One public speaker protesting the new national curriculum, "Common Core", pointed out that " The loudest lessons of the day are echoes of the past".
Common Core strives to greatly diminish the teaching of the ECHOES OF THE PAST by eliminating a great deal of the traditional literature that is taught in English classes and replacing it with "Informational Text". Suggested readings of informational text are things like articles on global warming or the new health care act.
Society weeds out bad literature and hangs on to great literature forever. What ECHOES OF THE PAST are learned in the SCARLET LETTER or MOBY DICK or ROMEO AND JULIET or TOM SAWYER or DAVID COPPERFIELD to name a few? Humanity, good and bad, is exposed in these books. Children learn about mistakes of the past and triumphs. I believe there are people on the liberal left that know that a culture that does not learn its history will cease to exist and this is exactly what they hope to achieve here. What progressive WHIM do they propose to replace our WESTERN HERITAGE with? The progressive movement, based purely on ideology and no real research or proof of any kind, is proposing to destroy our country and our culture even further. They will turn all of us into Detroit if they are not stopped.
The good news is that the left and the right are coming together now on so many issues. Stopping the NSA from wire tapping is one of the issues, stopping the Justice Department from intimidating reporters and their sources is another.Another issue that both the left and the right can agree on is preserving literature in English classes. I go to many Helena School District board meetings and other related meetings. I was at one the other night that really surprised me. Many liberals that I might disagree with on other issues, stood up for history.
We had a meeting about our Central School, the oldest school in Helena. The school board wants to tear this building down. Liberals from the Historical Society to the Historical Preservation Society to just parents spoke eloquently about why history is important.One mother particularly impressed me when she talked about her own experiences in school. She said she went to a new elementary school and middle school. These schools did not impress her- just the teachers. She went to an historical high school and this really did impress her. This school had HISTORY. She was proud to go to that school and to carry on its traditions and heritage. That's what it's about, THE ECHOES OF THE PAST, that's what conservatives have been trying to say-save our traditions, our heritage and our history. Teach the ECHOES OF THE PAST to future generations.
Liberals often think that teaching children to love their country by teaching its history is teaching war. I completely disagree. Teaching children to love their country and about the brave and wonderful people of the past is teaching them pride and respect. The ECHOES OF THE PAST give the children the pride and the courage to believe in themselves and go forward with integrity- knowing that they represent something bigger than themselves.
I went to my hairdresser the other day. This woman has very cogent understandings. I've gone to her for twenty five years- and though she never spent a day in college, she has shown herself to me to be very wise. Perhaps it's not just her common sense- it's all the people that share their lives and experiences with her everyday. I had her son in third grade and the other day when I said to her that the most important things I taught my students were self respect and the work ethic she looked at me and said quietly "You taught them one other thing". I asked "Oh, what was that?" and she told me what I knew- "You taught them to love their country". Yes, I did. Honor, courage and determination come from knowing who you are- from your family and your heritage.
Many people deride that the English hang on to their monarchy, their Royal heritage. The new Prince George was born the other day and people turned out in the street in mobs. The Monarchy, I believe, makes Britain special. It makes it special because it has history and heritage in its monarchy.Dignity, respect, honor, knowing the right way to behave come from your history. Young people who have no sense of history have lost those reasons to act with pride and perseverance.
People who vote with no sense of history may vote only for their self interest. People who know their history and have pride in it may vote for the good of their country. Bless and preserve those ECHOES FROM THE PAST - do not let them be replaced with progressive WHIMS that will fail and destroy as they have done in Detroit.
Thursday, 25 July 2013
Saturday, 20 July 2013
HOW DO YOU RAISE A PUNK?
Attitudes are taught. Our schools talk a lot about teaching respect- but are they teaching respect really? True respect means I respect others- I don't resent them- I do not expect to pick their pocket to pay for me. Respect for myself means I believe I am capable of caring for myself. Most of us grew up poor and we never even knew we were poor. My mother made my lunches with left overs like meat loaf sandwiches. We could never afford snacks- she made home made cookies for us- we didn't ever buy potato chips or Twinkles. Think about the thrift and personal responsibility I learned from that. Today-implicitly in our culture and in our schools- we are teaching children that they have a RIGHT to things they can't afford. What kind of respect is this teaching them?
Resentment ruins people.Resentment does not earn me a living it just makes me angry and destructive of myself and others. People who believe they can do better on their own will do better on their own. In America today- even with all the destruction the liberals have foisted upon our economy- there is still opportunity. But you can not access this opportunity if you are a punk. Punks don't believe they need to get up early and follow direction- they think they have a right to things they did not work for. In our Alternative High Schools in many places- students are allowed to start school at 11:30 in the morning!! What kind of work ethic is this teaching? I'm sure if you questioned the adults in charge of these schools they would tell you that the late start keeps some kids in school and this is better than them dropping out. Really? What are they being prepared to do and who is really gaining here? Perhaps the school is gaining because they continue to get their ANB money and federal grants that they would lose if the student dropped out.
What do Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton get by trumping up racial tension every chance they get? They get support for their non profits and support for the Democrat party that keeps the money flowing to them. But what do the kids get? The kids inherit the attitude that I can bash someones head in if I want to because they deserve it and I am a victim.That's how you raise a punk. You don't teach respect and family honor you teach kids to hate and destroy. Charles Paine is a Black man who was raised poor by his mother- he became a stock broker and is a wealthy man today who works for Fox News. It's all in the attitude- he carried a brief case to school and believed he would be a business man someday- and he is.
As a teacher I love all children- every child is a miracle to me. I retired because I couldn't participate in the destruction of children right before my eyes. The most important thing I ever taught was self respect and the work ethic. Every child I ever had that was a discipline problem or was struggling in school I attempted to turn around by setting goals for them. I would ask them, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"- maybe they did say a major league ball player- but how many of us built a life striving for something we didn't get but we got something else that was pretty good because we worked hard? I love my country and I love the children that will make this country work- I write this blog because I will not sit idly by and watch this country and its children being destroyed.
Resentment ruins people.Resentment does not earn me a living it just makes me angry and destructive of myself and others. People who believe they can do better on their own will do better on their own. In America today- even with all the destruction the liberals have foisted upon our economy- there is still opportunity. But you can not access this opportunity if you are a punk. Punks don't believe they need to get up early and follow direction- they think they have a right to things they did not work for. In our Alternative High Schools in many places- students are allowed to start school at 11:30 in the morning!! What kind of work ethic is this teaching? I'm sure if you questioned the adults in charge of these schools they would tell you that the late start keeps some kids in school and this is better than them dropping out. Really? What are they being prepared to do and who is really gaining here? Perhaps the school is gaining because they continue to get their ANB money and federal grants that they would lose if the student dropped out.
What do Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton get by trumping up racial tension every chance they get? They get support for their non profits and support for the Democrat party that keeps the money flowing to them. But what do the kids get? The kids inherit the attitude that I can bash someones head in if I want to because they deserve it and I am a victim.That's how you raise a punk. You don't teach respect and family honor you teach kids to hate and destroy. Charles Paine is a Black man who was raised poor by his mother- he became a stock broker and is a wealthy man today who works for Fox News. It's all in the attitude- he carried a brief case to school and believed he would be a business man someday- and he is.
As a teacher I love all children- every child is a miracle to me. I retired because I couldn't participate in the destruction of children right before my eyes. The most important thing I ever taught was self respect and the work ethic. Every child I ever had that was a discipline problem or was struggling in school I attempted to turn around by setting goals for them. I would ask them, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"- maybe they did say a major league ball player- but how many of us built a life striving for something we didn't get but we got something else that was pretty good because we worked hard? I love my country and I love the children that will make this country work- I write this blog because I will not sit idly by and watch this country and its children being destroyed.
Friday, 12 July 2013
MEN IN PINK TUTUS ON TELEVISION
There was a time when teachers commanded some moral authority in the community. When I first started teaching in 1975 it was frowned upon for teachers to frequent the bars. I joined the Helena Chorale and our superintendent made a point to tell me that this was a good representation in the community. What kind of moral authority do teachers represent to their students today?
Last night I happened upon the Fox News O'Reilly show, which I almost never watch- but there was a man in a pink tutu at a transgender parade "for fun" on Coney Island in New York. When the reporter asked the man in the pink tutu what he did for a living he told him, appallingly, that he was a teacher!! Not only was this teacher bold enough to wear a pink tutu in a transgender parade, he made sure he was on television for millions to see!! I wonder what message he was trying to send to his students and their parents?I wonder what respect he expected his students to have for him after this display? It got worse when the reporter asked him if he liked his country, he said that he did not. Do our parents and tax payers have a right to expect the teachers they pay to support the government that is paying their salaries? What exactly do the parents of these young children have a right to expect? Is there any rule of conduct at all?
In Helena we try almost every election cycle to get some representation on the school board of a more conservative voice- and we routinely lose.The unions seem to control the vote- and they support the people that will guarantee the status quo in their financial arrangements PERIOD. If you think there is nothing you can do about this deterioration in our schools you are wrong. Who you vote for makes all the difference. The ACLU is only able to bring its reign of terror down on America because we let it. Judges are elected in some cases and appointed in others. The appointed judges have to be approved by the people you vote for- Senators. You can change America by voting for people with common sense that will give our children decent moral representation. I am not saying that things will change over night- this mess has been a long time coming and will take a while to change- but the American people can change it if they want to. IT IS INCUMBENT UPON THE ADULT CITIZENS OF THESE UNITED STATES TO OFFER OUR YOUTH LEADERSHIP. Children deserve to be taught about the greatness of this nation and the morality that will give them the chance to climb the ladder of success and achieve greatness themselves.Our children have the right to grow up free from being sexualized at an early age by the media or their teachers. They have a right to grow up with morals and decency that will help them to live a good life.They have a right to a good education without being taught special interest agendas. I hope every one of you will think of our children and the leadership they deserve when you vote and when you talk to your neighbors. Our children and our country deserve better than what we are doing today.
Last night I happened upon the Fox News O'Reilly show, which I almost never watch- but there was a man in a pink tutu at a transgender parade "for fun" on Coney Island in New York. When the reporter asked the man in the pink tutu what he did for a living he told him, appallingly, that he was a teacher!! Not only was this teacher bold enough to wear a pink tutu in a transgender parade, he made sure he was on television for millions to see!! I wonder what message he was trying to send to his students and their parents?I wonder what respect he expected his students to have for him after this display? It got worse when the reporter asked him if he liked his country, he said that he did not. Do our parents and tax payers have a right to expect the teachers they pay to support the government that is paying their salaries? What exactly do the parents of these young children have a right to expect? Is there any rule of conduct at all?
In Helena we try almost every election cycle to get some representation on the school board of a more conservative voice- and we routinely lose.The unions seem to control the vote- and they support the people that will guarantee the status quo in their financial arrangements PERIOD. If you think there is nothing you can do about this deterioration in our schools you are wrong. Who you vote for makes all the difference. The ACLU is only able to bring its reign of terror down on America because we let it. Judges are elected in some cases and appointed in others. The appointed judges have to be approved by the people you vote for- Senators. You can change America by voting for people with common sense that will give our children decent moral representation. I am not saying that things will change over night- this mess has been a long time coming and will take a while to change- but the American people can change it if they want to. IT IS INCUMBENT UPON THE ADULT CITIZENS OF THESE UNITED STATES TO OFFER OUR YOUTH LEADERSHIP. Children deserve to be taught about the greatness of this nation and the morality that will give them the chance to climb the ladder of success and achieve greatness themselves.Our children have the right to grow up free from being sexualized at an early age by the media or their teachers. They have a right to grow up with morals and decency that will help them to live a good life.They have a right to a good education without being taught special interest agendas. I hope every one of you will think of our children and the leadership they deserve when you vote and when you talk to your neighbors. Our children and our country deserve better than what we are doing today.
Wednesday, 3 July 2013
COMMON CORE TYRANNY
As this country speeds down the highway to tyranny many of our "citizens" see no problem with the tyrannical government that is being formed.These are not citizens of our founding, they are citizens of the "world"- or put another way- citizens of the socialist world government being established by the United Nations. Most of these "citizens" think they are "American Citizens" - they do not even know what they are promoting and voting for.The courts can give citizenship papers to many people- but this does not mean that they are truly believers in this country and what it stands for- they just get the right to vote. This country is in a pitched civil war between the citizens of the founders and those who would destroy all that this country is and was founded to be.
The citizens of tyranny are happy to use tyrannical methods. These "citizens" do not respect freedom of information or representative government. It is so much easier to just use boards, committees and regulations to get what they want instead of having to rely on debate and freedom of information and votes of elected representatives. Let's look at how the Common Core National Curriculum was jammed down the throats of three hundred million Americans.
David Coleman, who may know a lot about how to manipulate a huge corrupt government for his own financial gain, is in fact, not a teacher, and knows nothing about writing curriculum. David got private money from the Gates Foundation (micro soft signed an agreement with UNESCO in 2004 to support global education) and The Charles Johnson Foundation among others, and created Achieve, a private company that wrote Common Core and had it COPYRIGHTED!! No freedom of information, no sunshine laws, were required for Achieve to write this curriculum for the entire nation.No debates, no votes, no speeches on the floor of the Senate or House were required. There was no need for research or data to support their spectacular claims. They claim that Common Core was internationally benchmarked but they have no evidence of any such testing comparisons.They claim that this curriculum will make students "college and career ready" and yet they have no research to back up such claims.They simply did what they wanted and said what they wanted with no responsibility to the law or the public. As Sandra Stotsky, who has a PhD in English Language Arts, points out- there was no clarification of "higher level thinking skills"- she asks "higher than what?" and points out that naturally children would need some amount of cumulative knowledge to think at higher levels in any case.The Common Core writers claim children will be "critical" thinkers- Sandra asks "critical of what?". And in what way will taking information out of the curriculum or replacing literature with informational text in English classes make children more ready for college? There is no research to back up any of these claims.
The Common Core tyrants formed a committee to "analyze" the Common Core curriculum.They chose 135 people for that committee. It is reported that the number of bureaucrats to experts was sixty to one!! They had only one English Language Arts expert, Sandra Stotsky, and she refused to sign off.They had one mathematics expert, James Milgram, and he also refused to sign off on the Common Core curriculum.Both of these experts wrote letters explaining their objections to Common Core and they were not submitted with the Common Core document - they disappeared!! People on the committee report, what those of us in education have lived since the Federal Government took over education in the early nineties, that they were directed, their opinions and expertise were ignored. Is this tyranny? You be the judge.
Our founders, if you read the discussions at the constitutional convention, were afraid of just this kind of thing happening, our country losing the protections in the constitution by authority being given to outside entities. After this rancid document was pushed through, the people with the copyright went to states and got their Offices of Public Instruction to "recommend" that the State Boards of Education mandate Common Core curriculum throughout their states. How did they get them to do this? They were talking from the Federal Government- even offering MONEY and waivers from NO Child Left Behind ( most of the states were in danger of having schools closed because they couldn't pass the No Child Left Behind tests).So, forty-six states mandated Common Core with the vote of nine people, who in most cases, are appointed- not elected. In most cases these State Boards had not even read the document(in many cases the standards weren't even written yet)- not that they would probably even have understood what they were reading- these people are appointed to go with the flow- not to be experts in the field or even to THINK. State Boards have ASSUMED the right to mandate curriculum- they were established to enforce the law- make sure teachers were accredited and schools had accredited curriculums and so on- to regulate- not to MAKE LAW, NOT TO MANDATE CURRICULUMS!!REGULATORY AGENCIES ARE BEING USED TO TYRANNICALLY MAKE LAW!!
This is what TYRANNY is- don't ask questions just do it, no laws no protections- just do what you are told because we told you to and we have the power. Is this what you want your America to be? Our children are our future and they are being indoctrinated in school more and more. What kind of America are they being taught to believe in- to protect and die for- to be loyal to? The people that support these efforts ( the people who actually understand what they are doing) are not citizens of the founding, they are global socialists that would take our constitution away from us and have us live under totalitarian socialism. On this Fourth of July we are fighting for the very existence of our country. Get involved- contact your elected officials- get the word out - vote- fight for your country or you will live under a dictatorship. Constitutions don't mean anything if they aren't enforced. Common Core must be stopped- and every attempt to control the population in these unconstitutional ways must be stopped. AMERICA!!! FIGHT FOR YOUR COUNTRY!!!
The citizens of tyranny are happy to use tyrannical methods. These "citizens" do not respect freedom of information or representative government. It is so much easier to just use boards, committees and regulations to get what they want instead of having to rely on debate and freedom of information and votes of elected representatives. Let's look at how the Common Core National Curriculum was jammed down the throats of three hundred million Americans.
David Coleman, who may know a lot about how to manipulate a huge corrupt government for his own financial gain, is in fact, not a teacher, and knows nothing about writing curriculum. David got private money from the Gates Foundation (micro soft signed an agreement with UNESCO in 2004 to support global education) and The Charles Johnson Foundation among others, and created Achieve, a private company that wrote Common Core and had it COPYRIGHTED!! No freedom of information, no sunshine laws, were required for Achieve to write this curriculum for the entire nation.No debates, no votes, no speeches on the floor of the Senate or House were required. There was no need for research or data to support their spectacular claims. They claim that Common Core was internationally benchmarked but they have no evidence of any such testing comparisons.They claim that this curriculum will make students "college and career ready" and yet they have no research to back up such claims.They simply did what they wanted and said what they wanted with no responsibility to the law or the public. As Sandra Stotsky, who has a PhD in English Language Arts, points out- there was no clarification of "higher level thinking skills"- she asks "higher than what?" and points out that naturally children would need some amount of cumulative knowledge to think at higher levels in any case.The Common Core writers claim children will be "critical" thinkers- Sandra asks "critical of what?". And in what way will taking information out of the curriculum or replacing literature with informational text in English classes make children more ready for college? There is no research to back up any of these claims.
The Common Core tyrants formed a committee to "analyze" the Common Core curriculum.They chose 135 people for that committee. It is reported that the number of bureaucrats to experts was sixty to one!! They had only one English Language Arts expert, Sandra Stotsky, and she refused to sign off.They had one mathematics expert, James Milgram, and he also refused to sign off on the Common Core curriculum.Both of these experts wrote letters explaining their objections to Common Core and they were not submitted with the Common Core document - they disappeared!! People on the committee report, what those of us in education have lived since the Federal Government took over education in the early nineties, that they were directed, their opinions and expertise were ignored. Is this tyranny? You be the judge.
Our founders, if you read the discussions at the constitutional convention, were afraid of just this kind of thing happening, our country losing the protections in the constitution by authority being given to outside entities. After this rancid document was pushed through, the people with the copyright went to states and got their Offices of Public Instruction to "recommend" that the State Boards of Education mandate Common Core curriculum throughout their states. How did they get them to do this? They were talking from the Federal Government- even offering MONEY and waivers from NO Child Left Behind ( most of the states were in danger of having schools closed because they couldn't pass the No Child Left Behind tests).So, forty-six states mandated Common Core with the vote of nine people, who in most cases, are appointed- not elected. In most cases these State Boards had not even read the document(in many cases the standards weren't even written yet)- not that they would probably even have understood what they were reading- these people are appointed to go with the flow- not to be experts in the field or even to THINK. State Boards have ASSUMED the right to mandate curriculum- they were established to enforce the law- make sure teachers were accredited and schools had accredited curriculums and so on- to regulate- not to MAKE LAW, NOT TO MANDATE CURRICULUMS!!REGULATORY AGENCIES ARE BEING USED TO TYRANNICALLY MAKE LAW!!
This is what TYRANNY is- don't ask questions just do it, no laws no protections- just do what you are told because we told you to and we have the power. Is this what you want your America to be? Our children are our future and they are being indoctrinated in school more and more. What kind of America are they being taught to believe in- to protect and die for- to be loyal to? The people that support these efforts ( the people who actually understand what they are doing) are not citizens of the founding, they are global socialists that would take our constitution away from us and have us live under totalitarian socialism. On this Fourth of July we are fighting for the very existence of our country. Get involved- contact your elected officials- get the word out - vote- fight for your country or you will live under a dictatorship. Constitutions don't mean anything if they aren't enforced. Common Core must be stopped- and every attempt to control the population in these unconstitutional ways must be stopped. AMERICA!!! FIGHT FOR YOUR COUNTRY!!!
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