Education Site Announces "Protocols For Improving Education"
Submitted by: Word-Wise Educational Services
2012-03-22 19:41:34
Virginia Beach, VA (OPENPRESS) March 23, 2012 -- "Here's what should concern everyone," says Bruce Price, founder of Improve-Education.org. "We have 50 million functional illiterates. Public schools are stuck in mediocrity. But who is actually doing anything to fix all this? Not the Education Establishment--they are married to their bad theories. What about our political parties? What about the big non-profit organizations in business, military, education, etc.? They solicit money on the grounds that they will fix the public schools. Do they?"
"My impression," Price continues, "is that these organizations are not committed to taking education reform to a more serious level. Or they don't know how to proceed. With this in mind we created Protocols for Improving Education."
PROTOCOLS FOR IMPROVING EDUCATION
We begin by insisting that the goal must be to improve public schools concretely and empirically, meaning that all children learn more and all tests scores go up.
Reformers have the best chance of success if they are tough-minded and strategic. They don't assume the Education Establishment will cooperate. On the contrary, they know they have to outmaneuver the people now in charge, and insist on fundamental changes. Here are six ways to do that:
1. KNOW THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN EDUCATION. Understand how the elite educators think. John Dewey and all the other leaders for the past 100 years ago have been "progressives" (i.e., Socialists, Marxists, or collectivists). They see the schools as a tool they can use to reach their ideological goals. The term "education" to them means "social engineering." Don't underestimate their orthodoxy.
2. KNOW THEIR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES. The big strength of the Education Establishment is their skill with language (i.e., verbiage, jargon, marketing claims, slogans, sophistry, vague promises, abstraction, excuses, alibis, propaganda, and deceptions). To engage them in this arena is to be defeated at the outset.
The big weakness of the Education Establishment is equally obvious: endless statistics indicating widespread mediocrity and decline. Everyone has seen articles in the newspapers about kids and adults who can't read, college students who can't do math, and citizens who can't find Oregon on a map. These stats and anecdotes tell everybody that the people in charge of American public education are not competent. Focus relentlessly on these failings.
3. UNDERSTAND THE EDUCATION ESTABLISHMENT'S PREFERRED THEORIES AND METHODS. Their favorite theories and methods (for example, Whole Word, Reform Math, Constructivism, and dozens more) are presented to the public as educational solutions. But they were not designed as that. They were designed as part of an ideological agenda, which emphasizes cooperative children, equality of results, and secular humanist ideals. Reformers must eliminate these theories and methods by the simple device of explaining to the public why they don't work.
4. STAY FOCUSED ON THE MAIN PRIZE-- REAL DEMONSTRABLE IMPROVEMENT--AND WHAT IS MOST LIKELY TO GET YOU THERE. Reformers tend to get sidetracked by fads, politically correct slogans, or feel-good social engineering. Reformers also tend to waste energy generating policy suggestions and position papers. (These may not help because the Education Establishment will ignore anything that intrudes on its control of education.)
5. KEEP DEMANDS SIMPLE BUT QUANTIFIABLE. REPEAT DEMANDS UNTIL THEY ARE ACHIEVED. Here are the essential ones. Kids must learn to read in first grade; and read age-appropriate books by second or third grade. Kids must master basic arithmetic by fourth grade. Kids must learn from K onward the foundational knowledge that everyone needs to know in geography, science, history, literature, etc. In short, real education occurs when it is focused on skills, basics, mastery, and knowledge.
6. THE FACTS, ONLY THE FACTS. For example, if public schools were a business, all of top management would be fired today. That's how bad it is. You don't have to exaggerate or make up anything. You simply point out that two-thirds of the children in fourth grade and eighth grade are sub-literate. The country has an illiteracy crisis and a knowledge crisis. The whole field of public education is a disgrace. The public should be eager to see it reformed.
"Start your own crusade or join mine," says Bruce Price. "But let's not accept the second-rate performance of our alleged experts. They've been sidetracked by their love of social engineering. We should concentrate on intellectual engineering. Children need to learn a lot more. They easily can learn a lot more. Every journalist in the country should join this effort."
"...Bruce D. Price, one of the nation's leading authorities on Improving Education. Bruce is a thorn in the side of the Education Establishment and has become known for his honest, straightforward attacks on our failed education system. His logic and ability to point out the blatant stupidity within the system have not exactly endeared him to the guardians of our failed education system, which is why I find Bruce to be a much needed and welcomed voice in fixing the country." Tom White, VARIGHT.COM
Contact Info
Word-Wise Educational Services
Phone: 757-455-5020
Website: http://Improve-Education.org
Word-Wise
Suite 611
3500 Virginia Beach Blvd.
Virginia Beach, Va. 23452
