Walking the Tightrope

I am finding lately, I seem to relate more and more to some of the Old Testament figures, especially the ones who were living to witness their nations decline and/or exile. (I am by no means saying I am like them but that I can empathize.) I see America headed toward the landfill and there are so many ripple effects of this decline that I often wonder how these men of old lived through watching such a sad state of affairs. Reliance on God certainly was no doubt a survival tip and their laments don't go unnoticed as an outlet for their emotions.

Sometime I wonder how "they got a grip" as they saw their people reject, ignore and downright rebel against God. There have been times I get downright angry and depressed and want to shout at the top of my lungs at the path of absurdity our society has embraced. (and I do sometimes as I rant to the world wide web) I sometimes wonder about how small of a margin one has when trying to follow God's will in such situations. It can be tough to balance emotions and be Christlike. He makes you filter things through Him to make sure you are acting instead of reacting.

I have been finding a little release in Nehemiah lately. I think if I happened to live in his time we would have made fast friends. He wrote his own account of what he was called to accomplish. He had an uphill struggle if there was one! Here's a quick overview; he was in charge of re-building Jerusalem's wall while defending it at the same time, enemies slandered his name to stop his work, he went head to head legally for the usury of the people who were sacrificing to make the project work. He administered the affairs for proper teaching of  God's ways only to go away and have the people slip back into their old wayward ways. Pretty frustrating wouldn't you say?

I can relate to his grief for his people...1:4 'Now it came about when I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days...." I surely feel like weeping and mourning for the state of American affairs..

He points out the problem for exile and the distress and reproach of the people as sin and repents. 1:7 "We have acted very corruptly against Thee and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which Thou did command thy servant Moses." I certainly have sinned and there is no doubt America has done these same things too.

He makes a stand ("he makes a severe, uncompromising position against foreign marriages that steps on the toes of the high priest, his son married the daughter of Sanballat) and he suffers for it as he tries to go forward in building the wall, an idea he attributes to God putting in his mind (1:12). Sanballat along with a very large chip on his shoulder brings some friends to taunt Nehemiah (2:19-20, 4:1,3,7,8,11)

Not only did he have to worry about builder's working double time, he had to rally these workers to think militarily in order to defend what they were building (4:13-23).
To make matters worse the people were being used and taken to the cleaners by scoundrels. So Nehemiah had to intervene and clean out the rabble. (5:1-19)
Of course, the enemy doesn't rest and Sanballat kept up his vigil to railroad the rebuilding of the wall by getting his cronies to sign a 'petition' stating false information (6:8)
Nehemiah new his enemies tactics and I love his moxy, 6:11 "But I said, why should a man like me flee? And could one such as I go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in."

He overcomes the first hurdle and the wall is built, the people rejoice and the Laws are read by Ezra the scribe, bringing a refreshed knowledge of God's ways and repentance of the people. (6:15, 7,8,9). This causes the people to be re-dedicated to the Lord and the priesthood is re-established to help uphold the way's of God so the people won't slip back into bondage. I could only hope for this to happen in America.

The people had some trouble keeping to the laws and Nehemiah found himself doing a lot of correcting (13:8,11,17,21,23)

Now I have to point this part out as I relish it, although I probably shouldn't and I find much satisfaction that Nehemiah was a normal human being with emotions that may have got the best of him. He had just had it, he was boiling over and just wasn't having anymore, enough was enough! It goes back to the same issue he dealt with regarding the shunning of intermarriage and Sanballat (13:28). He visited Jerusalem and noticed the intermarrying going on and that the children couldn't speak the language of Judah, so he got physical. If you don't chuckle just a bit at the imagery of his actions then where is your sense of humor? He contended with them and cursed them and struck some of them and pulled out their hair and made them swear by God to not intermarry anymore (my own wording for the last part) 13:25.

I'm sure some of those younger than Nehemiah that didn't grow up through the wall building probably thought, "What is this old geezer doing beating up the young folk. Old age must make you lose your patience."

I also love how he asks God to remember him and to have compassion on him for all he does, and it almost seems like he is talking to God as a close friend does. Kind of like, "These youngens are just so hard-headed, won't they ever learn? Even after I teach them and do all the stuff I do for them, please let there be a reward for me in heaven to make all this worth it." BIG SIGH!  (My perspective)

I dedicate this post to two of the most wonderful teachers in my life Ken Brown and John Debee. They are well-seasoned pros and know truth and have the strength to stand for the purity of God's Word. If I didn't have these straight as arrow compasses to learn from I fear I would end up like those clueless people in exile...There is a right way and a wrong way and upholding the right takes courage, will power, strength and walking a tightrope at the guidance of the Almighty!

Note: Clarification, the intermarriage aspects Nehemiah was so angry at was over the pagan ideologies entering into families because of the entangling of cultures. The Israelites were losing their language. It wasn't over skin color as most Western minded churches like to believe. 

Current News Article Helps Put Perspective on OBE

I have spent much time on past history of the Outcome Based System. I was happy to have this current news article surface. It was posted October 27, 2011 by The Blaze Website and Titled, Education Teacher's Union Offered Grant to Create 'Activists' Out of 1st and 2nd Graders by Tiffany Gabbay.

Before you read it, remember the beginning post of this education journey and how I stressed the importance of words and language.

Remember William Spady's admission he was a "wordsmith"

Remember the video of the NEA stating their goal wasn't about the children but power and support of this declaration was given with standing ovation.

Now go ahead and read the article.
I'll give you a minute or two....

What a relief the superintendent knew the language was dubious and declined the grant. That he "asserts that the teachers' intent and meaning of "activism" differed from the obvious interpretation."

Let me make a point that can easily go unnoticed. Don’t let anyone fool you, just because integrity and good intention may be behind some of the teachers wanting to use this, one can’t be naive to the fact the federal government is the one who is ultimately in control and will dictate the requirements for curriculum. They may say you have the reigns but who provides the money and the framework?

Did you notice the Activist's Library? It was filled with known supporters of Marxist-Leninist, Communist ideology. 'Ahem'... Saul Alinsky.

And remember the root of how Socialism and fascism works; from the top down. This system leaves no room for individual freedom's to be exerted. Control from the top down means your intentions get left by the wayside and you in turn support something wrong and downright evil.

Sometimes life demands we shun a system even when good people are entangled in the web. How else can freedom reign?

We must be expert linguists and listeners in order to overcome this great deception. People like William Spady find the time to weave words to further their ideology just as the snake cunningly deceived Eve with the twisting of God's words.

I'm not exactly sure who Edmund Morrison is but I like his quote:
"Like stones, words are laborious and unforgiving, and the fitting of them together, like the fitting of stones, demands great patience and strength of purpose and particular skill."

We need to be attuned to what the language user's purpose and skill support as they are building a foundation. In simple terms the saying, "sticks and stones may break our bones, but words can never hurt us," needs a revamp. Words craftily strung together can deceive, our bones may not be broken but something much worse is at stake, our souls.

A Compilation For Thought

I thought these videos, although not in any organized order, have a lot of thought provoking material to compare and contrast current, modern education. This video reminds me of the saying hindsight is 20/20.

If quoted text doesn't stand out for itself, hearing from the speakers own mouth may be a little more convincing...This Interview with B.F. Skinner taped with William F. Buckley on October 2, 1971 is worth watching.

This next video is one of my favorites. I am an Andy Griffith fan and the lessons of integrity, honesty and working hard for something convey beautifully. I put it in here as the OBE system is one of mediocrity. The evidence of OBE's mediocrity came home in my daughter's report card for the first quarter. She received all A's. I was happy to see that but knew deep in my heart she did not do 'A' work in one of the subjects. Her homework and the tests I saw at the teacher's conference surely did not warrant an 'A', so why give one? Why lead a child and parent on in thinking everything is fine.  Masking a problem with a blanket solution will only make matter's worse. (I am not the only one who noticed this unusual giving of A's) Then to make matters worse homework passes are an option. If a child is given the choice to opt out of homework that deems difficult they'll take it and they'll pay later for not knowing the basics. Or what about being told if the material frustrates you, don't do it. That is the sad reality of this system and these examples are not exaggerated and are taken from verbal accounts passed on to me.



And then what about songs such as these being allowed in assemblies? Yes, the vile parts were edited but the damage is done for those kids who run home excited about a fun, upbeat song they heard at school and go on YouTube or Itunes and download the original. A parent can't be everywhere at all times to protect their children's ears. My daughter heard this song at her school for a diversity assembly and knew it was bad because earlier a child used part of it for a presidential campaign and she came home asking to hear it because a classmate told her the name of the song and said her older sister in 4th grade listens to it all the time. Where are our parents heads? A program in expression allowed this song to be used. If someone edited it they had to know the vile nature of it in the first place. How can someone send this through a system where we trust them with our children? And the fact this group promotes drugs and sex in other songs should automatically oust them from any school use whatsoever.



BE AWARE!

An Education In Education Part 7

I thought I'd spend a little time on a few statistics and state a few findings from Oregon's School District's experience with OBE.

The State of Oregon tried OBE under the School-To-Work Opportunities Act signed into Law in 1994 and Oregon's Education Act for the 21st Century or also known as the Katz Bill in 1991. This implementation was widely regarded as a preliminary set-up for the future of the entire Nation.

Cottage Grove High school's tried the program which changed the traditional Carnegie Unit model for achieving a diploma with CIM Certificate of Mastery. Here are some results of this change.

• 20% drop out rate
• SAT scores severely droppped
• Students who voiced dislike for the program were moved to 'alternative learning sites' until their attitude changed toward the program. If they failed the outcomes they could not receive the CIM. (Remediation until they confromed)
• Career paths were dictated  and aligned for students
• Colleges outside of Oregon will not accept the CIM for entrance

I found another district in Oregon vehemently fighting against OBE, this time it was an Elementary school named Grayslake. William Spady was brought in as their consultant and parents formed a website called Watch District 46 to help fight a program they considered: too controversial, failure rate was too high, had unmeasurable objectives and does not allow parental input.

I highly suggest reading these two excerpts from their website:
Key Reasons Against using William Spady or His strategic Design Process In Our District
Consultant Gets Tough Advice

TRACKING
I would like to spend a little more time on the tracking aspect of this model. I know my writings are being compiled as I write them and placed in a file. I find the thought hard to digest.Why is the fine details of a persons life needed? The federal government gleans this information through grants given to the State. Why is the government dictating workforce requirements to the State? Why do they need my child's social security number? What makes me sick is I willingly give them this information every school year.

The NCEE (The National Center on Education and Economy) is developing a "labor market system" that is "fully computerized". WHY?

Again, why is the Department of Labor involved in any way with education?

Socialism and Labor go hand in hand...just look at this video of the NEA's (National Education Association -Labor Union) admission that their goal isn't "about the children" but about "power".

 
Think ahead on this issue...Do you want your child pigeon holed into a job that suits the government needs (power and control for their benefit) or one that they will be fulfilled in by using their God given talents cultivated by their choices.

Take these examples of how the system manipulates:

A Mother in Rochester Minnesota told me (Brannon Howse) her daughter wanted to be an accountant yet the school counselor told her that she was not qualified. The counselor gave the student a list of careers for which he felt the girl was qualified and included the suggestion she become a hair dresser.

Let's return to the happenings in Oregon- "The students in Oregon may choose from six career tracks-but not one of these career tracks is college bound."

Thanks to Brannon Howse once again, all credit for research due to him.

ARTICLES TO READ for ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Education Slogan and Dollars by Kerby Anderson
Look for Another Big Spending Boondoggle by Phyllis Schlafly
Perpetuating  Federal Spending on Education by Phyllis Schlafly
American Education Fails because It Isn't Education by Tom DeWeese
Education Policy: Lesson-Learned? by Rebecca Hagelin

An Education in Education Part 6

I am grateful for people like Peg Luksik and Charlotte Iserbyt (her research is invaluable and will be discussed later in the post). I wasn't especially shocked that the government has far reaching hands into the education field, yet having the Department of Labor give out a report on what they expect from the  the Department of Education is unnerving. The document is called SCANS. This act certainly fits the definition of corporate fascism- a philosophy or system of governement that advocates or excersizes dictatorship through merging of State and business leadership, American Heritage Dictionary.

The SCANS Board is housed in the Department of Labor, SCANS stands for Secretaries Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills and answers to the Secretary of Labor. It is instrumental in establishing the national standards or outcomes that America's students must meet in order to receive their skills certificate. (Oregon had a bad experience with this and will be discussed in a later post)

Anytime a State opposses OBE, they negate their access to federal funds under Goals 2000. In clear terms, if the State opts out of developing "opportunity to learn standards", they don't get their funds. This bullying violates the Tenth Ammendment of the Constitution. Governors have told the government, "No" in the past after realizing this system violates States rights and in the long run does not work. That is why I sent letters to my legislation requesting they follow the lead of these past Governors actions and protect our Rights as well as our children.

Getting rid of OBE will also untie the hands of principals and teachers. Since I began this journey following the rabbit trail, the beauracracy that controls our schools makes me feel for the ones who are doing the dirty work day in and out and even on the weekends. I can understand the game of hoops our educational staff have to jump through just to try and get to the crux of being able to do their job description. Right now, I may seem like a pain in the ass because I am persistant in asking questions to district board members. I am wanting to confirm how the system works according to my research. Getting straight answers has been difficult, but I have been successful in finding tidbits of truth. My goal isn't to change the system, as I know that is not reality, it is to educate myself so I know what to expect so I can make educated and informed decisions for my family.

Of course this is purely my perception of my area situation and I can be wrong but I see the weilding of the beauracratic arm taking its toll. First, the district decided to rearrange boundary lines even at the protest of parents. Parents asking what the reason behind this was were given vague answers and ignored when meetings were held. Second, the budget crisis reared its ugly head, calling for jobs and large deficits. Third, staff and parents conform willingly and give more money and time so that the pain of it all will be easier to handle. This quote sums this scenario up nicely, "The oldest political trick in the book is to create doubt, then fear, and then conformity of action".

What will be Fourth? I think the new Master Facility Plan to be implemented by 2015, come hell or high water could be the next step. I want to know if this plan is OBE influenced? I have a feeling it is but haven't received a yes or no answer as of yet. I heard a rumor about the new mandatory, rigorous testing called STAAR under this plan. A parent who is on the CAC board at his school suggested I contact my school's CAC. So I did. The rumor was about the test being tied to distribution of funds. The rumor: If a school fails the test they get funds to help better the curriculum and hire better teachers. My first thought was where do these funds come from? Do they come from other schools, is this tied to the bully tactic of the Federal Government by the Elementary/Secondary Act under Goals 2000? If this is true isn't this redistribution of resources, an obvious socialistic action? Shouldn't my tax dollars stay where my child is enrolled. Collectivism doesn't work. I did get a confrimed yes to this rumor from a wonderful district employee and I am greatful she had the guts to tell the truth.

I am not trying to change the world, but this raises concerns. Do you see how this causes more problems down the road for everyone. Parents already pay taxes, volunteer time and more money through fundraising; how much more can the system pump out of them? (I think volunteering and helping is a great thing for many reasons) Staff are already overwhelmed with high number classroom sizes causing them to work harder than they should and in the process those children needing extra help get a hit or miss experience. We are heading farther down the wrong path if any of my observations are true.

Charlotte Iserbyt, a former Special Assistant in the Office of Educational Research and Improvement for the Department of Education during President Reagan's Administration wrote a book that explains why the system is fashioned for failure. It is detailed research from official government documents she had access to while in her position. I have read the entire book and it is a sad scenario for our country. She named it, The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America. I recommend reading it after watching this quick interview.

Thanks to Brannon Howse for his research all credit is due to him

An Education in Education Part 5

I am officially a dissenter.
The school had me come in for an intimidation meeting. My blogs about OBE were on the principals desk and the counselor was there. They were concerned I have 'misconceptions' about OBE...I got up and said, "we're done." The principal came after me and I had to firmly but nicely say, "we are done" again in front of everyone in the office.

So I came home and found that they were getting my information because I was a member on the Cohort blog site still. I asked to be taken off all databases for the cohort after withdrawing my daughter, I guess I failed to  take them off of mine and that is how they were able to keep tabs on me. Lesson learned. I have officially got them off my site so I feel I can still write about what I've been learning and not be in their hair nor they in mine.

Remember Pennsylvania in the 1970's. Here is Peg Luksik in a 60 minute video on her experience with OBE in her district.

Peg Luksik wrote a book for others wanting to fight this educational model in their district called Outcome Based Education, The States Assault on Our Children's Values

An Education In Education Part 4

In part 3 the heartbeat of OBE was exposed through quotes of those who support and back this type of education. These ideas are not run-off from the turbulent, radical sixties, although they did give it a large boost on the scene. The ideological mentors to Benjamin Bloom and William Spady are traced to B.F. Skinner and John Dewey.

B.F. Skinner: Behavioral Psychologist, Harvard University, Humanist

He wrote Beyond Freedom and Dignity, in it he states man plays two roles: one as a controller, as the designer of a controlling culture, and another as the controlled, as the products of a culture.” Neitzsche the famous philosopher who coined the phrase, “God is dead” believed the same way and called it master morality, slave morality, in his thesis Beyond Good and Evil.

Much of his basis for study was controlling behavior through machines. He believed free will could not be exercised due to the controlling quality of the stimuli in the environment.

He is the pioneer of using machines for remediation for desired results. This is a very important part of OBE today. Computers and software are now tools to shape behavior in our education system.

When you see the term “technology” in a school’s curriculum, this is warning sign to watch out for. Yes, there is learning through computers but when questions become personal such as the one posed to my daughter such as, “do you like studying in a dark or light lit room”? Or, “What are your parents rules?” one should ask why this data is needed. How does this data bring about academic fact; knowledge for the students benefit? Why does the school want to know this?

John Dewey: Father of Modern Education in America, Author of the Humanist Manifesto, Founder of the National Education Association.

This father of modern American education went to Russia in the 1930’s to help establish Karl Marx ideology in education and help founded the Socialist Society.

He believed using education to change the world is far more efficient than through politics. He also believed objective truth and authoritative notions of good and evil are harmful to students. He attacks these notions in his book Quest For Certainty.

David A Noebel a researcher into Dewey’s life said it best, “Anyone interested in American Education can not fail to see Dewey’s foot and fingerprints on every page of the curriculum and the classroom.”

So what do all these people influencing education have in common? They all slant towards Socialism and the one educator revered and tagged with the title; Father of Modern American Education aligns himself openly with Karl Marx.

I think it is important to take a moment to read the Humanist Manifesto and CommunistManifesto. It only shows the delineations of these ideas born out in OBE.

I hate to even say this but I see the marks of socialism even in the traditional curriculum. I have also read articles where pastors support OBE for their private school curriculum. OBE is the leaven in the bread. A little leaven, leavens the whole bunch. Some form of it exists in the school system; I just see my school embracing it even more. Where does your school fall under the ‘leaven’ spectrum?

When you see the history laid out, why do we wonder why our kids struggle not only academically but morally? Why are parents so willing to blindly support this system when it fails decade after decade?

Researching American Education for this parent has caused me to re-evaluate my responsibility to my child and has confirmed we need God back in our schools.

(Credit for Research is found in the links. Sepcial Thanks to Dennis Cuddy, Ph D, David Noebel and Brannon Howse.)

An Education In Education Part 3

Outcome Based Education has many faces but when carefully examined, one head can be found under all the guises that accompany it. It is labeled under the title of “reform” or “restructuring”. 

What does OBE restructure? It restructures the curriculum. The term “outcome” is deceptive, what outcomes do parents expect from education? We expect, at the basis, reading, writing and arithmetic; and secondarily, science, social studies and history. These are all subjects that require objective facts; facts that can be taught and built upon. What are the “outcomes” expected from this model of education? The expectations are behavioral and focus on attitudes. The term critical thinking is used as a way to manipulate the outcome to a desired behavior.

Doesn’t this make you want to ask some questions?

How can a subjective aspect such as behavior be properly measured and tested?

When is there time to teach the objective facts when behavioral outcomes are prominent goals in the curriculum?

Why are attitudes and behavior a focus in the first place?  

     

The deception begins early on as this form of education was not always called Outcome Based; it has been implemented in Chicago in the 1970’s as Mastery Learning. It was such a failure it was ejected from the system. Some argue that Mastery Learning is not Outcome Based Learning but William Spady, the self professed father of OBE devised a plan to cover-up this detail by pleading with educators to not use the name “mastery” within the network because of the negative connotation it earned but to use the term “outcome” as a way to stay ahead of the critics. This of course was just after Mastery Learning’s failure and was in the context of perpetuating the base form of this educational model to other districts. If it doesn’t work under one terminology change the name so the next sucker will buy it. There are at least twenty-four terminology versions of this system, some are; Results Oriented, Break the Mold 21^st Century Schools, Exit Based, Skills 2000, Strength Based Project Learning to name a few. If you take a look at the course descriptions of these titles side by side the similarities stand out like a sore thumb. Go ahead, take a look at this 1977 outcome based curriculum from Pennsylvania and compare it with the one from my school in Austin, Texas 2011. They are essentially the same. Terminology and wording are different but they have the same goals. I admit the 2011 version has gotten smarter in hiding the term “outcomes” from the vocabulary. (Remember from Part 2, I had to ask the teacher a blunt yes or no question in order to make sure the curriculum was outcome based)

Now that we know OBE is behaviorally based let’s see who is behind this “reform” and see what they believe.  

Benjamin Bloom: Father of OBE-Psychologist-University of Chicago

Note: Teachers and educators study his theories in college. His book Taxonomy of Educational Objectives is widely taught.

Bloom’s theory is challenging students fixed beliefs with a “thorough going through and reorganization of attitudes and values.”

An excerpt from his book, All Our Children Learning

“The curriculum maybe thought of as a plan for changing student’s behavior and as the actual set of learning experiences in which students, teachers and materials interact to produce the change in students.”

We need to ask, “What change?”

An excerpt from his book, Stability and Change in Human Characteristics

“Efforts to control or change human behavior by therapy, by education, or by other means will be inadequate and poorly understood until we can follow behavior over a longer period.”

We should ask, “Why would some one in education want to control or change behavior?”

Bloom summed up his philosophy when he said, “The highest form of intellect is when an individual no longer believes in right or wrong.”

We should ask, “If he wants to challenge students fixed beliefs and he thinks there is no right and wrong, do we want someone with this philosophy around our children?”

William Glasser: Psychologist, Author and promoter of OBE

Excerpt from his book, Schools Without Failure

“We have to let students know there are no right answers, and we have to let them see that there are many alternatives to certainty and right answers.”

William Spady: Sociologist, Modern promoter of OBE

A Paradigm Pioneer

“I consider myself to be a powerful wordsmith”.

“I pleaded with the group to not use the name “mastery learning” in the network new name because the word had already been destroyed. I argued that we had about five years before they destroyed the term “outcomes’ but at least we could get a start.”

We need to ask, “Why would you want to change the name of a failed system only to regurgitate it for more failure?”

Dr. Raymond English: In A Speech before the National Advisory Council on Educational Research and Improvement. April 2, 1987.

“Critical thinking means not only learning how to think for oneself, but it also means learning to subvert traditional values in your society. You’re not thinking critically unless you accept the values that mommy and daddy taught you. That’s not critical.”

Dr. Pierce : Professor of Education at Harvard University

“Every child who enters school at age five is mentally ill because he enters school with an allegiance towards our elected officials, our founding fathers, our institutions, the preservation of this form of government that we have, patriotism, nationalism, sovereignty. All this proves that the child is sick, because a truly well individual is one who has rejected all those things, and is what I would call the true international child of the future.

Do you have a problem with psychologists, sociologists and educators telling you your child is mentally ill because they were taught your values from birth to age five and there is no right or wrong answers? I certainly do, and this is only the tip of the iceberg of OBE. The philosophy stems much farther back than the 1960’s and 70’s. Part 4 will look deeper into where this philosophy stems from.

Just so you know I do not think every person in education believes this way. My point is to show the great influence it has upon the entire system and how it subtly controls the environment in which learning takes place. I don’t write these posts with hatred towards educators. I have a special place in my heart for teachers especially since my dad was one. I write this to hopefully make a difference. I may not change the system but if one person is helped, the truth is worth any misunderstanding that may arise from my intentions. BE AWARE!

(All research is taken from the links within the post and all credit is due to these researchers: with special thanks to Phyllis Schlafly and Brannon Howse)

An Education In Education- Part 2

First, I want to make clear that I do in fact know that the program implemented at my school is Outcome Based. I specifically asked the head teacher in a face to face meeting if it was and her answer was, “yes”. When one looks at the course syllabus it is obvious it is (after learning the term) but it was never called by that name during the screening, pitch process or on any other piece of information sent home with the parent.

I find this elimination of information deceptive as the program was pitched as ‘new’ and ‘cutting edge’; yet research shows implementation of this philosophy as far back as the seventies with ground work that stems from one hundred years ago.

I feel this deception was used as a way to gain funds for the school. Last year the district threatened larger classrooms and letting go teachers because of a massive budget deficit. Our school posted a whopping $475,000 deficit. Parents were asked to do all they could through fundraisers and donations, they were thanked but I couldn’t find the total amount of money that was raised.  I find it hard to believe our community of roughly 1000 kids, 2000 adults made the goal. If every parent gave 25 dollars that comes out to $50,000, then if all the gift baskets the classes auctioned sold for $100 that amount roughly is $6,000, then there were other events and fundraisers that I have no idea how much was brought in but let’s go high and say $100,000. We must account for the deduction of two teacher’s salaries for the ones that were let go and the total roughly is $254,000 eliminated from the deficit leaving, $221,000 to go.  I also haven’t heard of the deficit being brought up this semester. So where did the remaining money come from? Remember what the 20 minute video (9:10) from part 1 said about how the system works? Under Goals 2000, Clinton rewrites the funding mechanism for funding education; the Elementary/Secondary Education Act, which is rewritten by Congress every five years and says in a nutshell, “if you want some of your money back; you follow the plan, we’ll give you some of your money back.” With the history of the districts boundary changes in 2010 and the deficit in 2011, this piece of information lead me to ask the Area Supervisor over our school to investigate where the money for this new program was coming from. She called me back with this curt response, “I spoke with the principal and she informed me the parents are highly involved and the funding came from them. Somehow that answer just doesn’t satisfy me. Essentially, my tax dollars and your tax dollars are funding this program; one that has a proven failure record and I am not happy about it.

Does this game playing done by the Federal government with State government through Acts (mandates) such as; America 2000 (Bush), Goals 2000 (Clinton), No Child Left Behind 2001 (Bush), Race To The Top (Obama), School to Work Opportunity Act 1994, America Competes Act raise a huge red flag and a myriad of questions. Why would an exemplary school implement a program parents across the nation have protested and some successfully ousted from their district? Are our children being sold out for funding?

Needless to say, I wrote my State Legislature and District about my concerns. I have heard from three district members. I have asked each one if the Outcome Based System is part of the Master Facility Plan set to be accomplished by 2015 and overseen by Meria Carstarphen, the Superintendent. No one has given me a yes or no answer. The website that shows the plan initiatives states community and outside input have been gleaned in the process for creating Austin’s strategic plan, yet they only give a link to a summary that sates generalities. They promise transparency yet only give limited information. Are we really going to trust a summary? I want to see the data.

I may be getting a bit ahead of myself…so I’ll explain in part 3 what outcome based education stands for and show what other States (outside input) have experienced.

An Education in Education- Part 1

Do you ever feel like your life is built upon some big cogwheel factory that keeps a routine for your many responsibilities so they can be made more manageable? It’s kind of a rhetorical question, of course humans are like that; we go out of the way to find the easier way especially when it means the possibility of less stress. It is evident in our culture through the onslaught of advertising. Staples slogan comes to mind with their “That Was Easy” button or the, “Do It Your Way” motto regurgitated by countless companies to gain business. Technology is another example with the myriad of options to get boundless information at the touch of your finger. These are not bad things in a general sense; there are times we need a quick fix and the amazing innovations out there have gone as far as to save lives but I want to focus on one particular aspect of this Rube Goldberg scenario we participate in by either voluntarily or rote pattern. In this great system of society and culture, the norm to follow certain standards can cause individuals as well as generations to become lax or in other terms, to fall asleep at the wheel. We make decisions based on many factors; family influence, personal choice, limited options but how much thought and research do we really put into these daily activities that make our lives function and does it matter?


“Surely it is time to examine into the meaning of words and the nature of things, and to arrive at simple facts, not received upon the dictum of learned authorities, but upon attentive personal observation of what is passing around us.” Francis Wright. Her political and social activism are the opposite of what I believe in yet her words when applied to the subject I am going to try to lay out, make the point that if we don’t pay attention to what is happening around us, we are made into ‘useful idiots’.  

I recently had an experience that has called for searching out words and the nature in which they are used; the first catalyst in putting together facts was parental instinct. I also believe the Holy Spirit was directing, leading and teaching me so I could make the right decision. With all that said, I’ll get to the story and see if I can piece the facts together so any parent or grandparent who truly cares about children and the future of America may have some useful tools through articles, books and videos that I find have a strong correlation to my own experience.

It is not a new thing to hear half hearted phrases of complaint against America’s public school system. It seems the masses know it is, ‘screwed up’ yet the ball of disaster just keeps rolling and getting worse. I found myself entangled in that ball and for the past three years of sending my daughter to an ‘exemplary’ public school system, I just rolled along with the flow and dealt with the idiosyncrasies as they came. No system is perfect and I know my responsibility as a parent is to oversee the education of my child and I thought I could supplement and adjust accordingly.

My ears perked up when a ‘new’ program at my daughter’s school was pitched. I was cautious yet excited that this may be a way off the ball and finally someone was trying something good and new to make sure this generation was going to succeed. The principle stated, “This is not for everybody” when talking to the parents at a screening meeting and “this is a dream come true for me and I wish other teachers would try this” as a confidence booster for putting trust in the 'new' system. It was sold as a cohort style, multi-age, strength based system where it would fit the child’s ever changing needs.  I signed my daughter up and immediately started key word searches under the title of the program hoping to find some information to help me understand what to expect. I didn’t come up with much but what I did find seemed harmless. Parents chatted and wondered about the ‘cutting edge’ system as they were told to not e-mail or phone the teachers involved as they were working hard to prepare for the new school year. I was a little leery of that but shrugged it off as a respectful thing to do. I asked people I knew; teachers, parents, friends, family if they new about this system, had it been tried in their schools? I got a fifty-fifty response on the issue. Some had experienced this sort of thing and felt it was no good, some had no opinion as they did not know about it and others loved it. I got a mixed bag, so I let things progress thinking I did a pretty good job investigating. I was wrong.
 
I prepared my daughter for the first day of her third grade year in a new program. I told her things may be a little different but you’ll adjust. The perk of it all was she had her previous grade teacher. I really wasn’t worried as my daughter is highly social and assimilates to new situations with ease. The first week of any school is getting to know the student and beginning to go over old material as a refresher but there were minor clues things were not right. I asked her every day at the end of school what she thought of the new program and what she was learning. I was met with silence and a look in her eye that seemed a little confused. I figured it is a new program, sometimes kids can be overwhelmed and not know what to say, we’ll have to give it time. Yet, that was not like my daughter. She always was ready to answer my questions and tell me at least one thing she learned or liked about every day, it was our habit to chat about school in the car ride home or before bedtime. The end of the first week approached and she seemed more nervous and still wasn’t able to tell me anything except she didn’t like being shuffled around to different rooms because she was just getting into her assignment and felt like she couldn’t finish or focus on the material. Again, it was a new program and time is needed to adjust, so I told her I would chat with the teacher and see if I could help in any way. That seemed to put her at ease and I sent off the e-mail to the teacher. The teacher was nice about handling things and asked that she have a one on one chat with my daughter to smooth things out. I asked her how the chat went and she said it went well and felt a little better. My instinct said to not dismiss this yet. During the day, I checked out the blog the teachers put up for parents to show assignments the class was doing. I was a little unnerved at one technology assignment.The question that pricked my instinct more was regarding what your parent’s rules were about going on the computer at home. I knew this was a cohort but why was this question on an assignment? Then my daughter told me about a section they were discussing that had to do with perspective and paradigm change. My hair stood up on the back of my neck, the subject matter the class was discussing was harmless but when an institution is talking about paradigm change one must pay attention, as this can lead down many paths. I listened with a silence of my own, knowing something just wasn’t right. Little red flags were beginning to cause my intestines to wrench. I still couldn’t pinpoint the why but I was alert. My daughter just didn’t seem her whole self so I asked the teacher to let me observe the classroom as I might be able to help my daughter with the transition if I knew how the structure worked and could reinforce support as needed. I was deterred with these rebuttals; my request was given in too short of notice and it is so early in the semester you might upset students with your presence. I was not pleased to see a parent wasn’t wanted in the classroom and one that is known to not cause undue stress as I was active in this teacher’s classroom the previous year. I was patient and understanding but I wasn’t going to let this go. I decided to go back to researching deeper into things. I punched in ‘behavior in education’ by the prompting of the Holy Spirit, no doubt, on a website I trust and a 20 minute video made my jaw drop, my heart rush and my fingers fly on the keyboard sending an e-mail to withdraw my daughter from the program immediately; and not until I pressed the send button did my nerve racked gut calm down. Now I understood why my daughter was not herself. The video described the program my daughter was in in eerily similar terms, as well as the philosophy behind it; and it had a name and a history rap sheet a mile long, not to mention failure with a capitol F.

After I told my daughter the news, her countenance changed, you could see relaxation flood back into her frame. She then told me a few more tidbits of information. She said, “Mom, I didn’t like the test where they asked if I like studying in a dark or light lit room.” Why wasn't this assignment posted on the blog for parents to see? She also mentioned feeling confused much of the time and my daughter is precocious in nature not just by my estimation but by many that meet her, not one to be confused easily. She said, "I felt I was back in Kindergarten." She never looked back on her last day in that program and was excited to leave.

Now, one could argue that this program just wasn’t meant for her, you read too much into things and you did what is right for you but why tell others to stay away from this system?  Believe me, I was grateful we dodged a bullet and was glad to be back on the ‘normal’ curriculum (which has hints of this system in it too), but I have never felt so compelled to warn people. The further I dig the more I see this system is one of abuse on many levels and variations of it exist not only in public schools but in some private ones as well. If one parent steps up to the responsibility of properly overseeing their child’s education, I am glad to have had my experience and the detailed research of others available to them.

I asked a question in the beginning of this paper, does it matter?

If your principles, values, privacy, family structure and freedom matter to you then please read more about why Outcome Based Education is designed to challenge and change those core beliefs at the destructive cost of the individual.  

Growth Requires Pruning

After the Rain By: Loneangel

I was reading O Pioneers, by Willa Cather, a book about the Swedish land settlers of Nebraska. The main character, Alexandra, is a strong-minded, resourceful woman. She stoically takes over the family farm after her father passes away and creates a successful , thriving business that expands through risk, hard-labor and sacrifice but with a price of loneliness.  She is nearing middle age when a past love interest returns to the homestead. Before she can even begin to think about the possibility of settling into happiness, Oscar and Lou her brothers, make their case against any companionship for Alexandra. They site many selfish reasons for her to withhold going forward in a 'foolish' decision to get married; her love interest is a loafer and wants to be taken care of, he wants to take the property from the family, she is too old for thinking of marriage and should have done that when she was young and they finally get to the crux of their real concern; they worked harder for the land then she did. They disregarded her wit, slighted her ingenuity and her strength to make hard decisions against the grain of the town and come out on top. They essentially wanted more even when they had plenty and at the cost of someone else's happiness.

They went as far as accusing her of being hard on them...
                            "Hard on you? I never meant to be hard. Conditions were hard.
                             I didn't choose to be the kind of girl I was. If you take even a
                             vine and cut it back again and again, it grows hard, like a tree."


Her last sentence stuck with me and shouted out the goodness behind God's pruning sheers on my life.

I have two rose bushes in my backyard that the previous owner planted. One Fall day I was looking at the gangly things and not exactly knowing what to do and not caring too much I whacked them down to the ground. I figured, I don't really care for rose bushes anyway and not having to look at the mess of unorganized leaves was better then trying to shape them. When I was finished I looked at the nubs poking out of the ground and thought I did them in for sure. I even chuckled at the bad haircut I gave them thinking some avid rose gardener would scold me intensely. Not a thought entered my head about those rose bushes until the next Spring when I had a mass of red flowers blooming that were breathtaking to view from my kitchen window. The beautifully mounded bush had every inch covered in color, and I began to like the rose bushes against my fence. They brought birds and bees to the backyard to watch and enjoy.  My harsh pruning brought forth a beautiful display.

This is also true of our walk with God. Many lessons can be learned from the harsh pruning God wants to administer to us in our walk. I happen to be going through one of those right now. Circumstances are sheers in which He prunes away the branches that don't bear fruit. He looks at the shaggy parts, even when we think they aren't that bad and artistically cuts a branch here, trims a leaf there or even knows that when harsh conditions are prevalent a total cut back of the plant will be a life saving  decision in the long run. The plant may look ugly or dead but it can do one of two things; it can wilt and die or it can rest in the Winter season so it can thrive and grow to produce a bountiful harvest in the following season.

I have had my share of tears, fears, worries, emotions and questions but it comes down to this...am I going to trust that He knows what is best for me even when the outside view seems foolish, ugly or unfair? He is the artist, the tender of our spiritual garden, the grafter of vines and branches, the master gardener along the narrow path. Unlike my unthoughtful onslaught on my rose bushes, He removes those branches tenderly at the right time and in the right way. All we have to do is be aware, willing to respond and be patient in waiting as the growth takes place for the next season where we can bear fruit and be a strong, beautiful testimony to His handiwork.

Alexandra made a great point when she said, "cut it back, again and again, it grows hard like a tree." There is something to being harshly pruned, stripped to nothing; it builds character and a resolve to keep growing into something unmovable. (James 1, Hebrews 10:32-39 and 11)

By the way, I've let those rose bushes grow on me, they now have a special place in the backyard where I'll let them be.

John 15

Jeremiah 18