more DOLLARS to construct new larger buildings to house offices and activities that rob our children of their EDUCATION.
Elections have consequences. Get involved, get people elected to your school board that have common sense and the interests of you and your children's EDUCATION at heart, instead of socialist ideological agendas that support outside interests and their money chasing goals.
The idea behind regional community centers is to turn our school buildings into "one stop shopping" for all social needs, not only of the school children, but also for the community at large. This would be not only for those who are not school age, but also for those who don't even have school age children in the household. HOW DOES THIS PLAY OUT FOR OUR SCHOOLS??
First of all, it takes the primary, and certainly the only reason we build and staff schools, that of EDUCATION FOR OUR SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN,and establishes EDUCATION as only an adjunct to other tasks that will be involved at the location, the former SCHOOL BUILDING.In that transformation it moves the EDUCATION of our children out of the primary role of the location, to a department within the building.To illustrate this concept, think of a building which is made up of different departments, which shares the same resource, the children.In a manner this is already happening. The Helena Education system now allows access to the children by numerous non-profit(and FOR PROFIT) entities. These entities such as Big Brothers Big Sisters or Food Share depend on "head count" for their funding-the schools are a goldmine for them.The students time is shared at the expense of their classroom learning time. As a teacher I remember having to give up students and class time almost constantly. The non-profits took precedence over teachers and teaching.
Now, Trustee Prezeau and others such as Trustee O'Neil (State president of AWARE - a non-profit umbrella organization for Youth Connections and Head Start) want to double down on depleting education time by making the former school, a location where non-profits RESIDE. These non-profits have the authority to come into classrooms and pull individual students or whole classes away from their education, to serve whatever need the non-profit has to enhance their own funding stream.
If you want your child's education to be a "department" within the "building" that will be haunted by non-profits trolling for headcount, then you want the "regional community center" concept.If you want "schools" which take children in the early morning hours and keep them until bedtime, completely replacing the family, with education being a "catch as catch can" proposition,"schools" that share building space and children with "favored" non-profits, then regional community centers are for you. If you want your "schools" to have to bulk up security for 14-16 hours of the day, because with the presence of the non-profits you get people wandering in looking for "services", then this is your program.
However, if you want EDUCATION to be the reason you have a "school" building, and the reason these buildings have earned the position as the number one item on your property tax bill, then you need to ask the school board you voted for why they want millions more DOLLARS to construct new larger buildings to house offices and activities that rob our children of their EDUCATION.
Elections have consequences. Get involved, get people elected to your school board that have common sense and the interests of you and your children's EDUCATION at heart, instead of socialist ideological agendas that support outside interests and their money chasing goals.
Monday 1 October 2012
I WAS NEVER TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Why wasn't I ever teacher of the year? Was it because I wasn't a good teacher?NO.I lived my job. I rarely was in the teachers lounge ( one principal criticized me for this!!)I ate lunch with my students- this was a great time to catch up on redoes. No student failed in my class- I never had a "dumb" student. We worked hard all the time and we believed in ourselves.I didn't like the DARE program and when students wanted to talk about drugs and the police I told them you don't need to worry about that 1) Drugs are illegal 2) YOU AREN'T DOING IT!! 3) We have math to do- and THAT you need to do because you are going to college. Not all my kids went to college, but I don't know of any that went to jail either. So what makes a teacher of the year? Not liking the DARE program didn't help me- I didn't like the Buddy program or the Artist in Residency program either- I was just a problem- someone who just cared a lot about kids and knew childhood was short and there was lots to learn. Children need quiet and constancy to focus-they don't learn well in a circus environment.So maybe the Teacher of The Year just plays the game a little better- praises what they are supposed to praise and doesn't criticize what they are supposed to support.That would never be me.
My husband and I just went to a really GREAT movie- it's called WON'T BACK DOWN. I read the reviews before we went, I knew it was a movie about a mother and a teacher that changed a failing school,so when it was bashed as the most AWFUL movie and that it bashed unions and was antilabor,I knew I wanted to see this movie. Viola Davis does an outstanding job playing a mom and a teacher- a real tear jerker! The whole movie was just outstanding. I've been in these wars for a while but even I am somewhat shocked that the press would cannibalize such an outstanding movie- that they really are that blatantly unfair. WOW. This movie was just heart felt about kids in failing schools and parents that don't have the money to make other choices. It doesn't union bash- just shows the truth. The union cares about one thing- teacher salaries ( and their cut of that). They sit in ivory tower offices and KNOW that schools are failing and kids are getting hurt, but they will defend the public school irregardless. Everyone should go and see this movie- it's moving and real and an excellent movie.
So what is really happening in our public schools? They're being taken over (or as Rick Santorum told me- already HAVE BEEN TAKEN OVER by the radical left.) Who is the radical left and how is this happening? What will this mean for America and your children? We'll start with the first question. Our schools are being taken over by the Common Core Curriculum which strives to set up regional boards that will control our local districts and will answer to international authorities at the U.N.(global governance). There will be federal tracking of students and a leveling of all schools to one low national standard by redistribution of funds among school districts.David Coleman ( Common Core Architect) has had himself appointed president of the SAT board, giving him control over tests for college, so even home schools and private schools will have to teach his garbage (or at least that's his plan).
So, who is the radical left and how are they trying to make YOUR CHILD a citizen of the new Global Governance? According to Accuracy in Media Linda Darling-Hammond a radical left-wing educator and close colleague of "Bill" Ayers, the former leader of the communist terrorist weather underground and friend of Obama's, is in de facto control of writing the Common Core Standards. Bill Ayer's is on record as being at the White House during the time Common Core was developing. Bill is now retired from his job as professor of education at the University of Illinois but he is showing up as a speaker with Arne Duncan (Secretary of Education) and Martha Canter (U.S. undersecretary of education) at places like the Renaissance Group.Ayers was a major speaker at a conference with Achieve Inc., the project manager of Common Core.Stephen Diamond, a social democrat, calls Ayers a "neo-stalinist" in line with Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez. Ayers spoke across Venezuela on education saying that education was the "motor force of revolution." According to Diamond, Neo-Stalinism is an "authoritarian form of politics which attempts to control and build social institutions to impose state control of the economy,politics,and culture on the general population".
What is in the Common Core Curriculum? In the tradition of John Dewey ( who believed NOTHING in education should be taught for its own subject- everything should be taught to change social attitudes),multiple "perspectives" and "critical thinking" are emphasized over the accumulation of "facts".Common Core advertises itself as promoting "skills" rather than content. The skills though, do not promise to make students more knowledgeable about literature or history, but to make them "critical thinkers" in the tradition of the radical curriculum writers who are selectively critical of the U.S. and the west.Students will not read full text, thereby accommodating slower students, students will have "supplementary opportunities" to read full text. They will read documents like the Declaration of Independence in a manner that downplays their significance. Overall students will be losing a sense of national and cultural heritage as all documents are read in the same detached way.Geometry will be taught by an experimental method that was tested on Soviet math prodigies in the 1950's - and failed. Students will learn in groups so that all outcomes will be about the same. This is not a rigorous curriculum, this is a dumbed down curriculum with a revolutionary social agenda behind it.
I guess I never was chosen as "Teacher of the Year" because I just wasn't going to go along with this agenda. It's not fun being the watch dog, but as long as that is what I have to do I will do it. I love my country and all the children in it, and they are far more important to me than being "Teacher of the Year". I sleep better at night too. Go see that movie.
My husband and I just went to a really GREAT movie- it's called WON'T BACK DOWN. I read the reviews before we went, I knew it was a movie about a mother and a teacher that changed a failing school,so when it was bashed as the most AWFUL movie and that it bashed unions and was antilabor,I knew I wanted to see this movie. Viola Davis does an outstanding job playing a mom and a teacher- a real tear jerker! The whole movie was just outstanding. I've been in these wars for a while but even I am somewhat shocked that the press would cannibalize such an outstanding movie- that they really are that blatantly unfair. WOW. This movie was just heart felt about kids in failing schools and parents that don't have the money to make other choices. It doesn't union bash- just shows the truth. The union cares about one thing- teacher salaries ( and their cut of that). They sit in ivory tower offices and KNOW that schools are failing and kids are getting hurt, but they will defend the public school irregardless. Everyone should go and see this movie- it's moving and real and an excellent movie.
So what is really happening in our public schools? They're being taken over (or as Rick Santorum told me- already HAVE BEEN TAKEN OVER by the radical left.) Who is the radical left and how is this happening? What will this mean for America and your children? We'll start with the first question. Our schools are being taken over by the Common Core Curriculum which strives to set up regional boards that will control our local districts and will answer to international authorities at the U.N.(global governance). There will be federal tracking of students and a leveling of all schools to one low national standard by redistribution of funds among school districts.David Coleman ( Common Core Architect) has had himself appointed president of the SAT board, giving him control over tests for college, so even home schools and private schools will have to teach his garbage (or at least that's his plan).
So, who is the radical left and how are they trying to make YOUR CHILD a citizen of the new Global Governance? According to Accuracy in Media Linda Darling-Hammond a radical left-wing educator and close colleague of "Bill" Ayers, the former leader of the communist terrorist weather underground and friend of Obama's, is in de facto control of writing the Common Core Standards. Bill Ayer's is on record as being at the White House during the time Common Core was developing. Bill is now retired from his job as professor of education at the University of Illinois but he is showing up as a speaker with Arne Duncan (Secretary of Education) and Martha Canter (U.S. undersecretary of education) at places like the Renaissance Group.Ayers was a major speaker at a conference with Achieve Inc., the project manager of Common Core.Stephen Diamond, a social democrat, calls Ayers a "neo-stalinist" in line with Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez. Ayers spoke across Venezuela on education saying that education was the "motor force of revolution." According to Diamond, Neo-Stalinism is an "authoritarian form of politics which attempts to control and build social institutions to impose state control of the economy,politics,and culture on the general population".
What is in the Common Core Curriculum? In the tradition of John Dewey ( who believed NOTHING in education should be taught for its own subject- everything should be taught to change social attitudes),multiple "perspectives" and "critical thinking" are emphasized over the accumulation of "facts".Common Core advertises itself as promoting "skills" rather than content. The skills though, do not promise to make students more knowledgeable about literature or history, but to make them "critical thinkers" in the tradition of the radical curriculum writers who are selectively critical of the U.S. and the west.Students will not read full text, thereby accommodating slower students, students will have "supplementary opportunities" to read full text. They will read documents like the Declaration of Independence in a manner that downplays their significance. Overall students will be losing a sense of national and cultural heritage as all documents are read in the same detached way.Geometry will be taught by an experimental method that was tested on Soviet math prodigies in the 1950's - and failed. Students will learn in groups so that all outcomes will be about the same. This is not a rigorous curriculum, this is a dumbed down curriculum with a revolutionary social agenda behind it.
I guess I never was chosen as "Teacher of the Year" because I just wasn't going to go along with this agenda. It's not fun being the watch dog, but as long as that is what I have to do I will do it. I love my country and all the children in it, and they are far more important to me than being "Teacher of the Year". I sleep better at night too. Go see that movie.
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