[TheForge] Public Education

[peter fels]

On Mar 21, 2011, at 4:21 PM, Bob Ehrenberger wrote:

> I was gone for the weekend so today I was trying to catch up on missed 
> e-mail.
> I came across this message from Andy:
> 
>> Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2011 20:29:07 -0500
>> From: Andrew Vida <osan at netlabs.net>
>> Subject: Re: [TheForge] now Japanese nuke plants OT: POL:
> 
>> That was once true, and only marginally so.  The US public school
>> system was patterned very directly on that of the one found in Prussia.
>> The openly and unabashedly stated goal of the Prussian system  was to
>> produce the most docile, regimented, channeled, and *controllable*
>> citizen possible.  This is a matter of historical record - please look
>> it up and see for yourself.
> 
>> The openly stated goal of the architects of the system we know today
>> was to produce MINIMALLY literate stock for work in factories with just
>> enough ability to read, write, and do arithmetic.  Read the works of men
>> such as John Dewey.  They put it in black and white for the world to see.
> 
>> The notion of what "minimally literate" was different in those days,
>> the standard being higher than it is today in real terms.  Today the
>> focus is placed on teaching to the standardized test, an abomination and
>> crime against the children of any nation including ours.
> 
>> "When I was a teacher starting back in 83 "
> 
>> I was still able to pretty well blow off
>> most of the standard curriculum in favor of my vastly superior fare.
>> Today I would not be able to do it for any of a few reasons including
>> the threat of losing my position, possibly being criminally charged, and
>> the fact that the "standards" that have been foisted upon the kids are
>> so stupidly and worthlessly stringent, there is absolutely no time to
>> stray from the script with which the teacher is provided.  Loss of even
>> a day's scripted vomitus places the students at risk of not passing
>> their standardized, cookie cutter tests.  The kids are placed under
>> tremendous pressures and it is not healthy for them in any measure or
>> respect.
After all, Andy could be right........sometimes, maybe......me too...maybe.
> 
> My question to you is,  Am I the only one that is a little concerned that 
> Andy was
> ever alowed to teach?  Has there been any follow up to make sure these kids
> were not damaged from the exposure?
> 
> Robert Ehrenberger
> Shelbyville, Mo.
> eforge at centurytel.net

Now Robert; tisk;

I think that every sort of benign, intelligent, competent,  deviant..
needs/must be hired as teachers.
When it comes to people, a uniform product is not desirable.
Kids need to be exposed to different , coherent world views.
If a society lacks diversity, 
it will have a much harder time making it through the changes,
in the long run.
> 
> 
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