| WHERE WE ARE |
| How we went from best to sub-par: Long ago our schools taught our kids to memorize basics & the classics. We had a shared common culture; our citizens could think for themselves and run their own small farms and businesses. This was the great American constitutional republic that freed itself from our British, French, Spanish & Mexican rulers. |
| P E Y T O N W O L C O T T |
| C O M M E N T A R Y : Our nation's move from 13,900 local independent schools towards 70, every one of them under the thumb of Washington, DC . . . . and how we can prevent 70 Detroits. |
| ATTENTION EDUCATORS AND ADMINISTRATORS: Every attempt possible has been made to verify all sources and information. In the event you feel an error has been made, please contact us immediately. Thank you. NOTICE: All individuals mentioned on this site are presumed innocent unless they have been found guilty in a court of law. |
| FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of education issues vital to a republic. We believe this constitutes a "fair use" of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C., Chapter 1, Section 107 which states: the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright," the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond "fair use" you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. |
| Copyright 1999-2009 Peyton Wolcott |
John Taylor Gatto also 'splains it all
If you haven't seen it, here's an excerpt from
former New York Teacher of the Year John
Taylor Gatto's brief and entertaining history
of U.S. public schools:
If you haven't seen it, here's an excerpt from
former New York Teacher of the Year John
Taylor Gatto's brief and entertaining history
of U.S. public schools:
| WHERE WE WERE |
| WHERE WE'RE HEADED |
| Socialiism, corruption, bad-ed ed. Our future, if we continue down this path, is as a nation of serfs ruled by an oligarchy who extend special privileges to the 10% elite who live in dachas, send their kids to classical lyceums-- |
| The real makers of modern schooling weren't at all who we think. Not Cotton Mather or Horace Mann or John Dewey (above left). The real makers of modern schooling were leaders of the new American industrialist class, men like Andrew Carnegie, the steel baron, John D. Rockefeller, the duke of oil, Henry Ford, master of the assembly line which compounded steel and oil into a |
Our first schools were simple
structures, often one room, often
affiliated with churches, and built by
community members themselves.
structures, often one room, often
affiliated with churches, and built by
community members themselves.
(1) Socialist liberals
emphasize common good over
individual accomplishment, the team
matters more than the person. group
before individual effort, socialism over
a free market economy.
emphasize common good over
individual accomplishment, the team
matters more than the person. group
before individual effort, socialism over
a free market economy.
(2) Industrialists
Men like Rockefeller and Carnegie and
Henry Ford (who was both pro-Nazi and
pro-eugenics) all sought a compliant
worker class, folks inured to boredom by a
dumbed-down curriculum who'd show up
and do mindless work without asking too
many questions. (RELATED: If you haven't
read it yet, New York Times reporter Edwin
Black's book IBM and the Holocaust
establishes IBM founder Tom Watson's role
in the Nazi's efficient murder of 14 million.)
Men like Rockefeller and Carnegie and
Henry Ford (who was both pro-Nazi and
pro-eugenics) all sought a compliant
worker class, folks inured to boredom by a
dumbed-down curriculum who'd show up
and do mindless work without asking too
many questions. (RELATED: If you haven't
read it yet, New York Times reporter Edwin
Black's book IBM and the Holocaust
establishes IBM founder Tom Watson's role
in the Nazi's efficient murder of 14 million.)
(3) Vendors
Thanks to crippling union demands coupled
with tougher environmental laws, most U.S.
industry has over the past half-century left
our shores for Asia and other friendlier
points abroad. In fairness to them, who's
left for HP and other vendors to sell their
wares to if not public schools and other
governmental entities?
Would you like to learn more? Here are two
sources with more information:
Thanks to crippling union demands coupled
with tougher environmental laws, most U.S.
industry has over the past half-century left
our shores for Asia and other friendlier
points abroad. In fairness to them, who's
left for HP and other vendors to sell their
wares to if not public schools and other
governmental entities?
Would you like to learn more? Here are two
sources with more information:
| THE COMMON INTEREST BEFORE SELF-INTEREST -- THAT IS THE SPIRIT OF THE PROGRAM. BREAKING OF THE THRALDOM OF INTEREST -- THAT IS THE KERNEL OF NATIONAL SOCIALISM. --Adolf Hitler, 1929 |
| with everyone else deprived of their personal freedoms and fighting for meager resources including bad schools, old Havana-style cars & cheap drink, doing shoddy work that does not matter. Foreclosed McMansions will be divvied up into homes for multiple families, and women will dream dreams of QVC. |
PROPOSED SCHOOL NATIONALIZATION SCHEME
Hey, Lou & Arne: Let's NOT abolish local
school districts or adopt national standards!
And how's about let's NOT become socialists!
Hey, Lou & Arne: Let's NOT abolish local
school districts or adopt national standards!
And how's about let's NOT become socialists!
| Lessons From 40 Years of Education 'Reform' Let's abolish local school districts and finally adopt national standards. By Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. Wall Street Journal December 1, 2008 While the economic news has most Americans in a state of near depression, hope abounds today that the country may use the current economic crisis as leverage to address some longstanding problems. Nowhere is that prospect for progress more worthy than the crisis in our public education system. So, from someone who realized rather glumly last week that he has been working at school reform for 40 years, here is a prescription for leadership from the Obama administration. We must start with the recognition that, despite decade after decade of reform efforts, our public K-12 schools have not improved. We can point to individual schools and some entire districts that have advanced, but the system as a whole is still failing. High school and college graduation rates, test scores, the number of graduates majoring in science and engineering all are flat or down over the past two decades. Disappointingly, the relative performance of our students has suffered compared to those of other nations. As a former CEO, I am worried about what this will mean for our future workforce. It is most crucial for our political leaders to ask why we are at this point -- why after millions of pages, in thousands of reports, from hundreds of commissions and task forces, financed by billions of dollars, have we failed to achieve any significant progress? Answering this question correctly is the key to finally remaking our public schools. This is a complex problem, but countless experiments and analyses have clearly indicated we need to do four straightforward things to bring fundamental changes to K-12 education: 1) Set high academic standards for all of our kids, supported by a rigorous curriculum. 2) Greatly improve the quality of teaching in our classrooms, supported by substantially higher compensation for our best teachers. 3) Measure student and teacher performance on a systematic basis, supported by tests and assessments. 4) Increase "time on task" for all students; this means more time in school each day, and a longer school year. Everything else either does not matter (e.g., smaller class sizes) or is supportive of these four steps (e.g., vastly improve schools of education). Lack of effort is not the cause of our 30-year inability to solve our education problem. Not only have we had all those thousands of studies and task forces, but we have seen many courageous and talented individuals pushing hard to move the system. Leaders such as Joel Klein (New York City), Michelle Rhee (Washington, D.C.) and Paul Vallas (New Orleans) have challenged the system, and elected officials from both sides of the political spectrum have also fought valiantly for change. So where does that leave us? If the problem isn't "what to do," nor is it a failure of commitment, what is stopping us? I believe the problem lies with the structure and corporate governance of our public schools. We have over 15,000 school districts in America; each of them, in its own way, is involved in standards, curriculum, teacher selection, classroom rules and so on. This unbelievably unwieldy structure is incapable of executing a program of fundamental change. While we have islands of excellence as a result of great reform programs, we continually fail to scale up systemic change. Therefore, I recommend that President-elect Barack Obama convene a meeting of our nation's governors and seek agreement to the following: - Abolish all local school districts, save 70 (50 states; 20 largest cities). Some states may choose to leave some of the rest as community service organizations, but they would have no direct involvement in the critical task of establishing standards, selecting teachers, and developing curricula. - Establish a set of national standards for a core curriculum. I would suggest we start with four subjects: reading, math, science and social studies. - Establish a National Skills Day on which every third, sixth, ninth and 12th-grader would be tested against the national standards. Results would be published nationwide for every school in America. - Establish national standards for teacher certification and require regular re-evaluations of teacher skills. Increase teacher compensation to permit the best teachers (as measured by advances in student learning) to earn well in excess of $100,000 per year, and allow school leaders to remove underperforming teachers. - Extend the school day and the school year to effectively add 20 more days of schooling for all K-12 students. I can predict that three questions will be raised about these measures: First, how can we set national standards when we have a strong tradition of local school autonomy? The answer is that the American people are way ahead of our politicians here: Poll after poll shows they support national standards. Second, won't this take many years to implement? No, if we follow a focused, pragmatic approach. While ideally we want all 50 states to participate, we can get started with 30. The rest will be driven to abandon their "see no evil" blinders by their citizens as the original group achieves momentum and success. Moreover, we do not have to start from scratch on the national standards. Experts can quickly develop an initial set just by drawing on existing domestic and foreign programs. Third, how do we pay for all of this? In three ways: We will save billions by consolidating the operations of 15,000 school districts. The U.S. Department of Education can direct all of its discretionary funds to this effort. And we need to drive into the consciousness of every American politician that education is not an expense. It is, rather, the most important investment we can make as a country. H.G. Wells remarked that "history is a race between education and catastrophe." For the first time in America's history, we may be losing that race. We can win, but we have to act quickly and decisively. Mr. Gerstner, a former CEO of IBM, was chairman of the Teaching Commission (2003-2006), which reported on ways to improve the quality of public school teaching. |
| (L) 1950s Russian peasants admire privileged elite.(Life Magazine) Mr. Obama's 31 White House "Czars" (IMAGE--Taxpayers for Common Sense/Fox News) |
| 1906: Baltimore's Oblate Sisters started evening classes for "Bobbin Girls" and "Breaker Boys" working in textile factories. |
| Victorian-era school room |
| commercial interests, compromised trustees and administrators, and politicians. Students' time and energy are wasted on fluff. Rather than learning basics, self-reliance and individual effort, feelings & process are emphasized and kids are taught to be part of a team and get jobs. |
By Peyton Wolcott
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
| FROM LOU'S LIPS TO GOD'S EARS: Former IBM chair Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. outlined his 3 steps to nationalization in his December 2008 Wall Street Journal op-ed entitled "Let's abolish local school districts and adopt national standards." The first two have already transpired (convene the nation's governors, get them to call for national standards). Next is to nationalize the nation's schools, which -- he didn't mention -- will be done via the so-called Common Core Standards and Title I funding. As you read this, look for signs of logic & accountability; I couldn't find any; Lou starts from a flawed premise and builds from there. --Peyton |
| Arne Duncan and Lou Gerstner are pushing for national standards and consolidation: Bye-bye local rule. Bye-bye self-determinism. Hello, central oligarchy. Today, Education, Inc. focuses more on adults' money, power and careers than our kids. Our nation's Taj Mahal public schools are run by a corrupt oligarchy of |
| Lou Gerstner (L) & Arne Duncan |
| Havana street today |
Just as the CIA listens for signs of increased chatter in
certain quarters, so too those of us wanting better
schools also keep our ears keened for trouble.
certain quarters, so too those of us wanting better
schools also keep our ears keened for trouble.
Some of the most
disquieting comes from
three corrupt urban
centers -- New York,
Chicago and DC
-- centering around a
White House with more
disquieting comes from
three corrupt urban
centers -- New York,
Chicago and DC
-- centering around a
White House with more
| AIG & SunAmerica financial tycoon and housing magnate Eli Broad (L) with Arne Duncan at Broad Jan. 2009 inaugural dinner; Broad gave Democrats $115,437 in 2008. (PHOTO -- Stuart Ramson) |
Let's face it. The natural end game of consolidating
schools and standards -- nationalization -- carries
at least three worrying implications.
Social progressives in this country have always
wanted a centralized national system. One, it’s
easier to indoctrinate children when they're all on the
same page. Two, he who funds the formula gets to
write the formula and therefore controls the outcome.
Three, by eliminating local control you get rid of
pesky moms and dads able to ask questions about
Johnny’s textbooks and noisy taxpayers wanting and
expecting a real dialogue about spending.
schools and standards -- nationalization -- carries
at least three worrying implications.
Social progressives in this country have always
wanted a centralized national system. One, it’s
easier to indoctrinate children when they're all on the
same page. Two, he who funds the formula gets to
write the formula and therefore controls the outcome.
Three, by eliminating local control you get rid of
pesky moms and dads able to ask questions about
Johnny’s textbooks and noisy taxpayers wanting and
expecting a real dialogue about spending.
From Lou’s pen to Arne’s mouth
Last December when former IBM CEO Louis Gerstner called for national standards and
consolidation (see greybar at far right); he suggested that the new president convene
Last December when former IBM CEO Louis Gerstner called for national standards and
consolidation (see greybar at far right); he suggested that the new president convene
| Eli Broad's 42 contributions to Democrats (total$115,437) question: aren't 501(c)3 organizations supposed to not be political? Broad, Eli LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 N/A $10,000 10/18/2008 P DEMOCRATIC STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF CA - FEDERAL - Democrat Broad, Eli LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 $-5,000 09/22/2008 P HILLARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT - Democrat BROAD, ELI LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 THE BROAD FOUNDATION $2,300 08/28/2008 P FRIENDS OF HILLARY - Democrat Broad, Eli LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 Self employed/Founder $5,000 07/30/2008 P HILLARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT - Democrat Broad, Eli LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 The Broad Foundation/Founder $2,000 07/11/2008 P WESPAC - SECURING AMERICA'S FUTURE BROAD, ELI LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 ELI BROAD FOUNDATION/PHILANTROPIST $900 06/23/2008 P JEANNE SHAHEEN FOR SENATE - Democrat Broad, Eli LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 The Broad Foundation/Founder $2,500 06/02/2008 P SOLIDARITY PAC Broad, Eli LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 The Broad Foundation/Founder $1,000 03/31/2008 G FRIENDS OF CONGRESSMAN GEORGE MILLER - Democrat Broad, Eli LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 The Broad Foundation/Founder $10,000 02/29/2008 P DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE - Democrat BROAD, ELI LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 THE BROAD FOUNDATION/FOUNDER $200 01/22/2008 P FRIENDS OF SENATOR CARL LEVIN - Democrat BROAD, ELI LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 THE BROAD FOUNDATION/FOUNDER $2,300 01/22/2008 G FRIENDS OF SENATOR CARL LEVIN - Democrat BROAD, ELI LOS ANGELES, CA 90049 BROAD FOUNDATION/FOUNDER $2,300 11/29/2007 P FRIENDS OF MARK WARNER - Democrat BROAD, ELI LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 BROAD FOUNDATION/FOUNDER $1,300 11/21/2007 P FRIENDS OF MAX BAUCUS - Democrat Broad, Eli LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 The Broad Foundation/Founder $1,000 10/29/2007 G FRIENDS OF RAHM EMANUEL - Democrat Broad, Eli LOS ANGELES, CA 90049 The Broad Foundation/Founder $10,000 10/12/2007 P DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE - Democrat Broad, Eli LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 SunAmerica Inc./Chairman $1,000 09/21/2007 P SHERMAN FOR CONGRESS - Democrat Broad, Eli LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 The Broad Foundation/Founder $1,000 09/19/2007 P BERMAN FOR CONGRESS - Democrat Broad, Eli Mr. LOS ANGELES,, CA 90024 The Broad Foundations/SELF EMPLOYED $1,000 09/18/2007 P BUCK MCKEON FOR CONGRESS - Republican Broad, Eli LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 The Broad Foundations/Founder $2,000 08/27/2007 P L A PAC - None BROAD, ELI LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 SUNAMERICA, INC./EXECUTIVE $1,000 08/14/2007 P FRIENDS OF MAX BAUCUS - Democrat Broad, Eli LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 Eli Broad/Entrepeneur $2,100 07/13/2007 P MATSUI FOR CONGRESS - Democrat BROAD, ELI LOS ANGELES, CA 90291 THE BROAD FOUNDATION/FOUNDER $2,300 06/25/2007 P RICHARDSON FOR PRESIDENT INC. - Democrat Broad, Eli LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 The Broad Foundation/Founder $2,300 06/14/2007 P LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD FOR CONGRESS - Democrat Broad, Eli LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 The Broad Foundations/Founder $5,000 06/01/2007 P FUND FOR THE MAJORITY Broad, Eli LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 The Broad Foundation/Executive $2,300 05/30/2007 G NANCY PELOSI FOR CONGRESS - Democrat Broad, Eli LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 The Broad Foundation/Executive $2,300 05/30/2007 P NANCY PELOSI FOR CONGRESS - Democrat Broad, Eli LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 Broad Foundations/Founder $1,000 05/30/2007 P FRIENDS OF PATRICK J. KENNEDY INC. - Democrat BROAD, ELI LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 SUN AMERICA/CHAIRMAN, CEO & PRESIDE $2,437 05/01/2007 P LAUTENBERG FOR SENATE - Democrat Broad, Eli LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 Broad Foundation/Founder $2,500 04/30/2007 P SECUREUS Broad, Eli LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 The Broad Foundation/Founder $15,000 04/30/2007 P DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE - Democrat Broad, Eli LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 Self employed/Founder $2,300 03/28/2007 G HILLARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT - Democrat Broad, Eli LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 Self employed/Founder $2,300 03/28/2007 P HILLARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT - Democrat Broad, Eli LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 The Broad Foundations/Founder $1,000 03/27/2007 P CHRIS DODD FOR PRESIDENT INC - Democrat Broad, Eli LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 Broad Foundation/Chairman-Founder $1,200 03/26/2007 P TOM VILSACK FOR PRESIDENT - Democrat BROAD, ELI LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 THE BROAD FOUNDATIONS/FOUNDER $200 03/23/2007 P FRIENDS OF BARBARA BOXER - Democrat BROAD, ELI LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 THE BROAD FOUNDATIONS/FOUNDER $200 03/23/2007 G FRIENDS OF BARBARA BOXER - Democrat BROAD, ELI LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 SUNAMERICA INSURANCE CO/PRESIDENT/C $2,300 03/16/2007 P CITIZENS FOR HARKIN - Democrat Broad, Eli LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 The Broad Foundation/Founder $2,300 02/16/2007 P FRIENDS OF CONGRESSMAN GEORGE MILLER - Democrat Broad, Eli LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 The Broad Foundation/Founder $200 02/16/2007 G FRIENDS OF CONGRESSMAN GEORGE MILLER - Democrat Broad, Eli LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 The Broad Foundation/Founder $2,300 02/16/2007 P FRIENDS OF RAHM EMANUEL - Democrat BROAD, ELI LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 THE BROAD FOUNDATION/FOUNDER $10,000 02/15/2007 P DEMOCRATIC SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE - Democrat BROAD, ELI LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 THE BROAD FOUNDATIONS/FOUNDER $2,100 01/12/2007 P FRIENDS OF SENATOR CARL LEVIN - Democrat |
| vehicular dynasty, and J.P. Morgan, the king of capitalist finance. Men like these, and the brilliant efficiency expert Frederick W. Taylor, who inspired the entire "social efficiency" movement of the early twentieth century, along with providing the new Soviet Union its operating philosophy and doing the same job for Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany; men who dreamed bigger dreams than any had dreamed since Napoleon or Charlemagne, these were the makers of modern schooling. |
| America's movement away from rationality towards emotionalism under the "It's all for the children" banner; the players:
|
3 factors that swamped
U.S. public education
U.S. public education
czars than in all of Russian history wanting to
concentrate ever more money and power in the
hands of an oligarchical elite via consolidation and
national standards for our public schools.
concentrate ever more money and power in the
hands of an oligarchical elite via consolidation and
national standards for our public schools.
a meeting of our nation‘s
governors and persuade
them to adopt national
standards and consoli-
date our 15,000 local
school districts into 70.
Apparently someone at
the White House was
listening -- or was it a
decade of money (see
graph at right) given to
liberal politicians?
From Arne's mouth
to state reality
However it happened, as
if on cue, by this past June
governors and persuade
them to adopt national
standards and consoli-
date our 15,000 local
school districts into 70.
Apparently someone at
the White House was
listening -- or was it a
decade of money (see
graph at right) given to
liberal politicians?
From Arne's mouth
to state reality
However it happened, as
if on cue, by this past June
| Liberal education lobbying has almost quintupled in just 2 decades. |
new Secretary of Education Arne Duncan was at a podium -- surprise, surprise --
proposing national standards -- surprise, surprise -- to the Governors Education
Symposium. In Arne's hand, a big carrot: $ 350 million in stimulus funds for those
state leaders greedy enough to go along. (For the politically naive among you, as I
myself was until well into adulthood, every dollar that passes through a governor's
hands represents dollars for repaying friends, contracts and favors. Much as we'd like
to hope that every penny of the $350 million will go to the best and most deserving
projects, the simple fact is that Ideas' purity fade when government money is attached.)
The implication of course is that for those governors willing to go along they'll get a
bigger slice of the larger prize, $4.35 billion, or even some of the $100 billion total feds
are earmarking for education.
Forty-six governors in need of repaying friends, contracts and favors have already
signed on to Arne's national standards scheme.
(MARCH 2010 UPDATE: Only Texas is standing firm; a spokesman for
Alaska's DOE told me in January they were going to sign on to the second
round of grant requests.)
proposing national standards -- surprise, surprise -- to the Governors Education
Symposium. In Arne's hand, a big carrot: $ 350 million in stimulus funds for those
state leaders greedy enough to go along. (For the politically naive among you, as I
myself was until well into adulthood, every dollar that passes through a governor's
hands represents dollars for repaying friends, contracts and favors. Much as we'd like
to hope that every penny of the $350 million will go to the best and most deserving
projects, the simple fact is that Ideas' purity fade when government money is attached.)
The implication of course is that for those governors willing to go along they'll get a
bigger slice of the larger prize, $4.35 billion, or even some of the $100 billion total feds
are earmarking for education.
Forty-six governors in need of repaying friends, contracts and favors have already
signed on to Arne's national standards scheme.
(MARCH 2010 UPDATE: Only Texas is standing firm; a spokesman for
Alaska's DOE told me in January they were going to sign on to the second
round of grant requests.)
| Start small, start local, start stimple - One person asking one question at their local school - Solutions, not Fear |
| Charlotte Iserbyt's 'The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America' It's important that we understand the century of events leading to where we are now. You can read this book online, today, for free. |
| LOU GERSTNER'S MANIFESTO |
| March 25, 2010 UPATE HOW WE (NOT 'THEY' BUT YOU AND I) CAN STOP NATIONALIZATION The fix is already in at the state and national levels. Start small, start local and start simple. Ask questions in your own local public schools. Get rid of fuzzy math. Make sure kids are drilled in the basic math tables in the first four grades and that they're learning phonics and accurate U.S. and world history. Get the check register online. Take a piece of what's closest to you and start asking questions, all kinds of questions about spending. Find qualified candidates to serve on your local school board and get them to sign the voluntary ethics pledges -- without them even the best candidates seem to throw their campaign promises ('Read my lips, no new taxes') out the window and develop a case of everyone-wants-to-be-loved-itis, or to morph into self-appointed peacemakers. Defeat attempts to consolidate your school district with others; if your school board members are elected from single-member districts, move your schools back to at-large districts. (There's no faster way for administrators and vendors to squelch opposition than single-member districts.) Ask your elected politicians at all levels to defend their votes and spending re education. Find your Congressman's pork on the Congressional Record, ask him/her to defend, say, a jump in one year from $12 million to $108 million. Ask to see your elected paid politicians' appointments calendar, including golf and all social engagements -- whom did they meet with, where and why? Your politician knows; you're paying him/her and they're spending your money. You deserve full accountability. Go about all of this with as friendly a tone as you can manage, and be sure to take the Golden Rule with you. This is my plan and it's based on observing personal past experiences, mine and others, wins and losses both. What's yours? |
| Mr. & Mrs. Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. (PHOTO -- New York Social Diary) |
NAZI acronym: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (National Socialist German Workers' Party) |
| Adolph Hitler with children |
More historical public school photographs:
| Ark of the Covenant disappearing into WW II-era government warehouse. (IMAGE--Raiders of the Lost Ark) |
