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Know-it-Alls, The Real Threat to American EducationPosted Friday, June 26, 2009, at 11:55 PM
These people, whom I will term as "know-it-alls", like to throw around words like indoctrination and evil liberal mind washing in an attempt to scare people like them into submission. The know-it-alls get their information, not from actual school personnel, but usually from a columnist or radio or tv jockey who hasn't actually ever taught in a school once in their life, but feel just fine telling everyone how it ought to be run. They will use examples in the news, that represent a very small minority within the teaching profession to suddenly represent every teacher in the ENTIRE United States. They will prop up statistics and polls dealing with colleges and universities and attempt to draw a straight line right to elementary and secondary education, even when there is no line to be drawn. They will shout that God and Jesus has been taken out of schools without offering any proof to back up their claims. This claim is completely baseless but they will continue to press it as truth and unfortunately the American media has taken this charge and ran with it as if it is true. They will claim that the "Pledge of Allegience" is no longer recited in the school system. Again they have no proof. They have heard it is going on and have assigned to every school in the country. They will stomp and shout that liberal indoctrination is going on all the while being completely transparent that they don't want students just to learn they want to indoctrinate them in their conservative values. They will say that evolution should not be taught in a science class because it is just a theory, yet they have no problems with gravity being taught, even though it too is a theory. They also say that creationism or intelligent design or whatever they change the name to should be taught alongside or completely replace evolution in a science class, though it is not a science and not a theory. They will say that participating in a parade is forcing kids to accept a gay lifestyle, even though for 99% of these kids, all it is, is a parade and nothing more. They will say that history can only be taught from their perspective, which takes a completely political ideology and forces it upon students. History is about verifiable facts and it changes on a constant basis. To try to put a liberal or conservative spin on it just waters down history. They will actually complain that not enough attention is given to Ronald Reagan. So what, recent history is still evolving. We are still discovering facts about the formation of our country and they want us to put on kid gloves and kiss the butt of a president that last served less than 20 years ago. The know-it-alls believe that even though they have no formal training and haven't been in the classroom since they graduated high school no more than any one teacher. Even teachers that have been teaching 20-30 years. They don't know, or probably more accurately, don't care, about all the different issues that a teachers encounters every day. In a single 50 minute class a teacher will make close to 1000 different decisions. Some of the issues that teachers face on a day to day basis are teaching to students that don't want to be there, students who back talk just to back talk, bullies, students with low IQs that can't keep up with the class so they act out, students with high IQs that are so far ahead in class they have nothing better to do than act out, drama between two students, ensuring that every student is learning all the while dealing with the smart alec in the back of the class. They don't know, or care, that 10% of students in a given classroom is on an IEP or a 504, and that the teacher is responsible for ensuring that they stay to the plan of the student all the while planning for each individual student. The don't know, or care, that no one student has the same learning method and that a teacher must plan their lesson around every single different method to ensure that every student is learning. What the know-it-alls don't really get is that with all the planning for a single class that a elementary or secondary teacher has to do, there isn't time in the day to effectively indoctrinate kids to their beliefs. Teachers are given one 30 minute lunch and a 50 minute break during an 8 hour day and the rest is spent with the kids. This is at the secondary level. In the elementary level, they are expected to spend their 30 minute lunch with their kids and they are luck if they get another 10 minutes the rest of the day. Recesses have either been cut out completely or teachers are expected to make recesses structured. They simply don't get that testing has gotten so out of hand in today's world, that even kindergartners are given bubble tests. There is plenty wrong with our educational system in the United States today, but indoctrination isn't one them. But don't tell that to a know-it-all, they watch tv or listen to the radio or read on-line blogs from supposed experts that tell them what is "really" going on in the educational system. But, in the end these so-called experts are usually paid handsomely to present their beliefs as facts and unfortunately the know-it-alls eat it up with a spoon. When a know-it-all tries to present you with facts to try to prove their point, check it out for yourself before being pulled into trap of the know-it-all. There is an evil seeping into the American School System and it's name is the know-it-all. Comments Showing comments in chronological order [Show most recent comments first] |
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Actually I like my job just fine. I just tire of people who have no experience in teaching and no clue as to what the educational system actually is going around acting like know-it-alls trying to tell everyone what is wrong with the system and how to fix it.
Why would anyone do you a favor Steffanie?
Classic attempt by a conservative that doesn't want the truth to come to trash the individual that is telling the truth.
I'm going to keep right on blogging Steffanie. But thanks for the advice. I'll go ahead and file it in the trash.
Yes Steffanie, now that you point it out I can why people would like you, you are very classy and elegant.
Why can't teachers blog though? Certainly they are allowed to spend their free time how they wish, no? Or maybe none of us should participate in the democracy; that seems very in keeping with your radical conservative ideology...silence the opposition. Let's untangle you from contradiction a bit more, eh? You should get back to your burrito making. Being a Republican comes with certain obligations, an important one is absolutely LOVING IT when corporations are making money (no matter what price the public pays). Come on Steffanie, shut down your computer, stop voicing your opinions, and get out there and make America fat and Taco Bell rich!!
Creationism preached in schools is an evil indoctrination into a lie.
Thankfully Darwin's discovery of evolution completely rules out the possibility that man came from some dirt that a god used to make an image of himself out of, and that woman came from a rib of this dirt-man.
Compare the amount of interlocking data from every applicable scientific field including geology, physics, and even molecular biology, all having observational experiments done, that test and prove the hypotheses of evolution occurring (elevating it to a FACT and a THEORY), with the DISCREDITED FAIRY TALE - a big invisible monster that nobody has ever seen or heard did it.
It is frightening that mass delusions of supernatural beings still exist today. It is the same thing as saying that my invisible fire breathing dragon is more powerful than your multi-headed fire spewing sea monster. So, come around to my way of thinking or I will commit atrocities for it.
Everything from the murderous blood stained Sky Daddy who drowned virtually all humanity and other life, sentenced everyone to leave Utopia after Eve (persuaded by a talking snake) ate a magical apple, had Jonah take a ride in the belly of a whale, ruined the life of Job, told Abraham to murder his own kid, killed all the first born of Egypt, had his chosen people commit genocide on the original inhabitants of Palestine, to letting his own son be nailed to some wood so mankind could party with a ghost - is a FAIRY TALE that humanity needs to reject if we are to see many more generations.
By the way if you are dumb enough to believe that this fable is real; in the Bible, the murder count is God/millions - Devil/zero. Whom would you rather spend time with, a vengeful monster or a fallen angel who thought he had a better way? I am NOT promoting the Devil, just illustrating the craziness in this stupidity.
Hopefully if you were previously deluded, after reading this you will see how foolish you have been. Society needs to accelerate its retreat from worshiping outlandishly absurd fictional psychopathic beings.
There is no middle ground.
Thanks for a thoughtful essay on public education.
Malcontents that seemingly only offer negative input are a large part of the problem. If critics spent half the time on positive pursuits as they do putting down others what a better world we would have.
People who suggest you spend your free time tutoring and mentoring students who need it obviously don't have a clue what the vast majority of teachers do a daily basis.
The larger problem in public education is lack of support and cooperation from the parents. If values are instilled by the parents in the home, then students stand a much better chance of succeeding in school.
Thank you to my teachers in public schools back in Red Willow County and to the teachers everywhere who are doing their job and too often that of the parents also.
While I support the right of negative people like the drug addict Rush Limbaugh to state their views even though his rants are so similar to those of Hitler, it is sad and a bit scary for the future of this great nation when he is a role model for so many. Yet I do have faith the teachers in our public schools are up to the challenge.
ontheleftcoast,
Name me one thing that Rush Limbaugh has said that is similar to Hitler's.
As for the "drug addict" comment, do you have any proof Rush is still abusing drugs?
CPB,
In about 6 seconds I came up with this:
"Humanitarianism is the expression of stupidity and cowardice."
Adolf Hitler
"Compassion is no substitute for justice."
Rush Limbaugh
Given Limbaugh's serious record of horribly racist comments, you might want to think twice about asking anyone to advance the similarities in their rhetoric. I will happy to provide you with as many examples as you wish though.
GI,
"Compassion is no substitute for justice". Think about the meaning of this for a few minutes, then explain it.
CPB,
I will assume that Rush is arguing that a feeling of profound emotion at the suffering of another person or group of people (compassion) and acting on that emotion to alleviate their suffering is not as beneficial to society as fair treatment and due reward in accordance with standards, or law (justice).
Not sure how much more anti-Christian you can get, but my point still stands...Hitler's comment says fundamentally the same thing.
You asked a simple question: "Name me one thing that Rush Limbaugh has said that is similar to Hitler's."
So there you have it...one thing Rush said that was similar to Adolph. The simple act of Hitler saying something doesn't inherently make it wrong or bad, if Hitler said puppies are cute, puppies do not cease to be cute (however, in this case both men are very misguided and not in keeping with Jesus and God's teaching that love and compassion is in fact more important than human laws and standards).
Nice try GI. Rush's quote involved a discussion on whether criminal behavior should be excused if the criminal had a disadvantaged socio-economic background. The clear answer is clear, no, justice must prevail.
How can this possibly be anti-Christian. The compassion part of this is to visit that person in prison and provide them encouragement for when/(if) they get out.
Hitler's quote sounds like something a bully would say, hoping it scares everyone.
Now provide me with some racist comments from Rush.
"Nice try GI. Rush's quote involved a discussion on whether criminal behavior should be excused if the criminal had a disadvantaged socio-economic background. The clear answer is clear, no, justice must prevail."
How is this different from my explanation? I said that Rush was arguing justice (in this case trying every criminal equally) is more valuable than compassion (giving favor to cases where someone may have had a disadvantage).
"How can this possibly be anti-Christian."
It is anti-Christian to value the laws of man over the compassion of Jesus. But it is a nice socialist attitude you have, wanting everyone to be tried equally and without remorse.
"Hitler's quote sounds like something a bully would say, hoping it scares everyone."
That is EXACTLY Rush's modus operandi.
"Now provide me with some racist comments from Rush."
Here are the best of the best:
"I mean, let's face it, we didn't have slavery in this country for over 100 years because it was a bad thing. Quite the opposite: slavery built the South. I'm not saying we should bring it back; I'm just saying it had its merits. For one thing, the streets were safer after dark."
"You know who deserves a posthumous Medal of Honor? James Earl Ray [the confessed assassin of Martin Luther King]. We miss you, James. Godspeed."
"Look, let me put it to you this way: the NFL all too often looks like a game between the Bloods and the Crips without any weapons. There, I said it."
"The NAACP should have riot rehearsal. They should get a liquor store and practice robberies."
"Have you ever noticed how all composite pictures of wanted criminals resemble Jesse Jackson?"
"They're 12 percent of the population. Who the hell cares?"
"Take that bone out of your nose and call me back(to an African American female caller)."
Shall I continue to point out how your racist hero is like Hitler, or would you like to discuss some of Rush's racist comments?
GI,
This little thing called the 10 Commandments, violate any one of these and you receive a death sentence, not from man, but from GOD.
"I mean, let's face it, we didn't have slavery in this country for over 100 years because it was a bad thing. Quite the opposite: slavery built the South. I'm not saying we should bring it back; I'm just saying it had its merits. For one thing, the streets were safer after dark."
Tried doing some research on this one, most web sites have taken it down except blackplanet.com. Possible fraud here.
"You know who deserves a posthumous Medal of Honor? James Earl Ray [the confessed assassin of Martin Luther King]. We miss you, James. Godspeed."
This is a long dis-credited Wikipedia entry from the late 1990's. Limbaugh never said it.
"Look, let me put it to you this way: the NFL all too often looks like a game between the Bloods and the Crips without any weapons. There, I said it."
This is quoted on a sports show, with Limbaugh noting the on/off field behaviors of some NFL players.
"The NAACP should have riot rehearsal. They should get a liquor store and practice robberies."
"Have you ever noticed how all composite pictures of wanted criminals resemble Jesse Jackson?"
"They're 12 percent of the population. Who the hell cares?"
"Take that bone out of your nose and call me back(to an African American female caller)."
Again, there is no proof Limbaugh said any of these quotes. The quotes you have given me can be found at many left-wing website verbatim. I hope you got permission from them to use. Your credibility suffered greatly.
"This little thing called the 10 Commandments, violate any one of these and you receive a death sentence, not from man, but from GOD."
I am not sure what you are trying to say here, are you saying the 10 commandments are not God's laws? That seems a bit blasphemous.
"Possible fraud here."
I doubt it. Rush is known for making these kinds of comments: see Donovan McNabb and Sherrod Brown.
"This is a long dis-credited Wikipedia entry from the late 1990's. Limbaugh never said it."
Actually it appeared in a book published by The Nation. I have no idea about wikipedia, but I would suggest looking elsewhere.
"This is quoted on a sports show, with Limbaugh noting the on/off field behaviors of some NFL players."
It was clearly a racist and bigoted comment aimed at the very black few players in the NFL who get in trouble. This is classic Rush, taking the behavior of a certain element of a population and extending it to the whole population.
"I hope you got permission from them to use. Your credibility suffered greatly."
Says the Rush worshiping conservative. Okay, CPB, if you don't think I am credible I suppose I can live with that. HAHA.
PS
"The quotes you have given me can be found at many left-wing website verbatim."
They are verbatim because they are quotes, CPB.
GI,
Yes, the 10 Commandments are GODS laws, I don't know how you can see otherwise.
The rest of your piece is made up crap. You want/wish Rush said these things. The Nation, this is a liberal opinion mag.
Don't worry about looking small in front of me, it's the rest of the audience that's laughing.
Here CPB, credible sources and all. If you need anymore public beatings administered to you I will be happy help.
Wall Street Journal:
"The NAACP should have riot rehearsal. They should get a liquor store and practice robberies."
http://davos.wsj.com/quote/07gzduH0Ng4l7
With sources cited at the bottom of the page and all ducks in a row, Snopes confirms these two:
"Have you ever noticed how all composite pictures of wanted criminals resemble Jesse Jackson?"
AND
"Take that bone out of your nose and call me back(to an African American female caller)."
http://www.snopes.com/politics/quotes/li...
"Yes, the 10 Commandments are GODS laws, I don't know how you can see otherwise."
I didnt say otherwise, I said that the compassion of Jesus is more important than the laws of humans. Stop putting words in my mouth.
You are Rush sympathizer and a liar. Sorry CPB but if they are laughing they are laughing at your terrible mistake.
GI,
Went to WSJ, source was Newsbusters, no mention of it.
Went to snopes, reported as an unconfirmed rumor.
The only thing in your mouth is your foot
Uh, reread Snopes my friend it says Status:True.
And why would The Wall Street Journal allow content on their site if it wasn't credible?
Strike three. Go sit down.
I went back to WSJ, source was Newsbusters, went to Newsbusters, Rush was the subject, but no mention of the quote.
Went back to snopes, one of its sources was BET, the story has been removed. The other source is Fairness and Accuracy in Media, a liberal hack group, Rush was the subject, but again no mention of the quote.
But, since snopes says its true, it must be. You win.
Left out the part about the Newsweek article from 1990 that had Rush saying he felt sorry for the "take the bone out of your nose" thing.
I do win, because Rush is an ignorant racist, I have proved it, and you can't stop groveling at his ignorant racist feet. What a pity.
ANYWAY!, I believe this entire blog was about "know-it-alls" threatening our education system. Yes there are people from both sides of the aisle screaming foul.
From the right, they are screaming "liberal indoctrination". Are they wrong, no. In some isolated cases, this is happening, mostly in large cities, where liberal thought tends to congregate. Yes they are advancing homosexual agendas, extreme environmentalism, animal rights and so on. Is it happening here, probably not. Liberalism tends not to do well in rural, self-sufficient areas.
From the left, the problem comes from the Church/state thing. Are there people forcing their values on others? Yep. Should they? Nope. Values, as Christian values is a personal thing. We choose to live that lifestyle, others can observe and make their desicions. Evolution/Creation arguments should both presented as both have merits that need to be disected in the classroom.
It all boils down to location, where do you want to live. You want a liberal lifestyle with your children getting a liberal education, live in a big city. Want a conservative lifestyle and a conservative education, live in rural America.
Mr Hendricks, I have yet to hear any real comlaints about your teaching, keep up the good works. And congratulations!
Yes, i believe the blog was about know-it-alls and I want to thank CPB for showing everyone just what mike was talking about... Congrats CPB
and good work GI for completely embarrassing CPB who must be in a sad state of denial about RUSH THE RACIST.
Steffanie
The concept that parents are the first and primary teacher of their children is neither a liberal nor conservative concept--Educators across the political spectrum recognize that. But considering that we pay way more for medical care in this country while receiving care bordering on the quality of that in third world countries it is amazing that the quality of education in this country is as high as it is considering the low financial support for public education.
Charter schools, heralded the solution to "liberal" control in public education, produce interesting results. For example, the charter schools in California that were teaching fundamentalist Islam.
While I live on the left coast, I consider myself neither a liberal nor a conservative, rather a progressive, but if anything other than a conservative is a liberal, then count me as a liberal.
Chunky
It is common knowledge that Limbaugh has sought treatment for abuse of prescription drugs--that's drug addiction.
Hey GI,
Could you give me the month and date of the 1990 Newsweek article you mentioned above?
I wrote Newsweek, it is actually Newsday, sorry for the confusion. To be clear, Newsday as of 2009 gained nearly 400,000 subscribers, it is a 19 time Pulitzer prize winning rag, and it has the 8th highest circulation of any newspaper in America, so it's credibility shouldn't be a factor.
http://www.newsday.com/about/ny-aboutnew...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newsday
The article in question, according to Snopes, is from the 8 October issue of 1990. Happy hunting.
GI,
Thank you. Sorry to have bogged you down in the minutia. I guess the answer I was looking for was, name me a leader of any organization, public or private, who isn't flawed. Who amongst is hasn't uttered or even thought of a bigoted comment. Be honest. I'm guilty here.
Is it, or is it not hypocrisy to accuse people of bigotry, while practicing yourself.
I'm sorry to have handed you "the kitchen sink", the hypocrisy thing, I expected you to hit me with it, not drown in it.
As to S&DC and ontheleftcoast, I don't listen to Limbaugh or any other commentator. They don't offer a real solutions to our education problems.
It is my opinion that the problem lies in an imbalance between the administration, as represented by school employees, and the school board, who represent the community.
Now let the discussions fly!
I agree and disagree with you Chunky. The school board IS supposed to represent the community, but they often mostly serve their self interests and the superintendent and not the community.
The problem lies with the school board because, for the most part, there rarely is anyone on the school board that represents the schools.
The nebulous of all this are the principals of the schools, as THEY represent BOTH teachers and the community. They are the only ones, who on a daily basis interact with both groups. If there is someone who has a true pulse on education it is the principal
CPB,
Your original post asked Mike to find "one thing" Rush said that was similar to Hitler. The truth here is that this is a very simple task, not because Rush Limbaugh is actually like Hitler, but because as public figures build a library of material, eventually/inevitably many of these public figures are going to say similar things. I think you missed that point getting wrapped up in defending Limbaugh from Hitler associations (a reasonably questionable comparison in the first place).
That doesn't bother me; what does bother me is that many people refuse to see bigotry, or are inclined to ignore it, or worse go as far as to accept it and reproduce it when it comes from someone they respect and admire (e.g., a family member, a Church leader, Rush Limbaugh). That is why I have a problem when you say:
"Who amongst is hasn't uttered or even thought of a bigoted comment."
Certainly it is conceivable that at some point in all of our lives something bigoted has crept or will creep across our minds; without a doubt this applies to even the doers of humanities greatest deeds. But the point here is that a decent respect to the progress of humankind demands that we work to reduce bigotry, not give it's loudest promoters microphones.
So now you've completely changed from your original philosophy of blaming the teachers, to blaming liberals and to a larger extent the community.
Ladies and gentlemen, the common disease of the know-it-alls: Always change your attack mode and who you attack so there is always someone to blame, but NEVER provide any facts or provide statistical information that has nothing to do with your topic.
Several rightwingers are starting to suggest that when the census comes up that conservatives shouldn't take it. That's fine with me and I'm sure most liberals and many moderates. The reason I'm fine with it, is because if they seriously go through with this little protest, the count will be really low for them and then they will lose seats in Congress.
One CONGRESSMAN publicly promoting this is Minnesota Michelle Bachman, who, if people go through with it, will lose her job, because the district that Minnesota would lose is hers.
So Conservatives, go ahead don't take the Census. I won't complain.
Just got back from Las Vegas played in WSOP. Brother came in 110 out of 2800. Received a nice payout. I was in the top 400. I only play about 4 times a year. Twin brother plays about twice a month.
I suggest you watch the news then because she has said on several occasions that people not fill out the Census at all. I wasn't even referring to what she'll do. Of course she's going to fill it out. She's got a job to keep.
Once again steffanie, I don't care what you say about me, but have the common decency to leave my family out of this. Anything you have to say to my fiancee you can address to her. Though we all know she would clean the floor with you. All you seem to be able to do is act like a 15 year old boy (which I still believe that's what you actually are)