Deliberate Dumbing Down of America Public Education

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The Noxious Nineties : c. 1996

as the Soviet Union once tried to create the “Soviet Man,” the European Union study group report is laying out a plan to develop the “European Union Citizen.” The report reminds its readers of the history of pagan times and the great philosophers of Greece, then recalls Europe’s Christian roots, implying that the Union of Europe’s ancient nations has now begun a new age; education of the Union’s children must change to ac commodate this modern era of globalisation and dissemination of information technologies. For Americans, who cut their milk teeth on the ideals of independence and freedom, and the belief that anyone who works hard can overcome anything, even class, one sentence is particularly chilling. The report says, “Trends in work/employment practices and the emer gence of a learning society will be even more instrumental in defining everyone’s place, as a function of skills and knowledge built up throughout life.” But with all the talk of the information society and “life-long learning,” these European educators predict that “ever increasing ecological pressures will prompt a radical re-think of our model of economic growth with increasing emphasis on ‘sustainability.’” This contradictory vision of economic growth and environmental sustainability may yet be the un-doing of the New World Order on both sides of the Atlantic. T HE C HICAGO T RIBUNE OF F EBRUARY 14, 1996 CARRIED THE ARTICLE “S CHOOL P LAN S KIPS over the Basics.” Some excerpts follow: Yet for all their specifics, school leaders said Tuesday that they will not spell out many details on how they will implement their version of direct instruction, a back-to-basics instructional approach that has won national acclaim for improving student achievement at other inner city schools…. Chicago school officials were so impressed with the approach, which uses scripted lessons delivered in a rapid-fire manner, that a contingent of them flew last year to Houston to see how direct instruction helped one of the schools post some of the highest test scores in Texas.... But for now, Chicago school leaders said they need more time to “customize” direct instruction to fit the local needs.… “The educational plan is a big plan, and it’s comprehensive,” said Paul Villas, chief executive officer of the schools. “We’ve looked at a lot of solutions and direct instruction is just one of them.”... DeChico maintained that they remained enthusiastic about the direct instruction approach.... One other top school official indicated that the early draft of the education plan included only a few lines about it. The reason, according to the source, was because of complaints, particularly from local teachers, that the approach is too time-consuming and stunts teacher creativity.... The administrator suggested that school leaders may have been swayed by teacher complaints that direct instruction requires too much of teachers, who would have to study the scripted lessons nightly for the next day.... Villas said that by June, school leaders will be ready to trot out details on how they will use direct instruction. [Ed. Note: Where are the norm-referenced test scores that prove student achievement in in ner city schools? Or, has enough time passed (16 years) that the change agents can count on parents and teachers having such short memories that they have forgotten that 18,000 inner city students dropped out of high school due to the same “rat lab” Chicago Mastery Learning 1996