Pete Seeger's "Little Boxes" (Ticky, tacky) describes Missouri education system

Who would have ever thought a 1960's protest song would so eloquently describe the sad fact of Missouri public education? First, read this letter on the common core standards and the edict that teachers will no longer control his/her own test protocols.

http://dese.mo.gov/news/2010/sbac.htm

We've now lost control not only of the curriculum, but also the testing. Think about the ramifications of that fact. Your State Board of Education and local school district have become irrelevant. We are controlled by the Department of Education in Washington, DC.

Now let's get to the second part of this posting. Here is a video of Pete Seeger (written by Malvina Reynolds) singing "Little Boxes":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN3rN59GlWw

It's a song about conformity and the perils therein. We seem to have made quite a circle, however, about just whose conformity we're facing today vs. 1964.

Setting: early 1960's. Suburbs were being built, houses looked much the same. I would guess Reynolds was protesting against the social conformity of the time and uses the newly emerging suburban sprawl to make her point:

"Little boxes on the hillside
Little boxes made of ticky tacky,
Little boxes, little boxes
Little boxes all the same"

Setting: 2010. Common core standards and federal controls of state education systems (which is unconstitutional) are implemented in Missouri. I believe we are being forced to accept educational conformity dictated by the federal government. Reynolds not only refers to physical conformity, but "thought conformity" as well:

"And the people in the houses all went to the university
Where they all were put in boxes, little boxes all the same".

There you have it. Our children have been put in little boxes, to learn all the same things, to be tested in the same way, and no individuality or critical thinking is permitted. Except the song is wrong. The people in the houses don't have to go to the university to be put in a little box; it now starts in kindergarten.

See Jane run. Run Jane run. Far away from today's teaching methods.

Look Sally look.

Here is a post from a teacher in the trenches:

http://comments.americanthinker.com/read/42323/652621.html

This is a story I am hearing over and over again from today's teachers in the public school systems. Read the comments from the readers. It paints a bleak picture of current students and school systems.

I leave you with these questions: Do any of you seriously think students will achieve better results with more federal mandates and new theories? Why are we paying for failing schools? Do we work for the government or does the government work for us...and our children?

How the Missouri State School Board Spent their Summer Vacation

While fellow Missourians were taking family vacations to Florida or simply enjoying a weekend or two at the lake, our state board of education members were busy lending a hand to the federal government by paving the way for a federal takeover of our Missouri schools. That’s right, by a vote of 5-1, state board members voted to formally adopt the new common core standards in math and English language arts. This is just the beginning of a national takeover of our schools. Keep in mind, with national standards come national tests to make sure states are following the standards. And as any good educator knows, in order to prepare for those new national tests districts will need resources such as textbooks, and “model” curriculum as the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is currently writing in order to be of assistance to school districts that can’t align their curriculum fast enough. I’m sure the federal government will provide the state with a list of “recommended” textbooks to use if they want to, in order to help us out. While Missourians were busy defending ourselves against unconstitutional health care mandates or worrying about oil spills, the federal government was quietly pushing states to voluntarily adopt these new standards.
Unless we as citizens of this great state stand up and say no more, the federal government will continue to push their mandates and reforms on us with the help of our governor and appointed state school board members. I urge each and every one of you to let state school board members know what you think of how they spent their summer vacation. After all, it’s your dime!

Who's Looking Out for Our State Sovereignty?

Not Governor Nixon! In July he vetoed legislation that would allow Missouri legislators to hold federal funds from the Race to the Top grant program until they had a chance to decide whether or not the “strings” attached were in line with our goals for education in Missouri. Apparently, he has no problem with selling out our state sovereignty and giving up local control of our schools while creating an education system that will require endless amounts of bailouts in the future just to sustain itself. At some point, the federal bailout fund will dry up and Missouri taxpayers will again be stuck footing the bill for more government controlled education in our local schools. It’s time we tell Governor Nixon and the Missouri Board of Education to cut those “strings” to the federal government! Once again, it’s is our children and our money!

"These states don't need a bailout--they need a boot up the backside"

This is a great discussion regarding the $26 Billion school bailout:

http://hotair.com/archives/2010/08/13/quote-of-the-day-605/

Stimulus packages don't work. They are debt ridden and unsustainable. They are bribes with strings attached. When the Federal government sends a state money, it tells the state how to spend it. It rewards bad fiscal behavior and creates more strings. The "daddy state" wants Missouri to roll over and become so dependent on the Federal government we'll never be able to sever this unhealthy and unconstitutional relationship.

This is NOT what the founders intended. The Federal government was NEVER given educational control. With control comes power. And with power comes more control. Government growth and control. Now where else are we seeing this in action? Perhaps in health care? Does anyone else sense a pattern? Take the health care issues in respect to consitutionality and unfunded mandates, substitute the word "education" and it's the same Washington vision. It's government control, overreach, more regulation, and bigger spending. It has NOTHING to do with education. It's to protect the NEA. It will NOT increase student achievement.

Missouri needs a boot to the backside to stand up and act fiscally and constitutionally responsible in this education bailout. Contact your legislator and tell him/her "no more funding from the Federal government." In fact, email this post to your legislator. The judge and Palin explain the issue quite eloquently.

Ray Bonneville's advice to the States--"There's a Price to Pay"

Courtesy of Ray Bonneville, blues/country singer...here is a clip of his song "There's a Price to Pay". Check out the lyrics and images. Perfect analogy for the newest Obama bailout:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UUpF9I33qw


This is exactly what I've been saying the last few months: MISSOURI DOESN'T HAVE THE MONEY TO DO WHAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WANTS US TO DO IN EDUCATION.

The question you have to ask is "why does the government want control of our schools, which is constitutionally a STATE right"? Answer:

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2010/08/forcing_states_into_debt.html

A convergence on Jefferson City AND YOUR STATE LEGISLATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES is the next step. Our legislature can refuse this money. This money does not get us out of debt (one billion dollars is projected for next year). This is not the answer to our money woes. This puts Missouri further into the red.

Tell our legislators NO. We are tired of paying off special interests. We are tired of giving our teachers raises in a severe recession and overpaying superintendents. WE CAN'T DO IT ANYMORE.

Question: How would they spin this in Economics 101? Perhaps we should audit an Econ course in our high schools. If THIS is what is being taught to our high school students, we are indeed on the road to financial ruin with no return. Teaching our children it's permissible to sell off principles for special interests AND circumvent the Constitution. Go back and listen to Ray Bonneville again. Watch the images. That's the new United States.

Kirkwood School District receives advice from The Moody Blues: "No More Lies"

There are citizens in the Kirkwood School District vehemently opposed to the district's two upcoming bond proposals. The two proposals total $48 million--one is for a $15 million aquatic center; the other is for $33 million to expand kindergarten rooms so children can attend their home elementary school for that grade level. Mind you, the state mandates half day kindergarten be offered, NOT full day. Half day students are accommodated in two of the district's five elementary schools. There are some full day classes offered at a fee. Here is a copy of the proposals in a previous blog:

http://missourieducationwatchdog.blogspot.com/2010/07/theatre-of-absurd-bond-proposals-from.html



This district believes children should be able to attend full day kindergarten at each elementary school. The bond issue will build 4 kindergarten classes at the three elementary schools that currently do not have room for these rooms. But wait! If you (the taxpayer) vote for the proposal, the district will throw in a bonus offer! All grade levels will have an additional classroom added, bringing the total of additional classrooms at these schools to NINE rooms. Other improvements will occur such as new gymnasiums. Looking at the drafts, it appears these schools almost double in square footage.


When the district official was queried on where the teachers were going to come from and how they were to be paid to fill these new classrooms (Kirkwood is currently deficit spending), the official, in all seriousness, said, "We're not going to staff these rooms". What? This is the district's response to a question about spending money for teachers we don't currently have? So the next question is, "why are you building these rooms if they are not needed"? Doesn't that seem common sense to you?

We didn't get a firm answer to that question, other than the classrooms "may not end up being regular classrooms, they could be used for resource rooms or for other reasons". Okay. Digest that train of thought. Maybe you don't really need an additional classroom for each grade level. Maybe the district just names the classrooms with those names because it doesn't know exactly what it needs. That sounds convoluted. But regardless, if the district insists it needs kindergarten rooms because it doesn't have any...and THEN says it isn't going to hire any kindergarten teachers...I believe that is untrue. What the district really may be saying is it can't staff the rooms at the current operating levy, so wait until it builds the rooms and then it will come to you for yet another tax increase. And while the district is building the kindergarten rooms it allegedly needs, but can't afford to staff, it will just go ahead and add to the architect's draft five extra classrooms that it won't staff, but will have to furnish and maintain. Why is the district spending millions on space it doesn't need?


This is a district that is not anticipating much of an increase OR decrease in student enrollment. This is a district that is land locked, so future home development will only be infill construction. This is a district that gives its teachers 4.5% pay increases in a time of severe recession.


I think I have the answer on why the district is insisting on this unwise spending:



http://hotair.com/archives/2010/08/11/edujobs-bill-spends-millions-in-states-that-dont-need-it/



The Kirkwood School Board is a microcosm of the federal government. It is begging to be bailed out by the taxpayers for its reckless spending. Kirkwood does not need an aquatic center and it does not need extra classrooms for a district with a stagnant student population. Ed Morrissey writes in his piece, "The real solution is to get states to act responsibly on their own". Not only do Kirkwood School District residents have to worry about the STATE to act responsibly, they have to worry about the local school DISTRICT to make sound fiduciary decisions. KSD residents should be very worried.

I would suggest KSD residents present the board with this musical offering from the Moody Blues, "No More Lies".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX5-9w1cx60&feature=related

Better yet, tell your neighbors to vote against these wasteful and sneaky proposals. The district states these proposals will NOT result in higher taxes. That's not entirely true. Residents will eventually encounter a tax increase if these propoals pass. The operating levy will need to be raised to support the physical buildings. For physical buildings we don't need. No more lies.

"Carpetbaggers" and "Charlatans" just might be better than the Current Public School Administrators

There is a sentence in this NY Times article that contained the descriptive words of people/institutions trying to fix education: "carpetbaggers" and "charlatans". Who deserves those titles? Those pesky charter schools and other individuals who are diverting from the time tested (and failed) union teachers and the Department of Education over that last 40 years:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/10/education/10schools.html

Imagine that. The New York Times doesn't want to spend Race to the Top money on trying new school structures and instructive techniques. I do not want to support charter schools who have not done the job they contracted out to do; however, it does no good for the taxpayers to acquiesce state control of education and throw more money at public education for the same failing results they've seen over the last four decades.

As I understand it, parents don't have to send a child to a charter school. The parents choose the school over a public school. If a charter school is shown to be under performing or failing, the charter is revoked and the school is closed. Why can't this be applied to failing public schools as well?

Now that would be reform worth supporting.

"Money for Nothing"--Anthem of the Department of Education

This article from American Thinker on the absolute fallacy of national standards is a must read. This is the most common sense definition of the disaster awaiting Missouri schools I've seen yet:

http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/08/the_education_gimmick_of_the_y.html

Love the title, too. "The Education Gimmick of the Year". Perfect. The article covers the problems encountered with this newest "gift" from Washington:

• increased cheating
• increased politicization of curriculum
• financial ruin for school districts

If you are truly interested in learning the basic ABC's of why we are vehemently opposed to common core standards, read this fine article. Scroll down to the comment section as well. Reading what the people in the trenches are experiencing lend validity to the author's points. And thanks to Jon, a reader who suggested it reminded him of "Money for Nothing":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACGUasFWVsI

The New National anthem of the Department of Education. Heck, it should be nominated for the entire Federal Government. That's what we're getting: nothing. The band's name is what we are finding ourselves in...Dire Straits.

Education "Reform" is identical to Health Care "Reform"

I've taken a break the last few days to focus in our primary races in the St. Louis area...what an election! Proposition C passed with 71% voting YES to health care freedom. I was an assistant supervisor at a liberal leaning precinct...and many people told me they came in to vote specifically against the health care mandate.

I hope our legislators can now focus in on what's going on in the state with the educational mandates. I've said all along the Race to the Top and other federal mandates are the educational versions of the Health Care bill. Let me outline why I say this:

• The educational and health care bills were formulated behind closed doors.
• Both bills bypassed state legislatures. Legislatures have to come up with money they don't have to fund the programs the Federal government has mandated states must follow.
• Both bills had little or no input on the specifics from the taxpayers who are told how their tax dollars are to be used.
• Both the health care and educational mandates do not resolve the failures of each program; they create more bureaucratic levels and more control.
• Both programs were pushed through because the health care and educational programs "were in crisis". Politicians and educators signed onto programs before they even knew what they entailed.

Missouri Education Watchdog has plans to engage state legislators on this issue. The voters have spoken on the health care mandate, now let's raise our voices on the educational control Arne Duncan and company wants us to buy (literally and figuratively) into.