For years, the Democrats have held the edge with the public on the issue of education. This has been for a variety of reasons. But now that’s fading because GOP governors are actually changing the world of education with stunning success. And strangely, the credit belongs to Jeb Bush.
Between 1999 and 2007, Jeb Bush was governor of Florida. When he was elected, Florida’s schools were the worst in the nation. Against the total opposition of the Florida teachers unions, Bush instituted the following reforms:
● First, Florida began grading schools -- A through F -- based on student progress on proficiency tests. Students at schools which failed were allowed to transfer away.
● Secondly, they stopped “social promotion,” i.e. graduating kids to the next grade even though they were failing. (i.e. incentives for students)
● Third, they created a merit-pay system where teachers got bonuses if their students passed certain exams. (i.e. incentives for teachers)
● Fourth, parents got greater choice. They could use state vouchers to choose from public, private, charter and even on-line schools. (i.e. incentives for schools)
● Fifth, they changed the certification requirements to allow other professionals to become teachers even without having the noxious and useless “education” degree.
Each of these are things the teachers unions all over the country have been fighting for decades with the most ridiculous claims. Like how in Michigan, for example, the Michigan Education Association is whining how new reforms they are fighting would mean a 44-year-old teach who was hoping to retire in three years now would not be able to retire until she turns all of 60! The horror. They've also screamed racism, classism, and all the usual crappola.
So how did Bush’s plan work? Florida’s schools are now statistically among the best in the nation. That’s right, worst to near first in eight years. And black and Hispanic students have made the biggest gains. Moreover, Bush did all of this without massive increases in spending -- per pupil spending rose slightly, but not as much as in other states.
You would think this would open some eyes on the left, right? Hardly. Republican governors are now doing the exact same things in Nevada, New Mexico, Michigan, Indiana, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arizona, and a host of other Republican leaning states with Republican governors. And guess what? The unions and the Democrats continue to fight tooth and nail to stop these proven reforms. Isn’t it amazing that they simply don’t want things to get better?
Well, according to researchers at Stanford University, voters increasingly see the Democrats as servants of the teachers unions and the failing status quo. So maybe things are changing?
Of course, that won’t change any Democratic minds. I’ve mentioned before how it’s being proven that liberals are stupider than conservatives, are less well-informed, and are more likely to avoid people who disagree with them (LINK, LINK). Well, it also turns out that liberals distort their beliefs to help their own side. Indeed, consider this fact from the liberal Washington Post: while 73% of liberals said the White House could control gas prices when Bush was in office, only 33% claimed to believe that with Obama in the White House. That means two out of three liberals either changed their beliefs or lied about their beliefs to help the Democrats. Imagine that! So don’t expect them to recognize the improvements in the world of education.
But others are waking up. And little by little, the Democrats are losing their association with being the party of education. And that will benefit the nation's children.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Republicans Reforming Education
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58 comments:
great points, Andrew. Actually, I'm not surprised that Jeb Bush led the way in this. I am anti-union to the depth of my core because it stifles meritorious conduct by teachers. I'm proud to say my youngest son never went to a public school until he took his MBA at a State University I was appalled how badly the public school system had gotten when he was growing up.
This is why I sure am amazed that Wisconsin has gotten as far as it has. I would hate to see Governor Walker recalled and a final victory handed to those bastards that hid out in motels.
Andrew,
People are waking up. Liberal lies are not having the same effect they used to have years ago. I was checking out Huffpo on something Sharpton said and sure enough, a good portion of the comments are against Sharpton. My heart swelled.
Jed,
Last I checked, the recalls are going down in flames in the most inopportune way. It seems the Dims got enough signatures to get it on the ballot but forgot that there was a lot of time for the Governor's policies to take effect. So when this recall election comes around, Walker and the other recalled politicians won't be voted out of office and the Dim massive effort will have failed spectacularly. Look for the MSM to shove it under the carpet immediately.
Always remember with hardcore liberals, their only concern is “what’s in it for me?” Put another way they’ve utterly distorted JFK’s speech, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country?” to “Ask your country, what’s in it for me, and where do I pick up my stuff?” This extends into education, kind of like the Wizard giving the strawman a brain, when in truth he’s still a dumbass scarecrow. Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic, are strict disciplines that simply do not bend to slang, or 2+2=5. Sadly we now have legions of well documented college graduates, whose degrees in advanced basket weaving are as useless as teats on a boar hog. This is what gives us roaming bands of dolts (OWS) who don’t know their ass from a hole in the ground, left begging for “what’s in it for me, man?” as opposed to, getting up, grab your bootstraps, and get busy, the starting gun has fired. In conclusion, your article is spot on, this is something conservatives should own, it’s good to see.
"And strangely, the credit belongs to Jeb Bush."
Start saying your prayers, people. We gave you fair warning.
Mayans, I was going to say the same thing! It must have killed Andrew to say that! LOL!
Hear, hear! I was listening to Bill Bennett this morning and he says he now feels the most optimistic about education he has felt over his entire career. Now that's sayin' something.
If conservatives get a solid hold on education, that will go a long way to curing many of the other ills that we as a movement struggle against. I think the fifth of Jeb's reforms goes the furthest toward this aim. Conservatives have made a grave error in disparaging "the ivory tower" and refusing participation in it. We’ve unwittingly made reality of G.B. Shaw’s cynicism, “He who can, does; he who cannot, teaches.” (I wonder how many conservatives might blush to learn they’ve been authoritatively quoting Shaw all their lives?)
The foothold that liberals maintain is their unending willingness to "invest" other people’s money. (Ironic, isn’t it, the same bunch who deplore capitalism are always so eager to "invest"?) Conservatives need to seize upon that word, not to attack it, but to own it. The Democrats want only to invest tax dollars, lazily throwing money at the problem. Conservatives and Republicans must speak of investing other things: ideas, energy, experience, talent, and so on. If I were a GOP speechwriter, I’d try to introduce a couple new maxims. "Work smarter, not costlier," and "He who can, should teach."
These are really solid reforms and it's amazing that even the unions would be upset by this. That just goes to show how little they care about students.
Jed, Thanks! I think this is a fascinating issue with a lot of potential to change the country for the better. And the first step is to de-fang the unions, which is what Bush and the others have done so well because they simply oppose all reform.
I'm not sure how the recalls are going in Wisconsin, but the fact they aren't a slam dunk for the left tells me times have changed. Wisconsin is NOT a conservative state.
Joel, I think times are changing, though I doubt the left will accept that. As the Post article pointed out, liberals are remarkably good at redefinining reality to make their own side look good. So I don't expect them to wake up. But the rest of the public will.
The thing about education is that it's been dominated by liberal 100% since the 1950s. And the result of that has been ever more failure. They said, "it's lack of money!" So in the 1980s, we began spending a fortune on it. It got worse. Now the time has come for genuine reforms and that's what these are -- particularly letting in fresh blood. And as predicted, the results are tremendous. There's no hiding that, but the left won't admit it, so they are fighting a losing battle to defend failure.
Excellent. And now, for the item that's been an orphan since the Contract with America--eliminate the Department of Educatio.
Stan, Very true. And this is the perfect example of leftists being in it for themselves. These reforms work. And there is no reason to oppose them whatsoever. Yet, the left and the teachers unions have been fighting them tooth and nail precisely because they expose the system to the incentives brought about by competition, i.e. they force people to do their jobs well or lose them. So they would rather that America turn out generations of idiots than let a few bad teachers get fired. Imagine that.
But conservatives are grabbing this mantle as effective school reformers and that will pay off huge, especially with the gender gap. Education has always been one of the areas where women credit the Democrats. As that changes, look for the gender gap to close a couple percentage points.
Dear Mayans, You are correct. We should all be worried. . . very worried.
DUQ, I do indeed have an aversion to the Bush clan, but in this instance Bush did the right thing. I understand he was a good governor and I will give him that credit. Just don't EVER expect me to vote for him for President.
Andrew saying good things about Jeb Bush? Wow, now I've seen everything.
Don't forget Wisconsin on your list. It seems like at least once a week I read some new story about school improvement in that state since Walker broke the teachers' unions.
tryanmax, Excellent points.
I think the fifth reform is the most important as well. The left has ensured that nothing can ever change in education by stacking the deck. They take the most malleable students and force them through an "education program" which indoctrinates them with stupidity. Then they close off the teaching "profession" to anyone who hasn't been through the brainwasher. The fifth reform lets other people into the system, people who know how the real world works and who haven't been politicized. (Interesting, it also opens the door to a lot more men, which will dramatically reshape education.) That will break the deathgrasp liberalism has on education.
And you are 100% correct that conservatives have stupidly abandoned education. Even now you hear whining about how education isn't worth it and how reel Amerkans don't need no education. This is intensely stupid and counterproductive. It's the same kind of stupidity as when conservatives decided to abandon Hollywood. If you abandon the places where kids are taught and where culture is made, what do you think is going to happen to the country? Not to mention, who wants to follow someone who says that edukation is for the other guys? Tell me that doesn't play into the liberal meme that they're smarter.
I think conservatives need to seize this opportunity and claim credit for it constantly. They need to make themselves seen as the people who understand and can fix education. And they need to learn to manage the PR. Stop talking about wiping out the DoE and start talking about real reform. People want to hear that you have ideas. They also need to encourage other conservatives to become teachers through these reforms. And they need to stop whining that education is somehow a bad thing.
Doc, The unions don't care about the students, they care about protecting their jobs. And they are worried that when competition is introduced, people need to actually work to keep their jobs. So they will fight all of this no matter how effective.
Lawhawk, That's never going to happen and we should instead use it to force the kinds of reforms seen here upon liberal states.
T-Rav, It did feel kind of funny. ;)
True, there is a lot happening in Wisconsin as well. But the Florida reforms are the ones conservatives are running with because they address each of the players in the system and they make a lot of sense.
What will be interesting will be seeing if in 10 years, conservative states dominate the list of best states. That would be something. I wonder how the left would explain that?
Andrew, That's an interesting point about the reforms letting more men into education. The lack of men in the field is a problem. When you get one gender in a field, it's been shown time and again that you get a skewed policies and poor decision making.
I also think this is why boys do worse in education because the public schools are set up to cater to females. Allowing in men from other fields will change that dramatically.
Andrew, my guess is they will ignore it. That's what they usually do with facts which contradict them.
On tryanmax's points, I probably have more reason to complain than most, since I go to work and school in the "ivory tower." And it is extremely frustrating. However, I'm still going to make a career out of it, because I see the misinformation that kids get on a daily basis. I think we're headed for a crash and restructuring of the education system, because this tangled mess simply cannot go on forever, and hopefully us conservatives in the education business can make a difference when it happens.
To clarify, I'm not being sexist, I'm saying that men and women are different and it takes both to teach both boys and girls.
Doc, That's true. Studies have shown that boys and girls learn differently, but the system is set up to cater to the way girls learn. And I think that's the case because the overwhelming number of teachers/administrators are women, so they set up the system they think would work for them. Introducing a balance again would probably lead to a lot of positive changes for both male and female students. For one thing, I would expect a lot fewer class disruptions and a lot less medicating of kids.
But even more importantly, these people will be coming from fields with a different perspective which haven't been poisoned with ideas like the "self-esteem." And bringing in people with a different perspective who come from more result-oriented fields will make a huge difference.
T-Rav, I think they'll probably deny it as long as they can and when it becomes inevitable, they will try to co-opt it by embracing it and then changing it when nobody is looking.
In terms of your ivory tower life, I have a couple thoughts:
First, liberals arts college is a mess. Engineering, science, and business is different -- they generally do what college is supposed to do and are the best in the world at it. So there needs to be a change in the liberal arts schools. And I think that change has to come from cutting off the funding for their stupidity. It's time to put a tuition limit on student loans so that colleges need to start making genuine cuts. It's also time to fully embrace this alternative education system being set up by for profit schools, who do the things most students want without the BS. (There is a huge war against those schools at the moment by nonprofit colleges because they are changing the face of education.)
Secondly, conservatives need to wake up. Too many are ready to play this game of claiming ignorance makes you noble and spend all their time badmouthing education across the board. This is counterproductive and stupid.
1. Why would anyone trust someone who says "edukation is stoopid." And doesn't that play into the liberal claim that they are elites?
2. How can conservatives contribute to the debate on what needs to change when they take the position "all education is bad." That kind of statement gets people to tune you out immediately. Conservatives need to learn to target their criticisms at the real problems rather than these broad-brush attacks, which are always counterproductive.
3. We need more conservatives in education because you can't change a system from the outside. So just like with Hollywood, conservatives need to start encouraging each other to get inside and then bring change. So good for you for being there! And when you finally get tenure one day, don't be afraid to be open about being a conservative.
The state of education in America is exemplified by Rush Limbaugh's line...."The chickification of America." I don't know what the stats are, but what % of teachers of little minds are female? I heard a rumor that recess is no longer allowed, or if it is, it becomes infected with politically correct "activities" rather than a release of steam like it used to be. Is there anymore dodgeball? Tag? Climbing backstop fences around the baseball field? These are all the things boys do to get the aggressiveness out of their system. The girls all used to do "group" games or stand around talking about other kids. Let the boys go back to their "dangerous" pursuits and quit forcing female-friendly activities on them in elementary school.
I believe we need to go back to the idea of segregated classes / schools, with all boys and all girls, starting with 7th grade. Once the hormones kick in, everything else is subordinated and learning takes a back seat.
The above, combined with similar reforms like Florida put in place, will ensure we get the most out of our students. And let people choose what skills they want to learn in school. Not everyone will go to college.
In the words of the immortal Judge Shmaels....."The world needs ditch-diggers too!"
Doc, It's not being sexist, it's the reality. Boys and girls are different and have different needs. In fact, separating students by sex actually makes a world of difference while kids are young.
Patriot, There are very distinct differences in the way boys and girls learn, and one of the problems in our current system is that it has been designed by women to cater to girls. This leads to lots of problems for the boys, and the response has been "there must be something wrong with them, let's medicate them." That needs to end. And the reintroduction of a large number of males into the profession would fix most of that almost immediately.
And I have to say truthfully, that I don't know a single male who ever lists a female teacher as someone they considered a mentor. That's just not how males work. They always look for a male mentor as a role model, just like I'm sure girls seek out the advice of women and not men.
In terms of separating the students by gender, I think that's probably a good idea, EXCEPT I think people should have choices. So I like it as an option, but not as a requirement.
In terms of not everyone needing to go to college, that is true. But while this is true, too many conservatives are too quick to embrace statements like that and launch into an anti-education diatribe. That costs us a lot of credibility with parents who actually want their kids educated. The better approach is to speak of alternatives. We need to become more accepting of ideas like trade schools, junior colleges and even apprenticeships.
Not everyone needs an education, but we can't be the party that pretends it's ok to dump people on the streets at 17 without any skills.
Also, congrats to Romney last night. I hope this finally puts the primaries to rest. I understand Newt is going to drop out, but Ricky still won't endorse Romney. What a jerk.
Andrew...as usual, your way with words helps illustrate and clarify my points! People need to be "Free to Choose" as Milton Friedman proclaimed.
Doc, I think both Newt and Ricky are irrelevant now as far as the election goes. But hopefully, people will remember the way Ricky has behaved when he tries to run the next time.
Andrew, I'm all for alternatives like trade schools and apprenticeships. In blue-collar regions, those are going to be far more beneficial to many young adults than a four-year liberal arts program would be.
I have complaints of my own about everyone being in college, but it's less about "edukation is stoopid" than the fact that a lot of kids today only go to college because it looks good on a job application later or they think that's what you're supposed to do. Many of them can't or won't do the work, much of which is of no benefit to their future careers anyway. As a result, the institutions are all dumbing down their curriculums and creating additional programs to make sure the bottom-dwellers can just squeak by. The University of Mississippi, for example, has reduced its standards of admission to an 18 on the ACT and a 2.0 GPA in high school; this is incredibly mediocre. A lot of instructors (and I'm speaking about the liberal arts programs here) practically spoon-feed students the stuff they need to know on tests, and they still get Cs and Ds.
And then the upper-level and graduate courses are often even less help, because then it's no longer about learning the material, it's about "deconstructing" it through the lens of race, class, gender, etc. Speaking only for the history field (but psychology, English, and a few others have it about as bad), I'm starting to see a lot of people come in who can talk all day about how such-and-such literature or ideology is "gendered" or "racialized," but know nothing about the historical events themselves.
The problem isn't so much that too many people are going to college, it's that the schools, in order to keep them there, have sacrificed quality and followed a "lowest common denominator" approach to make sure everyone passes. That's not the point of a university. It's to give a proper, well-rounded education to the people who can hack it.
Thus ends my Syllabus of Errors.
Patriot, Thanks! Glad I could help! :)
Uncle Milty was my favorite economist at the time. He was great. Add in a Walter Williams and a Thomas Sowell and you've got a heck of a team.
T-Rav, I agree 103%. ;)
The problem isn't so much that too many people are going to college, it's that the schools, in order to keep them there, have sacrificed quality and followed a "lowest common denominator" approach to make sure everyone passes.
That is the problem in a nutshell. As schools have fallen in love with the idea of getting rich, they have dumbed themselves down to attract and keep anyone. It's fine to accept anyone, but it's not fine to just keep passing people along -- schools need to raise up everyone they take. Instead, they just lower all the expectations to the lowest common denominator so everyone passes. That means everyone loses and even the bright kids who wanted a real education get cheated. Thus, it is now less common to take a class on Shakespeare than it is to take a class on The Simpsons.
You wouldn't believe how much resistance I faced in college in trying to get into harder classes. I was constantly told by advisors to take fewer class (I took 21 hours per semester, so I needed permission) and to take more fluff classes like "history of jazz" (I sought out the hard stuff because I realized I didn't want to waste my time). The school really didn't want me doing that and they fought me time and again.
Also, I can tell you for a fact that there is a huge difference between the good schools and the bad schools on this. The top schools really do expect you to work in the tough classes. The weaker school don't. They barely even offer tough classes.
The other problem is that with schools being awash in cash, colluding on course requirements and pricing, and with no real competition (except for the new for-profit schools), they have filled their course offerings with garbage because professors (like all labor) are lazy when there is nothing driving them to constantly improve. So they've turned their grudges and their hobbies into classes and they used the power of "the requirement" to force their courses to draw consumers. That's what's led to the gender studies and black studies crap. If schools really had to compete for students, those things would vanish fast.
Republicans have always done well at the governor level. I hope this spreads all over the Republican leaning states and that it shows a clear difference between us and the left on this issue.
Also, let me add, I love how you point out where the incentives go on each of the points. That's the kind of thinking I really enjoy seeing here all the time. You've made it very clear how these five points work together and why they would work. Thanks!
Ed, Thanks! I'm glad you like the site. :)
I agree, I would like to see this spread to other conservative states and each of those states surpass the liberal states on the rankings. That would give the left fits. It would also probably bring about serious changes at all levels.
In doing the budget, Texas cut some of the extra line items that specifically fund some of the smaller state universities - and it is hurting. (We need profs! And we have to pay well to get people to come to middle of nowhere West Texas + inflated cost of living because of the oil boom = no money, no new profs, overloaded profs) But I wonder... we tend to be a non-traditional student body: older folks going back to school, people getting a degree because their job thinks they should have it, lots of teachers working on Masters, but also LOTS of kids with no clue whatsoever. I wonder if our costs would go down if there were fewer "I don't know what else to do so I'll go to college".
rlaWTX, I think the problem for you all is that so much money gets blown on other things that aren't needed at the bigger schools. That's how it usually works, with money poured into a main campus or two and then everyone else given scraps. Thus, rather than make sure you have everything you need all over the state, you end up with poor schools in the boonies and then gender and ethnic studies and courses on television programs at the big schools.
yep. we aren't funded like UT - we have to have a special line item - or something. I'll be honest, I'm not sure exactly how it works. We got into the conversation in class because we need profs!
What a nice post for the middle of the week! This makes me feel good.
It sounds like the Justices are slapping down the government hard on the Arizona lawsuit. Even the liberals are attacking Obama on this. Sotomayor said, "it sounds like you're case isn't selling very well."
Andrew......perhaps you could take on the "Voting Franchise" in another post. If we had some sort of restriction on who could vote.....and I haven't really thought this through.....then we could do away with the entitlement, give me some of yours mentality that is destroying this country, financially, morally and socially.
And since this IS a site devoted to politics, culture and art, maybe the commenters can share their thoughts on what they think is the best film/TV show to depict a truly free society...one they would love to have lived in.
As always.......excellent commentary today
rlaWXT, Sounds like you should volunteer! :)
Thanks Ellen! I'm glad you liked it. I think this is a good thing and it's good that people know about it.
DUQ, I heard a little on the radio. It does sound bad for the Feds. I haven't looked closely enough at the issues to say for sure, but it sounds like the court is going to uphold Arizona's law.
Patriot, I could talk about voting. I'll see what I can come up with.
Freest film? Hmm. I think Westerns probably win that one. But it would be a good question. I'll add that to the film debate list. :)
Andrew, Republican PR is the worst, so I can only hope that they seize upon credit for education reform. What's more likely, though, is that after things are fixed, Democrats will somehow finagle the credit for themselves and Republicans will do little more than whimper their protest.
As to abandoning Hollywood, I'm sure that comes from the "conservative" notion that entertaining isn't "real" work. The same line of thinking can probably be applied to teaching and politics. In other words, conservative culture actively discourages addressing its own greatest threats.
tryanmax, This is how it's likely to turn out unless the Republicans start trumpeting these things now. Indeed, history is full of things the Republicans did over the howls of Democrats, which the Democrats then tried to claim credit for later. Welfare reform comes to mind.
There is a strain of conservative thinking which sees things like teaching and entertainment as "not real work." It ties to the idea that only manuel labor counts as "real" work. Conservatives need to get over that fast because the future is services.
I read that Bobby Jindahl just did something similar. It sounds like the Republican governors are on the ball.
Hi Andrew!
OT-
My mom (Phila.PA area) is concerned that Romney can't beat Obummer. She is surrounded by limosine libs and I told her to cheer up. I remembered that you discussed 3 "ultimate" battleground states. Please remind me. (I remember that OH and Florida are usually the keys but what is this about NH???
No pressure but I told her I would e-mail your response :D
Have a great one!
Anon, I've read that as well and the teachers unions are furious. They're particularly upset about the voucher portion. Apparently, this has been used successfully in New Orleans and Jindal is just expanding it to the state, but they are very upset.
Hi Cris!
I'm actually planning to talk about it that tomorrow, but there's a very good chance it will come down to Ohio, Florida and New Hampshire as the key states. There are some other battleground states (I think people are naming 10 total), but those are the three that will probably decide the election.
As i was reading the bullet points i said (to an empty room): You mean they brought in free enterprise and it worked?! Shocker!
I wasn't really shocked. And sarcasm is lost on an empty room...
Patti, Sarcasm is indeed lost on an empty room! LOL!
But yeah, the left will never buy into free enterprise. But this shows that when Republicans have the nerve, they can achieve a lot of good things.
Cris, I take it back. Only Ohio and Florida will end up mattering
I understand what is meant with less "medicating" of the kids by introducing a balance with the teachers (between male and female). My younger brother is in his late 30s. He was one of those kids who was put on medication for his hyperactivity, and at some point he rebelled with refusing to take his meds. We've talked about it recently, and I told him I never remember anything like that when I was younger. We played outside for recess, had dodge ball, tag, etc. He was at the age when things had already started to change.
As for the male teachers, we didn't have very many in grade school, but there was more of a balance in high school. The male teachers were usually a lot more fun too. They were always the ones I could joke with.
Andrew, I sent you a link that would just dovetail with this article.
Jen, Like I said above, I don't know any males who will name a female teacher as having been a mentor. I'm not saying female teachers are bad, not at all, but I think boys gravitate toward male role models and I suspect females gravitate toward female role models.
The medicating thing is new within the last couple decades. They've systematically banned things like recess and other "energy draining" activities and when the kids have acted up because of it, the schools responded with medication.
Thanks for the link.
AndrewPrice said...
"Doc, The unions don't care about the students, they care about protecting their jobs. And they are worried that when competition is introduced, people need to actually work to keep their jobs. So they will fight all of this no matter how effective."
Not only that but the Union leaders, politicians, and other leaders of the Left do not want (whether conciously or subconciously, the results are the same) students to learn to think for themselves or become free thinkers.
Because then they'll start asking the right questions, arguing, pointing out the truth, thinking outside the leftist box, questioning what they are being taught, etc..
It would be a disaster for proregressive groupthink and brainwashing programs.
Not to mention their divisive tactics of separating students by race, sex, sexual orientation, politics, and class warfare.
Everyone would be equal and no student will have special rights over any other due to their ideology or differences.
It would demolish their "you're a victim, we are all victims" mentality.
Conservatives should stress that we want students to learn critical thinking skills and we encourage each student to do their own research to get truthful answers.
Whereas liberals want students to go along with collectivist and group thinking led by their union teachers, progressive professors, the MSM and progressive artists.
Conservatives: learn the truth for yourself. Think for yourself. We will give you the tools to think critically and verify.
Liberals: we will tell you what the truth is and we will tell you what to think. It's easy. We won't confuse you with all that critical thinking garbage which is anti-gay, anti-black, anti-feminist, anti-self esteem, anti-caring and a real danger to Mother Gaia and your animal brothers and sisters (not to mention unfair).
Excellent post, Andrew!
It's heartening to see conservatives actually giving parents and students choices and helping students to learn rather than trying to outdo liberals by throwing more money at the teachers union monopoly of collectivist "learning."
Thanks Ben! I agree, the last thing the left wants is to create critical thinkers because so much of what they preach is nonsense and even a marginal thinker can see right through the contradictions. What they want is people to be just smart enough think they see the truth but to instead just lap up all the propaganda they are being fed.
But that's really at the college level. At this level, I think the problem is more a factor of job security. The unions simply don't want anything which can endanger the jobs of their members.
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