Author Topic: The Ed Schools’ Latest—and Worst—Humbug  (Read 1985 times)

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Offline DixieBelle

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The Ed Schools’ Latest—and Worst—Humbug
« on: September 14, 2008, 02:24:34 PM »
Quote
Teaching for “social justice” is a cruel hoax on disadvantaged kids.

In 1980, Bill Ayers and his partner Bernardine Dohrn came up from the underground—the Weather Underground, that is. It had been a wild ride for the Bonnie and Clyde of the sixties New Left. They first went into combat during the 1969 “Days of Rage” in Chicago, smashing storefront windows and assaulting police officers and city officials in the fantasy that they were aiding their Vietnamese allies by “bringing the war back home.” They spent the next few years planting bombs at government buildings around the country, including in restrooms at the Pentagon and the Capitol. When their little war against America sputtered to a halt, the revolutionary couple rationalized that at least they had not caused any deaths. But three of their comrades had blown themselves up in a Manhattan townhouse while preparing a bomb to detonate at a dance at the Fort Dix army base.

Ayers has acknowledged committing crimes during his underground days—crimes that arguably amounted to treason. Yet thanks to procedural complications and a lack of witnesses, he never went to trial or to jail. A few years after stepping out of the shadows, Ayers reflected on his odyssey in a conversation with journalists Peter Collier and David Horowitz: “Guilty as hell, free as a bird—America is a great country,” he exulted.

But that was just half the wonder of it. Ayers would soon go on to disprove thoroughly F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous though mistaken aphorism that “there are no second acts in American lives.” Ayers’s spectacular second act began when he enrolled at Columbia University’s Teachers College in 1984. Then 40, he planned to stay just to get a teaching credential. (He had taught in a “Freedom School” during his pre-underground student radical days.) But he experienced an epiphany in a course taught by Maxine Greene, a leading light of the “critical pedagogy” movement. As Ayers wrote later, he took fire from Greene’s lectures on how the “oppressive hegemony” of the capitalist social order “reproduces” itself through the traditional practice of public schooling—critical pedagogy’s fancy way of saying that the evil corporations exercise thought control through the schools.

It hadn’t occurred to Ayers that an ed-school professor could speak or write as an authentic American radical. “There are vast dislocations in industrial towns, erosions of trade unions; there is little sign of class consciousness today,” Greene had proclaimed in the Harvard Education Review. “Our great cities are burnished on the surfaces, building high technologies, displaying astonishing consumer goods. And on the side streets, in the crevices, in the burnt-out neighborhoods, there are the rootless, the dependent, the sick, the permanently unemployed. There is little sense of agency, even among the brightly successful; there is little capacity to look at things as if they could be otherwise.”

Greene told future teachers that they could help change this bleak landscape by developing a “transformative” vision of social justice and democracy in their classrooms. Her vision, though, was a far cry from the democratic optimism of the Founding Fathers, Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King Jr., which most parents would endorse. Instead, critical pedagogy theorists nurse a rancorous view of an America in which it is always two minutes to midnight and a knock on the door by the thought police is imminent. The education professors feel themselves anointed to use the nation’s K–12 classrooms to resist this oppressive system. Thus Maxine Greene urged teachers not to mince words with children about the evils of the existing social order. They should portray “homelessness as a consequence of the private dealings of landlords, an arms buildup as a consequence of corporate decisions, racial exclusion as a consequence of a private property-holder’s choice.” In other words, they should turn the little ones into young socialists and critical theorists.

All music to Bill Ayers’s ears. The ex-Weatherman glimpsed a new radical vocation. He dreamed of bringing the revolution from the streets to the schools. And that’s exactly what he has managed to do.


SNIP



http://www.city-journal.org/html/16_3_ed_school.html
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Offline Lanie

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Re: The Ed Schools’ Latest—and Worst—Humbug
« Reply #1 on: September 14, 2008, 08:19:03 PM »
Quote
They should portray “homelessness as a consequence of the private dealings of landlords,

It was portrayed as a person's misfortune where I've been.

Quote
an arms buildup as a consequence of corporate decisions,

Never gonna happen as long as we have business classes and pro-Business clubs.

Quote
racial exclusion as a consequence of a private property-holder’s choice.”


To be fair, those were some of the arguments for slavery. I do know of some conservatives who think that bigotry in businesses should be combatted with boycotts and not the government. I agree with boycotts, but not the second part.

I don't see a lot of these ideas happening. I realize there's this movement to make it look like the education system is out to brainwash your kids into being liberals. That's not the case. Most of the ideas people speak of wouldn't fly in most schools.
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Offline Chris_

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Re: The Ed Schools’ Latest—and Worst—Humbug
« Reply #2 on: September 14, 2008, 08:23:51 PM »
Quote
They should portray “homelessness as a consequence of the private dealings of landlords,

It was portrayed as a person's misfortune where I've been.

Quote
an arms buildup as a consequence of corporate decisions,

Never gonna happen as long as we have business classes and pro-Business clubs.

Quote
racial exclusion as a consequence of a private property-holder’s choice.”


To be fair, those were some of the arguments for slavery. I do know of some conservatives who think that bigotry in businesses should be combatted with boycotts and not the government. I agree with boycotts, but not the second part.

I don't see a lot of these ideas happening. I realize there's this movement to make it look like the education system is out to brainwash your kids into being liberals. That's not the case. Most of the ideas people speak of wouldn't fly in most schools.

Completely untrue -- how long has it been since you were in Higher Ed?  I worked there and saw it daily.

The liberal education machine is just as it is portrayed. 

I can name a few revered names in Higher Ed to make my point: Ayers.  Churchhill. Davis.  Anti-free-speech rules specifically designed to shut up Conservatives on almost all colleges and Universities.


As usually, liberals are clueless (or just lie -- or both) to make their points.
 
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Offline Lanie

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Re: The Ed Schools’ Latest—and Worst—Humbug
« Reply #3 on: September 14, 2008, 08:40:31 PM »
Quote
They should portray “homelessness as a consequence of the private dealings of landlords,

It was portrayed as a person's misfortune where I've been.

Quote
an arms buildup as a consequence of corporate decisions,

Never gonna happen as long as we have business classes and pro-Business clubs.

Quote
racial exclusion as a consequence of a private property-holder’s choice.”


To be fair, those were some of the arguments for slavery. I do know of some conservatives who think that bigotry in businesses should be combatted with boycotts and not the government. I agree with boycotts, but not the second part.

I don't see a lot of these ideas happening. I realize there's this movement to make it look like the education system is out to brainwash your kids into being liberals. That's not the case. Most of the ideas people speak of wouldn't fly in most schools.

Completely untrue -- how long has it been since you were in Higher Ed?  I worked there and saw it daily.

The liberal education machine is just as it is portrayed. 

I can name a few revered names in Higher Ed to make my point: Ayers.  Churchhill. Davis.  Anti-free-speech rules specifically designed to shut up Conservatives on almost all colleges and Universities.


As usually, liberals are clueless (or just lie -- or both) to make their points.
 

I was last on a high school campus last school year.

Schools do have more restrictions, but it's normally against all ideas. They fear that people start discussing too much during instruction time that arguments and disruption can break out. And BTW, they do break out. Teachers are given a certain set of things to teach the kids in time for the test. They really don't have a lot of time to break up arguments in class. Kids can discuss stuff with critical thinking questions or in their own groups.
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Offline Chris_

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Re: The Ed Schools’ Latest—and Worst—Humbug
« Reply #4 on: September 14, 2008, 09:08:27 PM »

I was last on a high school campus last school year.

To go through graduation or just pick up your signed GED.  Or does that happen this year?

Quote
Schools do have more restrictions, but it's normally against all ideas. They fear that people start discussing too much during instruction time that arguments and disruption can break out. And BTW, they do break out. Teachers are given a certain set of things to teach the kids in time for the test. They really don't have a lot of time to break up arguments in class. Kids can discuss stuff with critical thinking questions or in their own groups.

Do you have links or just your personal opinions?
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Offline Lanie

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Re: The Ed Schools’ Latest—and Worst—Humbug
« Reply #5 on: September 15, 2008, 04:59:14 AM »

I was last on a high school campus last school year.

To go through graduation or just pick up your signed GED.  Or does that happen this year?

Quote
Schools do have more restrictions, but it's normally against all ideas. They fear that people start discussing too much during instruction time that arguments and disruption can break out. And BTW, they do break out. Teachers are given a certain set of things to teach the kids in time for the test. They really don't have a lot of time to break up arguments in class. Kids can discuss stuff with critical thinking questions or in their own groups.

Do you have links or just your personal opinions?


I've been a substitute teacher and a volunteer. I plan on becoming and Assistant teacher followed by a lead teacher. That's where I get my info, from being there.
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Offline DumbAss Tanker

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Re: The Ed Schools’ Latest—and Worst—Humbug
« Reply #6 on: September 15, 2008, 07:21:42 AM »
Now, now, kids.  What goes on in public education varies drastically from locale to locale, often hugely different just across the boundaries of neighboring districts.  I'm sure each of you is right in the context with which you are familiar, but it is inaccurate to apply these generalizations across all of American public education.
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Offline EastFacingNorth

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Re: The Ed Schools’ Latest—and Worst—Humbug
« Reply #7 on: September 15, 2008, 12:13:45 PM »
Quote
They should portray “homelessness as a consequence of the private dealings of landlords,

It was portrayed as a person's misfortune where I've been.

Quote
an arms buildup as a consequence of corporate decisions,

Never gonna happen as long as we have business classes and pro-Business clubs.

Quote
racial exclusion as a consequence of a private property-holder’s choice.”


To be fair, those were some of the arguments for slavery. I do know of some conservatives who think that bigotry in businesses should be combatted with boycotts and not the government. I agree with boycotts, but not the second part.

I don't see a lot of these ideas happening. I realize there's this movement to make it look like the education system is out to brainwash your kids into being liberals. That's not the case. Most of the ideas people speak of wouldn't fly in most schools.

Completely untrue -- how long has it been since you were in Higher Ed?  I worked there and saw it daily.

The liberal education machine is just as it is portrayed. 

I can name a few revered names in Higher Ed to make my point: Ayers.  Churchhill. Davis.  Anti-free-speech rules specifically designed to shut up Conservatives on almost all colleges and Universities.


As usually, liberals are clueless (or just lie -- or both) to make their points.
 

While you're correct to some degree, and that degree depends largely upon the particular college or university one is attending, a large number of students see educators' adgendas for what they are, rather than buying in hook, line, and sinker.

I couldn't tell you how many times I've asked a classmate what they thought of a particular teacher only to hear some variation of "Does she really expect us to buy into that indoctrination bullshit?"
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Offline Lanie

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Re: The Ed Schools’ Latest—and Worst—Humbug
« Reply #8 on: September 15, 2008, 01:02:19 PM »
Now, now, kids.  What goes on in public education varies drastically from locale to locale, often hugely different just across the boundaries of neighboring districts.  I'm sure each of you is right in the context with which you are familiar, but it is inaccurate to apply these generalizations across all of American public education.

You're probably right.
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Offline Chris_

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Re: The Ed Schools’ Latest—and Worst—Humbug
« Reply #9 on: September 15, 2008, 03:21:53 PM »

I was last on a high school campus last school year.

To go through graduation or just pick up your signed GED.  Or does that happen this year?

Quote
Schools do have more restrictions, but it's normally against all ideas. They fear that people start discussing too much during instruction time that arguments and disruption can break out. And BTW, they do break out. Teachers are given a certain set of things to teach the kids in time for the test. They really don't have a lot of time to break up arguments in class. Kids can discuss stuff with critical thinking questions or in their own groups.

Do you have links or just your personal opinions?


I've been a substitute teacher and a volunteer. I plan on becoming and Assistant teacher followed by a lead teacher. That's where I get my info, from being there.

A liberal wants us to believe that there isn't a liberal agenda, based on personal experience.  It is like when Homer Simpson was in Brazil and mentioned Brazil Nuts, and the local says "here we just call them nuts."

You need a lot more.

If you want to worship an orange pile of garbage with a reckless disregard for everything, get on down to Arbys & try our loaded curly fries.

Offline Chris_

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Re: The Ed Schools’ Latest—and Worst—Humbug
« Reply #10 on: September 15, 2008, 03:23:39 PM »
Now, now, kids.  What goes on in public education varies drastically from locale to locale, often hugely different just across the boundaries of neighboring districts.  I'm sure each of you is right in the context with which you are familiar, but it is inaccurate to apply these generalizations across all of American public education.

Di I need to dig into my list 'o links to support what the OP is saying?  If our local commie happens to have some experience at one of the few schools that hasn't experienced what the OP said, that is a datum and not a trend.
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Offline DumbAss Tanker

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Re: The Ed Schools’ Latest—and Worst—Humbug
« Reply #11 on: September 15, 2008, 04:37:23 PM »
Nah, spare me the links.  Either one of you, I'm sure, can pull out dozens of links to show a VL/RWC to take over the schools.  There are places where it is entirely believable (much more to the Left than the Right, but that's just my opnion), also plenty where there isn't any ideological content at all except from a couple of cranky hardcase teachers that everyone blows off anyway.  Bottom line is moonbat community leadership leads to moonbat values being taught in the schools, and likewise for Conservative ones.  It's all pretty anecdotal, and to the extent there are stats I don't trust their objectivity.
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Offline MrsSmith

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Re: The Ed Schools’ Latest—and Worst—Humbug
« Reply #12 on: September 15, 2008, 06:27:16 PM »
Mr Smith is one of those rare conservative college teachers.  He has faced every kind of liberal BS from being accused of brainwashing his kids by taking them to church, to feeling he must quietly leave a convention meeting room when politics come up and his fellow teachers make their far-left positions known in loud and angry terms.

At his current school, the administration knows he is conservative, but value him enough that they get on well.  This is not true of some of his peers, who make their positions on "his stupidity" clear.

He knows that many of the teachers do intense indoctrination because quite a few of his scholarship students come back to him and complain.  He works very hard to keep most of his students out of specific classes with specific teachers for just this reason. 


I took some classes at his college to enhance my job skills, and, sure enough, ended up with one teacher who thought he should "guide" the students into his way of thinking.  After about 3 classes, I finally spoke up in class and corrected some political statement he'd made.  He and half the class were speechless.  (The rest were snickering.) 

My oldest daughter got into her share of that, also.  She called or e-mailed me after nearly every class to ask about something.  One time, it was the draft rumor.  A teacher had printed all these "warnings" to all her students about Bush signing legistlation to start a draft that would excuse no one for things like college attendance or young children.  She was furious when she found out the bill was Democratically sponsored, and even more when I called her a few days later to tell her that it not only didn't pass, the guy who sponsored it didn't vote for it.

The liberal brainwashing on campus is most certainly still going on...as the DUmp teachers have admitted themselves.
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Offline Lanie

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Re: The Ed Schools’ Latest—and Worst—Humbug
« Reply #13 on: September 15, 2008, 06:56:17 PM »

I was last on a high school campus last school year.

To go through graduation or just pick up your signed GED.  Or does that happen this year?

Quote
Schools do have more restrictions, but it's normally against all ideas. They fear that people start discussing too much during instruction time that arguments and disruption can break out. And BTW, they do break out. Teachers are given a certain set of things to teach the kids in time for the test. They really don't have a lot of time to break up arguments in class. Kids can discuss stuff with critical thinking questions or in their own groups.

Do you have links or just your personal opinions?


I've been a substitute teacher and a volunteer. I plan on becoming and Assistant teacher followed by a lead teacher. That's where I get my info, from being there.

A liberal wants us to believe that there isn't a liberal agenda, based on personal experience.  It is like when Homer Simpson was in Brazil and mentioned Brazil Nuts, and the local says "here we just call them nuts."

You need a lot more.



Does my being a liberal automatically make what I report a lie?
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Offline MrsSmith

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Re: The Ed Schools’ Latest—and Worst—Humbug
« Reply #14 on: September 15, 2008, 07:21:50 PM »
Quote
Teaching Defiance:
Stories and Strategies for Activist Educators


one link
>>>snip

The book is pitched to community activists, union organizers, agitators for social and political change. Its chapters have titles such as “Taking Sides,” “Inspiring Rebelliousness,” “Teaching Choice,” “Teaching About Action.” His touchstones are political theorists and philosophers such as Karl Marx and Antonio Gramsci, Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus, Martin Heidegger, Jürgen Habermas, and Michel Foucault.

>>>snip

Those familiar with educational (and leftist political) theory of the latter half of the past century will nod in agreement and learn little that is theoretically surprising in this book. Like the notion of critical thinking, these ideas are now commonplace.

What is novel about this book is that Newman manages to compress such a wide range of disparate theory in one place – linking existentialists and interpretivists and postmodernists with the sonnets of William Shakespeare, the dialogues of Plato, the novels of Kurt Vonnegut and Joseph Heller, the poetry of Louis Aragon. Newman links the theoretical and the human, the head and the heart, and advocates that activist programs do the same.


From one of Mr Smith's educational catalogs. 
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Offline Duke Nukum

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Re: The Ed Schools’ Latest—and Worst—Humbug
« Reply #15 on: September 15, 2008, 07:37:02 PM »

I was last on a high school campus last school year.

To go through graduation or just pick up your signed GED.  Or does that happen this year?

Quote
Schools do have more restrictions, but it's normally against all ideas. They fear that people start discussing too much during instruction time that arguments and disruption can break out. And BTW, they do break out. Teachers are given a certain set of things to teach the kids in time for the test. They really don't have a lot of time to break up arguments in class. Kids can discuss stuff with critical thinking questions or in their own groups.

Do you have links or just your personal opinions?


I've been a substitute teacher and a volunteer. I plan on becoming and Assistant teacher followed by a lead teacher. That's where I get my info, from being there.

A liberal wants us to believe that there isn't a liberal agenda, based on personal experience.  It is like when Homer Simpson was in Brazil and mentioned Brazil Nuts, and the local says "here we just call them nuts."

You need a lot more.



Does my being a liberal automatically make what I report a lie?
Liberals lie all the time about everything.  So "liberal" is pretty much synonymous with "liar" and that is just the way it is.

There are a few honest liberals but usually they call themselves "Marxists" or "communists" or "totalitarians" or "fascists" but they are relatively few because nobody wants to listen to the tired old song because everybody already knows that failed old tune.

Here's a test: Name a few neo liberal successes.  Like 50 would be a good number.  Things that are unarguable neo-lib success stories that aren't currently failing and demanding even more money to produce even more failure.
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Offline Chris_

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Re: The Ed Schools’ Latest—and Worst—Humbug
« Reply #16 on: September 15, 2008, 09:47:46 PM »
Does my being a liberal automatically make what I report a lie?
Yes.
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Offline Lanie

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Re: The Ed Schools’ Latest—and Worst—Humbug
« Reply #17 on: September 16, 2008, 11:46:36 PM »
Does my being a liberal automatically make what I report a lie?
Yes.


It's a shame that you judge people like that.
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