Deliberate Dumbing Down of America Public Education

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Unless the U.S. can keep pace, the report contends, its “position as a leader of tech nology and competitor for world markets will be severely threatened.”

Cooperative Efforts Only cooperative efforts involving all segments of society will solve the problem, the report states. In particular, it calls on American industry and labor to play a greater role…. …”Industries cannot afford to pass up these opportunities and others because their future existence will depend upon it…. Clearly we are not cultivating the raw materials, our future workers, who are vital not only for economic progress, but ultimately for economic survival.” [Ed. Note: There are many responses this writer could make to the above article, but the first of which is that the statement “Clearly we are not cultivating the raw materials, our future workers”—our children!—is the most offensive of all. The use of those words alone when referring to human beings should tell the reader that something is very, very wrong in the United States of America. One has more respect for their pet animals than to refer to them as “raw materials.” Secondly, the report’s agreement with the Southern Regional Education Board “that American schooling no longer lacks the basics” defies logic! From a region which consistently scores at the bottom of the heap, this is particularly repugnant. The idea that “higher order skills” should be the focus of our educational efforts can only be the product of the thinking of persons who are not concerned with whether or not students can read, write, or compute unless it is to perform a workforce function. Without a basic ability to read, write and com pute on a broad base, it is impossible for anyone to have substance about which to “think critically”! Thinking critically—making choices and comparisons—requires a base knowledge that is either acquired through study (as in the case with most children who are students) or through life experience (which adults, but not children, can claim). Lastly, the use of technology to decentralize “learning” from traditional schools into homes, communities and industries should raise a tall, red flag for successful homeschoolers. These folks are talking about government control of this process.] T HE I NTERNATIONAL C ONFERENCE FOR P ARENT /C ITIZEN I NVOLVEMENT IN S CHOOLS WAS held July 22–25, 1982 at the Hilton Hotel, Salt Lake City, Utah. A letter to Secretary Bell dated Febru ary 25, 1982 requesting conference funding contained an impressive list of supporters on its letterhead, including: Scott Matheson, governor of Utah; Mrs. Barbara Bush, honorary chair person, National School Volunteer Program; T.H. Bell, U.S. secretary of education; Dr. Don Davies, Institute for Responsive Education; Dr. Carl Marer, National Committee for Citizens in Education; Dr. M. Donald Thomas, superintendent of schools, Salt Lake City, Utah, and education representatives from Canada and Australia. Dr. Donald Thomas, originally on the board of directors of The Effective School Report , and executive director of the Network for Effective Schools, is a well-known change agent. Thomas has traveled to Russia under the auspices of U.S. Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander and Dale Mann of Columbia University, to work with Russia on implementing international education restructuring. The above-mentioned letter to Bell also stated: