Deliberate Dumbing Down of America Public Education

413 to promote STC throughout our communities because it “sunsets in 2001.” Be creative in finding ways to “convince” skeptics, especially parents. Involve them in the process and they will believe the ideas generated were their own. Administrators should make sure, as far as possible, that hiring, promotion and retention policies coincide with promotion of school-to-work goals. Students are the best communicators of the need for change and STW. Periodically, a student was brought out to give a “first-hand example” of our need to change, change, change to STW. She describes what we are doing (promoting school-to-career) as “the most important thing happening on our planet!” Willard Daggett was clearly the featured event. (web site—http://www.daggett.com) He was introduced as one who is “taking on the task of promoting school-to-career in Cali fornia.” If Dr. Daggett is the King of STW, Hoye is certainly the Queen. Daggett touts himself as being the President of the International Center for Leadership in Education, Inc. He offered thanks to educators for “hanging in there” in spite of all of the criticism. His advice to the audience was, “Don’t put the spin on STC as STC, but put the spin on ‘The Basics’ in relation to school-to-career.” (Fool ‘em?) In order to effect change (the key word, again!), you must have a passion to change. Basic conditions to create change: 1. Have passion, 2. Have data, 3. Have leadership, and 4. Have staff development. Using these four ingredients, you will have successful models to help market STC. Some of the 255 subject areas in our schools should be taken out. “In America, when something goes into the cur riculum, it never comes out.” Examples given (I believe) to take out: some of the requirements in math, science, social studies, etc. He wants schools to make room for information that now “doubles every nine months!” Daggett says reading for entertainment should be mostly replaced with reading and writ ing technical manuals and emphasis should be placed on procedure and process.... Daggett said that the time has come to create controversy.... He has discussed with neurosurgeons (He has one in the family.) whether death is inevitable, or, with the advance of biotech, an option. Heavy stuff!... In one of the “breakout” sessions that I attended, the focus was on how to sell STW to an unaware community. For the past four years, educators, school board members, teacher unions, and some employers have been the targets of repeated STW indoctrination. Now, parents, students and others must somehow be hauled in. One lady said she thought the name (STW) should be changed because a conservative group called “the Eagle Forum” is openly and effectively critical of STW.... Following skeptical comments, the same lady concluded that, “Now, for sure, we’ll have to change the name” and call STC something other than STC. (Fool ‘em!)... I haven’t heard speakers like this since the radical 1960’s era when those demanding “change” wore long hair, headbands and sandals, not a suit and tie. Daggett and Hoye con tinued to “evangelize” the vast cult-like following of those who now support radical changes to our schools. Citizens are paying BIG-TIME for this experiment in social control, but too few know much about STC. And probably would want no part of it if/when it’s ever fully explained to them. I don’t. D R . K EN W ILLIAMS , AN ELECTED TRUSTEE TO THE O RANGE C OUNTY D EPARTMENT OF E DU cation and board-certified family physician in Santa Ana, California, wrote the following August 27, 1998 letter to the American School Board Journal regarding the School-to-Work Career Inventory and Assessments. Dr. Williams’s incredible experience exposes the dangerous implications of the use of psychological assessments, etc., to predict an individual’s career potential. The full text of Dr. Williams’s letter follows: The Noxious Nineties : c. 1998