Deliberate Dumbing Down of America Public Education

189 The “think tank” session will be by invitation only to leaders in the movement. Its purpose will be to assess the current status of parent/citizen involvement in the schools; to identify trends and directions of the movement for the 80s; and finally to plan further positive action to support the continuation of the movement. One of the attachments to this conference correspondence included many pages related to Effective School Research and a listing of the components necessary for education restruc turing. The list included: The "Effective" Eighties : c. 1982

• mastery learning/direct instruction • expectations • climate • motivation • measurement diagnosis • assessment • class management • discipline

• classroom organization • pupil conditions/rewards • praise • parent involvement, etc.

Those connected with such research are listed as follows: Michael Rutter, England, Ef fective School Study; the late Harvard Professor Ron Edmonds; professors Benjamin Bloom and John Goodlad; Larry Lezotte; Donald Thomas; and others. A second attachment on National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education (NCPIE— Alexandria, Virginia) letterhead stated that NCPIE was facilitated by the National School Volunteer Program and funded by Union Carbide Corporation. A MEMO WAS SENT TO S ECRETARY OF E DUCATION T.H. B ELL FROM THE ASSISTANT SECRE tary , Office of Educational Research and Improvement, regarding “upcoming events for July 31–August 31” which listed: AUGUST 5—President Reagan is scheduled to hold a press conference in which he will announce an initiative involving the National Diffusion Network and the National Health Screening Council for Volunteer Organizations, Inc. This collaboration, called PARTNERSHIP, links schools with the media, local businesses, government and hospitals in a school im provement effort. [Ed. Note: This activity was cancelled due to prompt grassroots opposition in the D.C. area consisting of a memorandum to the White House informing the President of concern nationwide related to the process known as “community education” and public-private partnerships.]

A U.S. D EPARTMENT OF E DUCATION MEMORANDUM TO S ECRETARY B ELL DATED O CTOBER 5, 1982 stated: