Deliberate Dumbing Down of America Public Education

384 ties of participating organizations, including: the Texas Education Agency, Higher Education Board, Human Services, Rehabilitation Commission, Commerce Department, Commission for the Blind, National & Community Services, and Veterans Education. The Texas Workforce Commission governs twenty-eight Local Workforce Development Boards which direct local implementation of STW....

Proponents of STW Claim: The objectives of STW are to provide students with: • Rigorous academics; • Opportunity for highly skilled, highly-paid jobs; • Participation in STW is optional for both students and businesses.

Opponents of STW Claim: Academics are diluted and academic achievement will decrease because: • Curriculum standards are performance- or outcomes-based; • Academic learning is displaced by personal, social and workplace competency in struction; • Block scheduling results in less course content and lower test scores; • Ability Grouping (including Honors Courses) which increases student achievement is prohibited; • Traditional liberal arts education is replaced by vocational training; • Students will be identified and trained for low skill, low pay jobs. Less than 15% of workforce requires a Bachelor’s Degree; • Leading 5 targeted occupations identify cashiers, janitors/cleaners, sales clerks and registered nurses; • Participation is not fully voluntary—the state is pursuing legislation to make STW a condition of graduation. Vocational and academic instruction are integrated; students are not provided an op portunity to select academic course work which is not integrated. Private sector funding is required to support STW (matching funds of $20 million will be required in 1997 and will increase to a projected $45 million in 2001). According to the STW grant proposal, Texas has no immediate plans to tax businesses to force participation as is done in Europe, but areas will be required to raise private funds. STW Poses Troubling Questions: • Should the government direct the development of curriculum, implementation of instructional practices and establishment of a data collection system for schools? • Should the government through schools identify, train, certify and place workers? • Should educational policies be established without the authority of state school boards, local district boards and legislators? • Should the purpose, structure and means of public education be “transformed” without public debate and consent? • Should the government establish a national plan for economic management?