Deliberate Dumbing Down of America Public Education

281 the 1940s) which has trained most of our government leaders in the dialectical process of reaching consensus. While Adler did not live to respond to the break up of the former Soviet Union, his interim vision of the formation of a “union of socialist democratic republics” bears watching.] G LOBAL A LLIANCE FOR T RANSFORMING E DUCATION (GATE) PUBLISHED E DUCATION 2000: A Holistic Perspective in August, 1991. 7 The following excerpts are taken from “The Vision Statement” and the “GATE Partnerships for Transforming Education” section of “The Plan for Implemen tation”: Principle II. Honoring Students as Individuals We call for a thorough rethinking of grading, assessment, and standardized exami nations.... In successful innovative schools around the world, grades and standardized tests have been replaced by personalized assessments which enable students to become inner directed. The natural result of this practice is the development of self-knowledge, self-disci pline, and genuine enthusiasm for learning. We call for an expanded application of the tremendous knowledge we now have about learning styles, multiple intelligences, and the psychological bases of learning.... The work being done on multiple intelligences demonstrates that an area of strength such as bodily kinesthetic, musical, or visual spatial can be tapped to strengthen areas of weakness such as linguistic or logical-mathematical.... Principle IV. Holistic Education …Holistic education celebrates and makes constructive use of evolving, alternate views of reality and multiple ways of knowing. It is not only the intellectual and vocational aspects of human development that needed guidance and nurturance, but also the physical, social, moral, aesthetic, creative, and—in a nonsectarian sense—spiritual aspects. Holistic education takes into account the numinous [supernatural] mystery of life and the universe in addition to the experiential reality. 8 Holism is a re-emerging paradigm, based on a rich heritage from many scholarly fields. Holism affirms the inherent interdependence of evolving theory, research, and practice. Holism is rooted in the assumption that the universe is an integrated whole in which everything is connected. This assumption of wholeness and unity is in direct opposition to the paradigm of separation and fragmentation that prevails in the contemporary world. Holism corrects the imbalance of reductionistic approaches through its emphasis on an expanded conception of science and human possibility. Holism carries significant implications for human and planetary ecology and evolution. These implications are discussed throughout this document.... Principle VI. Freedom of Choice We are for a truly democratic model of education to empower all citizens to participate in meaningful ways in the life of the community and the planet. The building of a truly democratic society means far more than allowing people to vote for their leaders—it means empowering individuals to take an active part in the affairs of their community. A truly democratic society is more than “the rule of the majority”—it is a community in which disparate voices are heard and genuine human concerns are addressed. It is a society open to constructive change when social or cultural change is required.... The Noxious Nineties : c. 1991

Principle VIII. Educating for Global Citizenship We believe that each of us—whether we realize it or not—is a global citizen.... A goal