CHOICE, CHARTER SCHOOLS AND THE DISAPPEARING AMERICAN DREAM PART 1 of 2
CHOICE, CHARTER SCHOOLS AND THE DISAPPEARING AMERICAN DREAM PART 1 of 2
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
By
Anita Hoge
January 14, 2017
NewsWithViews.com
Anita Hoge
January 14, 2017
NewsWithViews.com
How
the “CHOICE” Fix Won’t Fix Common Core
the “CHOICE” Fix Won’t Fix Common Core
Is
There Such A Thing As A Parallel School System? Looking at the
plans puzzling together for a Trump Presidency, education is front and
foremost on many parents’ minds. Parent warriors have become concerned
to the point of being totally stressed over the appointment of billionaire
Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education. Why is this?
There Such A Thing As A Parallel School System? Looking at the
plans puzzling together for a Trump Presidency, education is front and
foremost on many parents’ minds. Parent warriors have become concerned
to the point of being totally stressed over the appointment of billionaire
Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education. Why is this?
President-Elect
Trump promised a vision of life without Common Core—
Trump promised a vision of life without Common Core—
•
A day of looking forward to our kids not being manipulated with the
behavioral conditioning processes of teacher-trained Skinnerian techniques;
• A day without government data mining our children
and inputting their private behavioral data over to the Feds.
Isour battle over yet? Can we rest assured that Donald Trump will keep his
promise to rid our schools of all of the Common Core baggage? Are solid
academics on the horizon, again?
Unfortunately
this just doesn’t seem to be happening. President-Elect Trump has jumped
off the TRUMP TRAIN and he has jumped on the phony CHOICE TRAIN. Keep
in mind that Vice President-Elect Mike Pence is a pro-“CHOICE”
Governor, and he muffled the true spirit of academic freedom by cleverly
rebranding the Common Core standards in Indiana:
this just doesn’t seem to be happening. President-Elect Trump has jumped
off the TRUMP TRAIN and he has jumped on the phony CHOICE TRAIN. Keep
in mind that Vice President-Elect Mike Pence is a pro-“CHOICE”
Governor, and he muffled the true spirit of academic freedom by cleverly
rebranding the Common Core standards in Indiana:
“Indiana
governor Mike Pence has made a serious miscalculation on what could
easily become the sleeper issue of the 2016 presidential campaign, Common
Core. After dramatically withdrawing Indiana from participation in Common
Core, Pence was poised to become a hero to the grassroots movement resisting
this egregious bid for federal control of America’s traditionally
independent and locally run education system. Instead, Pence has created
the illusion of quality and independence, while installing second-rate
standards that are little more than Common Core rebranded.” [Source]
And
on the charter school “CHOICE” agenda Governor Pence has pushed
charters:
on the charter school “CHOICE” agenda Governor Pence has pushed
charters:
“But
Pence has a robust record on the issue. As governor, he pushed through
the most significant increase in charter school funding in years, according
to Chalkbeat Indiana. Pence worked with the legislature to create a
$10 million grant fund that would offer an extra $500 per student to
charters that post better outcomes than traditional public schools.
And if Pence had his way, the funding would have been even more robust—he
initially pitched a $1,500 per charter school student increase.”
[Source]
Since
the election, every new word coming from our President-Elect is beginning
to sound a bit too familiar. It reminds us of the Senator Ted
Cruz S 306 legislation that we parents fought when Sen. Ted Cruz
was running for President against the TRUMP TRAIN. Not quite
the words we wanted to hear from Mr. Trump. This sort of government-sponsored
CHOICE sticks in our throats because we know the outcome–more oppression
over our children and more Common Core for ALL. [Source]
the election, every new word coming from our President-Elect is beginning
to sound a bit too familiar. It reminds us of the Senator Ted
Cruz S 306 legislation that we parents fought when Sen. Ted Cruz
was running for President against the TRUMP TRAIN. Not quite
the words we wanted to hear from Mr. Trump. This sort of government-sponsored
CHOICE sticks in our throats because we know the outcome–more oppression
over our children and more Common Core for ALL. [Source]
Do we
want this kind of “CHOICE”?? No! This is a false CHOICE, and
it is not the pathway that will lead our children to educational excellence.
Phony CHOICE is not the answer to American exceptionalism. Government-controlled
CHOICE is globalism, not Americanism. That scrap of money tied to the
child will determine future ambitions and pathways. It is linked to the
government’s similarly aligned obsession to create “human capital”
– i.e., the government determining the worth or worthlessness of
your child as a commodity in the future workforce. Do elected officials
realize just how offensive this is to America’s parents? Our children
are not “human capital”!
want this kind of “CHOICE”?? No! This is a false CHOICE, and
it is not the pathway that will lead our children to educational excellence.
Phony CHOICE is not the answer to American exceptionalism. Government-controlled
CHOICE is globalism, not Americanism. That scrap of money tied to the
child will determine future ambitions and pathways. It is linked to the
government’s similarly aligned obsession to create “human capital”
– i.e., the government determining the worth or worthlessness of
your child as a commodity in the future workforce. Do elected officials
realize just how offensive this is to America’s parents? Our children
are not “human capital”!
This
sort of government-controlled CHOICE is a trap, Mr. Trump. “CHOICE”
is a pretty cozy word that assumes freedom. Little do parents understand
the tentacles of federal strings that accompany federal assistance. Or,
maybe they haven’t thought of it in those terms. But, yes, CHOICE is accepting
federal assistance. And with that comes the “Have To’s”, where
all children, parents, teachers, and schools will be forced into the federal
government’s obsession with domineering over the lives of our little children.
sort of government-controlled CHOICE is a trap, Mr. Trump. “CHOICE”
is a pretty cozy word that assumes freedom. Little do parents understand
the tentacles of federal strings that accompany federal assistance. Or,
maybe they haven’t thought of it in those terms. But, yes, CHOICE is accepting
federal assistance. And with that comes the “Have To’s”, where
all children, parents, teachers, and schools will be forced into the federal
government’s obsession with domineering over the lives of our little children.
Many
advocates of this CHOICE appear to think that killing public education
is OK. Betsy DeVos, President-Elect Trump’s new pick for Secretary of
Education, thinks so. “Detroit Public Schools, she argued, should
simply be shut down and the system turned over to charters, or the tax
dollars given to parents in the form of vouchers to attend private schools.”
[Source]
advocates of this CHOICE appear to think that killing public education
is OK. Betsy DeVos, President-Elect Trump’s new pick for Secretary of
Education, thinks so. “Detroit Public Schools, she argued, should
simply be shut down and the system turned over to charters, or the tax
dollars given to parents in the form of vouchers to attend private schools.”
[Source]
She
believes that our public schools are an
believes that our public schools are an
“…antiquated,
top-down model of education in this country that originated in the 1800s
in order to “educate the masses.”
And
her CHOICE:
her CHOICE:
“is
beginning to transform to a student-centric model that respects every
child’s unique learning style.” [Source]
Well,
isn’t this interesting. This is the exact personification of COMMON
CORE! ESSA, The Every Student Succeeds Act passed
by Congress this past year, legislated this and more. Every child must
meet Common Core standards, with digital individualized career plans and
diagnostic supports that will help Johnny and Suzy attain government-determined
“proficiency” in collectivist style mental health and globalist
attitudes, values, beliefs, and dispositions.
isn’t this interesting. This is the exact personification of COMMON
CORE! ESSA, The Every Student Succeeds Act passed
by Congress this past year, legislated this and more. Every child must
meet Common Core standards, with digital individualized career plans and
diagnostic supports that will help Johnny and Suzy attain government-determined
“proficiency” in collectivist style mental health and globalist
attitudes, values, beliefs, and dispositions.
But
this isn’t why the citizens voted for you, Mr. Trump. We want you to STOP
COMMON CORE!
this isn’t why the citizens voted for you, Mr. Trump. We want you to STOP
COMMON CORE!
Pending
Education Secretary DeVos also explains her views that
Education Secretary DeVos also explains her views that
“Educational
choice is an essential part of the solution to our nation’s education
challenges, including the greater issue of education inequality
in America. The idea that no child should be defined or limited by
his or her ZIP code or family’s income is deeply rooted in our
movement’s commitment to social justice. Every parent
should be free to choose the best educational environment for their
children and low-income and minority children are too often the ones
without choice. The only way to truly improve and innovate our nation’s
system and help these students is through educational choice. The
public is recognizing that true choice will break open
our nation’s closed education system, encouraging innovation and
education entrepreneurs to develop new ways for children to
learn and reach their full potential.” [All emphases added]
DeVos’s
version of CHOICE will certainly “break open,”
or better defined, “smash down”
the public school system. Is the destruction of local public schools what
American citizens voted for? The biggest problem with this DeVos thinking
is that Common Core does not allow or encourage academic attainment, nor
opportunity for advancement. If her CHOICE is initiated, Common Core remains
– because of ESSA. Didn’t we all just vote to get RID
of Common Core?
version of CHOICE will certainly “break open,”
or better defined, “smash down”
the public school system. Is the destruction of local public schools what
American citizens voted for? The biggest problem with this DeVos thinking
is that Common Core does not allow or encourage academic attainment, nor
opportunity for advancement. If her CHOICE is initiated, Common Core remains
– because of ESSA. Didn’t we all just vote to get RID
of Common Core?
Here
is how it will work. DeVos’s fake CHOICE will saddle every school
with Common Core that forces individual children to have an individualized
personal “plan” to meet those government standards, no matter
which ZIP code or school they will attend. And this is the ominous end
goal for little Johnny or Susie. It is a new way to learn, but it isn’t
academics. Social justice is equated with “individuality,”
giving way to the forced struggle for ”equity” and molding
children into cookie-cutter drones. Inequality in ZIP CODES sounds like
re-distribution of wealth, with CHOICE being wielded as the useful tool
to get American education nationalized. But that also means a leveling
of wealthy ZIP codes to be the same of the inner city. Now, that’s equality.
That’s what socialized CHOICE looks like, and this is what Betsy DeVos
is all about!
is how it will work. DeVos’s fake CHOICE will saddle every school
with Common Core that forces individual children to have an individualized
personal “plan” to meet those government standards, no matter
which ZIP code or school they will attend. And this is the ominous end
goal for little Johnny or Susie. It is a new way to learn, but it isn’t
academics. Social justice is equated with “individuality,”
giving way to the forced struggle for ”equity” and molding
children into cookie-cutter drones. Inequality in ZIP CODES sounds like
re-distribution of wealth, with CHOICE being wielded as the useful tool
to get American education nationalized. But that also means a leveling
of wealthy ZIP codes to be the same of the inner city. Now, that’s equality.
That’s what socialized CHOICE looks like, and this is what Betsy DeVos
is all about!
Butis this what President-Elect Trump is all about? Is anyone honestly talking
to him about the direful impacts of her freedom-diminishing sort of CHOICE?
To date there has been NO discussion of the effects of this CHOICE for
every child, not to mention the dreadful longterm effects this will have
on communities, taxes, local control, and the market value of local homes
and properties.
Common
Core + Government CHOICE ? true freedom of choice. It is a pending disaster…the
disappearing American dream.
Core + Government CHOICE ? true freedom of choice. It is a pending disaster…the
disappearing American dream.
Others
driving the CHOO-CHOO CHOICE Train
driving the CHOO-CHOO CHOICE Train
Jeb
Bush announced that the DeVos pick was “outstanding…a passionate
change agent to press for a new education
vision.” Of course he would say that. She is Chairwoman
of the American Federation for Children (AFC), a charter school promotion
group, and she is also a board member of Bush’s non-profit Foundation
for Excellence in Education (FEE). Bush and his foundation have served
as champions for the Common Core standards. [Source]
Bush announced that the DeVos pick was “outstanding…a passionate
change agent to press for a new education
vision.” Of course he would say that. She is Chairwoman
of the American Federation for Children (AFC), a charter school promotion
group, and she is also a board member of Bush’s non-profit Foundation
for Excellence in Education (FEE). Bush and his foundation have served
as champions for the Common Core standards. [Source]
Oh course,
“low energy” Jeb’s vision is totally Common Core, artificial
CHOICE, and pro-charter schools. When Jeb served as Governor of Florida
he was a prominent supporter of the individual data-mining performed on
children, with Florida becoming the national model for the collection
of personally identifiable information of children. Jeb is also a leader
in the change agent/Common Core enablers. His connections, plus his opinion
of DeVos for Secretary of Education, give him an inside track to legislation
and a soft welcoming chair in future Secretary DeVos’s office. [Source]
“low energy” Jeb’s vision is totally Common Core, artificial
CHOICE, and pro-charter schools. When Jeb served as Governor of Florida
he was a prominent supporter of the individual data-mining performed on
children, with Florida becoming the national model for the collection
of personally identifiable information of children. Jeb is also a leader
in the change agent/Common Core enablers. His connections, plus his opinion
of DeVos for Secretary of Education, give him an inside track to legislation
and a soft welcoming chair in future Secretary DeVos’s office. [Source]
Congressman
Messer (R-IN), who introduced the Scholarships for Kids Act in
2014, is also a CHOICE enabler. Congressman Messer’s bill is the
companion to the bill introduced by Senator Lamar Alexander, who is Republican
Chairman on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
and formerly served as Secretary of Education under President George H.W.
Bush.
Messer (R-IN), who introduced the Scholarships for Kids Act in
2014, is also a CHOICE enabler. Congressman Messer’s bill is the
companion to the bill introduced by Senator Lamar Alexander, who is Republican
Chairman on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
and formerly served as Secretary of Education under President George H.W.
Bush.
Senator
Alexander, along with Speaker Paul Ryan, pushed through the Reauthorization
of No Child Left Behind called ESSA, Every Student Succeeds
Act, which codified the Common Core/mental health agenda nationally,
effectually making President Obama’s Flexibility Waivers law, thus further
diluting a real academic education. Note how Senator Alexander stated
this about the 2014 Scholarship for Kids Act:
Alexander, along with Speaker Paul Ryan, pushed through the Reauthorization
of No Child Left Behind called ESSA, Every Student Succeeds
Act, which codified the Common Core/mental health agenda nationally,
effectually making President Obama’s Flexibility Waivers law, thus further
diluting a real academic education. Note how Senator Alexander stated
this about the 2014 Scholarship for Kids Act:
“This
is the most ambitious proposal ever to use federal dollars to
enable states to expand school choice, and is a real answer
to inequality in America, giving more children
more opportunity to attend a better school. I look forward to working
with Congressman Messer to get this bill through Congress and signed
into law.” [Emp. added.]
Of additional
concern,
concern,
The
Scholarship for Kids Act, introduced in the Senate by Senator Lamar
Alexander and in the House of Representatives by Rep. Luke Messer, would
re-direct existing federal education funding (Title I)
to provide up to 11 million scholarships for low-income children. The
scholarships created under this bill would follow K-12 low-income
children as they attend either the public or private school of their
parents’ choice. The money for these scholarships,
up to $24 billion a year, would come from existing funds
directed towards schools, meaning no new spending and no
funds cut from education. [All emphases added] [SOURCE]
Readers,
notice that the money goes directly to schools, bypassing state legislatures’
budgets. This is a states’ rights question for sure. The Messer/Alexander
bill actually allotted more money than President-Elect Trump’s proposed
$20 billion for “CHOICE”. Also remember that Rob Goad, aide
to Rep. Messer, has been tapped by the Trump campaign to advance this
same CHOICE agenda. This pile of money may grow. The Scholarship Act has
not been passed but shows the direction of this sort of CHOICE thinking.
notice that the money goes directly to schools, bypassing state legislatures’
budgets. This is a states’ rights question for sure. The Messer/Alexander
bill actually allotted more money than President-Elect Trump’s proposed
$20 billion for “CHOICE”. Also remember that Rob Goad, aide
to Rep. Messer, has been tapped by the Trump campaign to advance this
same CHOICE agenda. This pile of money may grow. The Scholarship Act has
not been passed but shows the direction of this sort of CHOICE thinking.
The
Messer bill aligns to Senator Ted Cruz’s bill to include homeschools.
Let’s look at what the Messer proposed bill would also require: state
Common Core standards and tests, provides that parents are able to use
that money to pay for private school tuition and fees, supplement their
public school or charter school budget, attend a school outside of their
district or purchase tutoring services or homeschooling materials.
It further
Messer bill aligns to Senator Ted Cruz’s bill to include homeschools.
Let’s look at what the Messer proposed bill would also require: state
Common Core standards and tests, provides that parents are able to use
that money to pay for private school tuition and fees, supplement their
public school or charter school budget, attend a school outside of their
district or purchase tutoring services or homeschooling materials.
It further
Requires
participating states and their local educational agencies to continue
to: (1) work toward state academic content and achievement standards;
(2) conduct annual assessments of student progress toward those standards;
and (3) issue annual report cards of student progress, disaggregated
by specified student subgroups, toward those standards.“No
child should have to go to a school where they won’t have a meaningful
chance to learn,” said Congressman Luke Messer. “This bill
empowers parents with the personal freedom to choose the best learning
environment for their child regardless of income.
Quality education is the great equalizer in
the game of life, and bills like this one, which offer parents a choice,
level the playing field.”
Questions
for Congressman Messer:
for Congressman Messer:
•
Has Congressman Messer ever explained to taxpayers what “leveling
the playing field“ means?
• Has he explained to school board members and
homeowners that pay taxes for public schools how this is a massive redistribution
of wealth?
• Has he explained that with his fake CHOICE,
Title I CHILDREN are not just poor children, and that SCHOOL WIDE encompasses
the entire school to have access to CHOICE not just certain poor children?
Has Congressman Messer ever explained to taxpayers what “leveling
the playing field“ means?
• Has he explained to school board members and
homeowners that pay taxes for public schools how this is a massive redistribution
of wealth?
• Has he explained that with his fake CHOICE,
Title I CHILDREN are not just poor children, and that SCHOOL WIDE encompasses
the entire school to have access to CHOICE not just certain poor children?
•
Has he explained how the exodus of children out of public schools will
eventually kill public education and destroy local districts?
• Will he admit that teachers will no longer
be hired by the local school district?
• Will he try to evade questions about the apparent
coming dissolution of elected school boards?
Has he explained how the exodus of children out of public schools will
eventually kill public education and destroy local districts?
• Will he admit that teachers will no longer
be hired by the local school district?
• Will he try to evade questions about the apparent
coming dissolution of elected school boards?
•
Has he answered penetrating citizen questions about how taxes would
be collected and where they would be sent when local neighborhood schools
collapse?
• Has he addressed the terrible effects this
will have on property values when the playing field is leveled, wealth
is redistributed, and equity becomes the commitment to social justice
agenda of changing the complexion of your entire ZIP code?
Has he answered penetrating citizen questions about how taxes would
be collected and where they would be sent when local neighborhood schools
collapse?
• Has he addressed the terrible effects this
will have on property values when the playing field is leveled, wealth
is redistributed, and equity becomes the commitment to social justice
agenda of changing the complexion of your entire ZIP code?
I don’t
think so. So what is this CHOICE all about? Is it about the change necessary
to end representative government to move toward globalism? I fear so.
. . .
think so. So what is this CHOICE all about? Is it about the change necessary
to end representative government to move toward globalism? I fear so.
. . .