• Investing
  • Stock
Round Table Thoughts
  • Economy
  • Editor’s Pick
Home Economy A Key Lesson in Education Policy: You Don’t Make Peace with Termites
Economy

A Key Lesson in Education Policy: You Don’t Make Peace with Termites

by January 3, 2023
by January 3, 2023 0 comment
Share
0
FacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsapp

For most of the last century, the “progressives” have been taking over the nation’s education system at every level. Pick any teacher, professor, or administrator and the chances are high that he or she is utterly dedicated to the Leftist project of replacing our liberal (in the true sense of the word) society with their vision of a properly regulated one. By controlling education, the Leftists implant the ideas they favor into students (including collectivism, egalitarianism, and acceptance of authority) while at the same time repressing ones that work against them (such as individualism, skepticism of authority, and belief in the spontaneous order of liberty).

Due to the phenomenal success of that project, school and college curricula are saturated with hostility to Western civilization. Teachers are trained in “education schools” that promote failed pedagogical concepts while at the same time demonizing anything that’s remotely conservative or libertarian. Overwhelmingly, the people who work in state education bureaucracies have been steeped in leftist ideology. They are far less concerned about how well students learn to read, write, and do math than with turning them into zealous advocates for their pet causes.

And once students get into college, the drumbeat for “progressivism” continues. Not every student succumbs, of course, but the heavy leftist slant has a big impact on many of them. That helps to explain why such a high percentage of young voters went for the Democrats in 2022 and why so many hold frighteningly authoritarian beliefs.

This is as if someone had built a lovely house through savings and hard work, only to find that termites have infested the foundation. They are steadily chewing away at the wood, weakening it. They won’t stop. It’s what they do.

I bring this up because two neighboring states, Florida and Georgia, show how and how not to deal with the “termite” problem of Leftist education control.

Writing for National Review, Stanley Kurtz here contrasts the eagerness of Florida governor Ron DeSantis to take on and defeat the leftist education apparatchiks in his state, and the way Georgia governor Brian Kemp has allowed his to continue their control over how students will be taught in his state.

First, DeSantis has promoted an excellent replacement for the “Common Core” standards that were so vigorously pushed during the Obama years.  Why does that matter? Kurtz explains:

The wonderful thing about Florida’s new English standards is the way they restore classic literature to its rightful place in the curriculum. The education Left wants to ditch substantive ‘knowledge’ (about authors like Shakespeare or Austen, or about literary periods like the classical era or the Renaissance) in favor of a focus on ‘skills.’ The delusion here is that knowledge and skills can be separated. In practice, the focus on skills simply serves as an excuse to scrap the great works of Western literature. The seemingly bland and apolitical jargon of ‘skills’ is manipulated to inject leftist politics into the classroom.

You can read much more about Florida’s new standards here.

Georgia also has new curricular standards in draft form. Unfortunately, there is no emphasis on reading our literary classics. Rather, Kurtz continues, “Georgia encourages students to identify the effects of social and historical influences on the biases of a given author.” That trendy leftist approach “cultivates a shallow reductionism that prompts students to dismiss the great literary works as dated.” Indeed, it also reinforces the leftist mindset that writers should be evaluated based on their supposed biases, rather than on the actual content of their works.

Georgia, under a Republican governor, has an opportunity to stop the termites from doing further damage, but, unaccountably, seems content to let the destruction continue. In this American Greatness article, English professor Mark Bauerlein blows the whistle. “Why would a Republican governor with national ambitions produce an education roadmap that is wholly devoid of conservative beliefs and goals? How did his administration come up with a pedagogy that maintains the very progressivist ideals that have dominated the public schools for decades and turned the youth vote into a heavily Democratic bloc?”

Instead of restoring the former emphasis on great English and American literature, the Georgia standards babble away about “convergent and divergent thinking,” and “deconstructing” the works that are assigned. That is just what the Left wants, a clear field for their continuing assault on Western civilization.

Bauerlein hits the nail on the head when he writes, “We shouldn’t underestimate the power of great literature and a great tradition to resist the blandishments of Woke coercion. Identity politics don’t appeal so much to a youth who has imbibed ‘Self-Reliance’ and Walden, works that abhor group dynamics. Read Swift and Orwell and you immediately suspect an idealist who arrives with promises of radical change….Victimology won’t please a mind that admires Booker T. Washington’s Up from Slavery.”

That’s right, and it’s the reason why the leftist educrats (in Georgia and everywhere else) want to replace great books with babble about the skills they say students need, including the identification of “bias” in authors. The most vital skill of all, being able to read and comprehend a worthwhile book, is ignored. (In truth, many teachers are themselves not very good at reading and writing, but that’s another problem that stems from the “progressive” takeover of our education system.)

State education standards need to be revised along the Florida lines, but getting rid of the termites requires deeper work. Education schools are the pipeline for the great majority of our teachers. In Georgia, for example, the University of Georgia School of Education’s website is wonderfully revealing about what kinds of things animate its officials, such as its focus on “White Privilege and Anti-Racist Solidarity.”

It is hard to imagine how any student could get through the UGA School of Education without being drawn into the ideological morass. A student who disagreed would be harassed for not having the proper values. The atmosphere is poisonous to any student who simply wants to learn to teach a subject, without becoming a Social Justice advocate.

Almost uniformly, education schools have become breeding grounds for hard-Left teachers and administrators. They are beyond reform, so elected officials who want to stop the further decay of their education systems must push for alternatives to ed-school certification.

Conservative leaders need to wake up to the peril we face from control of education by dedicated Leftists. There cannot be any peaceful coexistence with them, for their intention is to radically transform the nation by indoctrinating its young people. As important as issues like taxes and regulations are, their most important (and most difficult) task is to restore control of education to people who actually want to educate.

You Might Also Like
  • Oil Breaks Key Pattern: Oil Volatility & Natural Gas Surge
  • Seattle Schools official says parents shouldn’t be notified of pronoun change, ‘regardless of age’: emails
  • New Jersey passes campaign finance overhaul into law
  • Using the Grinch in photos to make money could empty your piggy bank: experts
Share
0
FacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsapp

previous post
Conquistadors and Indian Rights
next post
Tesla’s stock price crashes, down -9% on missing 4Q2022 consensus

You may also like

Ex-Israeli PM calls for defunding ICC after court requests arrest...

May 21, 2024

Top Crypto Gainers & Losers: Skibidi +53.8%, GIKO -22.5%

October 24, 2024

Fox News Poll: Voters divided over what US should do...

December 18, 2023

‘Squad’ Dem Rep. Jamaal Bowman fire alarm footage released after...

October 27, 2023

Retired healthcare executive enters North Carolina governor’s race as ‘no-nonsense...

August 9, 2023

The dollar index rose above 102.50 after Friday’s top news

October 7, 2024

Obama’s inner circle signals 44th president firmly behind Harris despite...

July 25, 2024

Colorado Masterpiece Cakeshop owner loses appeal over gender transition cake

January 27, 2023

‘Corruptly influencing the courts’: Climate justice group that trains federal...

August 15, 2024

Virginia Gov. Youngkin sets special election to replace delegate who...

August 5, 2023

    Stay updated with the latest news, exclusive offers, and special promotions. Sign up now and be the first to know! As a member, you'll receive curated content, insider tips, and invitations to exclusive events. Don't miss out on being part of something special.


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Recent Posts

    • Tesla stock sinks as Musk and Trump ridicule each other

      June 8, 2025
    • Trump implies government could cut contracts and subsidies to Musk’s companies

      June 7, 2025
    • Tech ETFs are Leading Since April, but Another Group is Leading YTD

      June 7, 2025
    • Week Ahead: NIFTY’s Behavior Against This Level Crucial As The Index Looks At Potential Resumption Of An Upmove

      June 7, 2025
    • From Tariffs to Tech: Where Smart Money’s Moving Right Now

      June 6, 2025

    Popular Posts

    • 1

      Trump-era China sanctions ended by Biden may be...

      June 27, 2024 2,813 views
    • 2

      Walz’s honeymoon with China gets fresh scrutiny as...

      August 9, 2024 2,518 views
    • 3

      Biden appointee played key role in recruiting Chinese...

      June 25, 2024 2,501 views
    • 4

      Shein’s global ambitions leaves some cybersecurity experts fearful...

      July 10, 2024 2,478 views
    • 5

      Harris VP pick spent years promoting research facility...

      August 29, 2024 2,355 views

    Categories

    • Economy (7,009)
    • Editor's Pick (2,123)
    • Investing (538)
    • Stock (2,599)

    Popular Posts

    • 1

      Trump-era China sanctions ended by Biden may be revived under new House GOP bill

      June 27, 2024
    • 2

      Walz’s honeymoon with China gets fresh scrutiny as Harris camp blasts ‘lying’ critics

      August 9, 2024
    • 3

      Biden appointee played key role in recruiting Chinese businesses to Delaware: ‘Longtime friends’

      June 25, 2024
    • 4

      Shein’s global ambitions leaves some cybersecurity experts fearful of Chinese spy threats

      July 10, 2024
    • 5

      Harris VP pick spent years promoting research facility that collaborated with ‘Chinese military company’

      August 29, 2024

    Latest News

    • Tesla stock sinks as Musk and Trump ridicule each other

      June 8, 2025
    • Trump implies government could cut contracts and subsidies to Musk’s...

      June 7, 2025
    • Tech ETFs are Leading Since April, but Another Group is...

      June 7, 2025

    Categories

    • Economy (7,009)
    • Editor's Pick (2,123)
    • Investing (538)
    • Stock (2,599)

    Disclaimer: RoundTableThoughts.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2024 RoundTableThoughts.com. All Rights Reserved.

    Round Table Thoughts
    • Investing
    • Stock
    Round Table Thoughts
    • Economy
    • Editor’s Pick

    Read alsox

    Wisconsin judge orders elections commission to...

    August 5, 2023

    Eric Swalwell spent more campaign cash...

    February 21, 2023

    Kirby says Yemen’s Houthis ‘still have...

    January 20, 2024
    Sign In

    Keep me signed in until I sign out

    Forgot your password?

    Password Recovery

    A new password will be emailed to you.

    Have received a new password? Login here