"NO MAN IS GOOD ENOUGH TO GOVERN
ANOTHER MAN WITHOUT THE
OTHERS CONSENT."
Abraham Lincoln
If you are like me, you are getting plain tired of all the politics and the lack of basic respect that we demand of those we deal with or allow around us on a daily basis. We hope each political season that the mud slinging, lying, and hate will be replaced by thoughtful, insightful, and civilized discussion of the issues and listening to each other to solve the problems that we have in today's world.
If you believe I am talking about the Presidential races, then you are missing the cause of all this. Instead of putting our Sunday faith into our Tuesday actions the mess we are in stems from us. This allows those who would take advantage of our weaknesses to jump into the middle of everything and agitate, stir the muck, and take advantage of division.
Lets get down to basics. I have stated this many times before, if you are incensed by the corruptness and nastiness of national politics, all politics are local. What is accepted on a local basis works its way to the top. And the cause of much of this is a lack of education. (here is the point when I will get flack from teachers). We have allowed the revision of history, the teaching of government, and the confusion of basics not being taught and replaced with complex and frustrating procedures. Much of this comes from Common Core but it started long before with the changing of educational standards.
If as a teacher you use the excuse that "we have to teach for the test", I suggest that you are not teaching the basics that are necessary, and allowing an unsustainable situation to exist. I am not saying that it is easy, but you owe each and every student to teach the truth of whatever subject you are engaged in.
Our legislators have noticed the reaction of many constituents as to the dislike and distrust of the Common Core curriculum. The comments, however, are that "the Kansas Board of Education is in the process of rewriting the standards as required every seven years. Any actions by us would be wasted when the new standards are adopted." I will leave your reaction to this after the next paragraph.
Oklahoma had a vote by the entire registered voters of the state to remove Common Core. This seemed a victory for those who want real education to be put back in place rather than confusing, edited, revised, political correctness. HOWEVER, when the state put the new standards in place it was the same Common Core curriculum without the name attached to it. So the voter was nullified by an end run around those who dictate what the children learn.
There is outrage from the people I know down there who care. I am just afraid that the new standards that Kansas adopts will be the same content without the name attached. Then it will be another cycle of years before the legislature would step in and then the same excuse would be used.
I know there are many good caring teachers and administrators that want to know that they contributed to the knowledge and building of young peoples lives. I believe that they want to see their students become contributing members of society. But I also believe that the excuse of 'teaching for the test' is getting old.
The multitude of reporters and programs who do random interviews on college campuses and on the street has lost the comedic appeal that it once had. Even one university went out and interviewed their own students to see just how smart they were. They had the same results that the reporters did. It would be embarrassing to me to see a former student and think that as a teacher I had nothing to help them have even a bit of walking around sense.
But remember, all the problems start locally. And after seeing the results of statements made by many in office it brings home even more that these people passed the test. They walk, breath, vote, breed, and have a say in how we live our lives.
SCARES THE HECK OUT OF ME!
Our legislators have noticed the reaction of many constituents as to the dislike and distrust of the Common Core curriculum. The comments, however, are that "the Kansas Board of Education is in the process of rewriting the standards as required every seven years. Any actions by us would be wasted when the new standards are adopted." I will leave your reaction to this after the next paragraph.
Oklahoma had a vote by the entire registered voters of the state to remove Common Core. This seemed a victory for those who want real education to be put back in place rather than confusing, edited, revised, political correctness. HOWEVER, when the state put the new standards in place it was the same Common Core curriculum without the name attached to it. So the voter was nullified by an end run around those who dictate what the children learn.
There is outrage from the people I know down there who care. I am just afraid that the new standards that Kansas adopts will be the same content without the name attached. Then it will be another cycle of years before the legislature would step in and then the same excuse would be used.
I know there are many good caring teachers and administrators that want to know that they contributed to the knowledge and building of young peoples lives. I believe that they want to see their students become contributing members of society. But I also believe that the excuse of 'teaching for the test' is getting old.
The multitude of reporters and programs who do random interviews on college campuses and on the street has lost the comedic appeal that it once had. Even one university went out and interviewed their own students to see just how smart they were. They had the same results that the reporters did. It would be embarrassing to me to see a former student and think that as a teacher I had nothing to help them have even a bit of walking around sense.
But remember, all the problems start locally. And after seeing the results of statements made by many in office it brings home even more that these people passed the test. They walk, breath, vote, breed, and have a say in how we live our lives.
SCARES THE HECK OUT OF ME!
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