Reading is Fundamental in Education!
Set Our Teachers FREE! A Plan That WORKS!
Barack Obama says he wants to improve schools.
Arne Duncan, as his Secretary of Education is making appointments that may-or-may-not improve schools.
What we need is to improve EDUCATION!
Today, I’d like to share an excerpt from “Set Our Teachers FREE!” by Don Kingsland:
“The basis, or foundation, of excellent education must be teaching a child to read. This is the fundamental cornerstone for everything that follows.”
“Then it is absolutely crucial to help a child learn to enjoy reading. In a world of TV, movies, video games, etc., we must help children learn to see reading, not only as necessary, but as a pathway to success that is also pleasurable and entertaining. . . .”
“Unfortunately, whether a child seems to have an early aptitude for any subject from Art to Math to Science, without reading skills they can only advance to a certain level, and no farther. For example, what happens to that young math whiz when presented with word problems?”
“We will have NO great scientists or mathematicians in the future, if our youngsters don’t learn to read EFFECTIVELY NOW!”
“It is up to the system to ensure that children don’t become preoccupied with only subject matter that is easy, entertaining, or that they have a natural aptitude for. (There’ll be more about linking a child’s interest with reading education later).”
“. . . let me assure everyone that I do see a need for a well-rounded curriculum. BUT emphasis on reading mastery must come FIRST!”
“And remember, reading mastery involves BOTH reading fluency AND comprehension.”
excerpt from “Set Our Teachers FREE!” by Don Kingsland
Ain’t it ‘da truth!
Brennan
15 Year Old with Amazing Voice!
This young man is Adam Johnson, and he’s only 15 years old!
The quality of the video is obviously home-made, and he isn’t able to start singing until after one full minute into the video, but it is worth the wait!
You will be seeing a STAR in the making!
Here is Adam Johnson singing “Stars”, from Les Miserables.
What a talent! Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!
Brennan
P.S. Please notice all the white shirts and black ties. Even the girls are wearing white tops. Could these be (gasp!) uniforms?
Homosexual Activist Appointment by Department of Education
Looks like the education agenda of Obama’s administration is leaning further left.
I thought you might be interested in the latest appointment by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
I learned about it from Family Leader and wanted to share it with you.
Quoting from Family Leader:
“Kevin Jennings, founder of the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) has been appointed by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to be Assistant Deputy Secretary for the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools. GLSEN is the foremost national group promoting policies to force affirmation of homosexuality in schools, beginning in kindergarten. For example, GLSEN once sponsored a conference at Tufts University that was advertised to “youth only ages 14 to 21″ where three homosexual activists led a workshop graphically guiding the students on gay sex practices.”
“Under Jennings direction, GLSEN has sponsored the Day of Silence at schools, has pushed for Gay-Straight Alliance clubs, and taught workshops on How to Promote Queer-Friendly Activism in Your Schools and in Your Lives.”
“The author of the forward to the disturbing book Queering Elementary, which argues for the teaching of sexual “identity” (what you could easily call “indoctrination,” “initiation” or “brainwashing”) to the children in the elementary education stage of life, Jennings has spoken publicly telling the religious right to “Drop Dead.” (emphasis added)
“His plan is clear when he said, “I’d like five years from now for most Americans when they hear the word GLSEN to think, “Ooh, that’s good for kids.” … Sane people keep the world the same…old way it is now. It’s the [crazy] people who think, “No, I can envision a day when straight people say, ‘So what if you’re promoting homosexuality?’ or [when] straight kids say, ‘Hey, why don’t you and your boyfriend come over before you go to the prom and try your tuxes on at my house?’” … That is our mission from this day forward.”
I guess I’m one of those people on the religious right, but I have no intention of “dropping dead”.
The article goes on to tell how Mr. Jennings counseled a young boy who had been molested by a male teacher and did not report the fact to the authorities, the school, the boy’s parents, or any other agency as required by law. And he says he’d do it again.
I want to get your opinion on this appointment and offer you a way to appeal it, if you choose.
Family Leader has posed a petition on it’s site to
Tell Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to withdraw Kevin Jennings’ appointment.”
You can read the entire article at Family Leader and choose to sign the petition, or not.
Things, they are a’changin’ . . .
Brennan
Education to Prevent Bullies?
More California School Issues
Almost everyone within hearing or viewing of a television, computer, or newspaper is aware that California is having massive troubles with education.
Most people are focusing on the budget deficits that are causing tremendous teacher layoffs. However, even in times of economic turmoil, there are other issues that are being quietly slipped into the education agenda that are equally troubling, if not MORE SO.
I already posted about the Koran/Quran being taught and prayed in some California public schools, which no one seems to care about.
Now there is another agenda that is being foisted on students and parents, in the Alameda Unified School District (located just north of San Francisco), called “Safe Schools”.
What a GREAT name for a curriculum program, Yes? We all want Safe Schools, do we not?
Well, lets look a little deeper:
What does “Safe Schools” entail?
Let me share what Sonja Eddings Brown, former Los Angeles School Board President and Education Reform advocate has to say about it:
” . . . if you live in Alameda County in California, which encompasses the East Bay area of Oakland, Fremont, notorious Berkeley, and some of the poorest neighborhoods of the state, your kindergartners, 1st graders, and on up, are going to begin to learn about gay parenting and sexual orientation, ostensibly to keep the children from becoming bullies.”
” Political and gay activists are playing with dynamite by trying to force teaching about gay sexuality into public schools. Even voters who supported gay marriage in California oppose bringing the subject into the schools. Most people just don’t feel that any kind of sexuality — gay or straight — should be part of school instruction, and legally, schools must wait until 5th grade to even discuss maturation.”
” Several years ago California State Senator Sheila Kuehl, an openly gay legislator, wrote and pushed through the “Safe Schools” curriculum. The name is a misnomer. Perhaps because Senator Kuehl couldn’t ensure that gay curriculum would be approved for public schools by calling it “gay curriculum,” she dressed the legislation up in a disguise called “Safe Schools.” The concept is to introduce gay sexuality “as early as possible” so that gay students don’t endure mistreatment in school environments. Who would oppose that goal? The glory of Kuehl’s invention is that parents don’t have to be consulted, or informed, or have a voice in “bullying” curriculum. Usually, school lessons having to do with sexual curriculum must have parental consent and/or students may opt out if preferred.”
“Parents are now discovering that it is not legal to opt out of “Safe Schools” curriculum.” (emphasis added)
And it is extremely important to note that this curriculum is being implemented, despite the protests of 500 parents who showed up at board meetings to oppose it.
What does “Safe Schools” curriculum include?
So you can judge for yourself whether you feel this is appropriate for children this young, I went to the Alameda Unified School District site, to study the curriculum which is so proudly displayed. Here it is:
- Revised Lesson Plans
- Grade K Welcoming
- Grade K Welcoming Lesson
- Grade 1 Who’s In a Family
- Grade 1 Who’s In a Family Lesson
- (includes picture book about different family types, including obviously lesbian couples)
- Grade 2 And Tango Makes Three
- Grade 2 And Tango Makes Three Lesson
- Grade 3 Talking About Families
- Grade 3 Talking About Families Lesson
- Grade 4 Becoming an Ally
- Grade 4 Becoming an Ally Lesson
- Grade 5 Stereotypes 1
- Grade 5 Stereotypes lesson
(includes picture book about welcoming people who are different from us – very worthy)
(book written about two male penguins who formed a couple and adopted a penguin chick)
(including film promoting “diversity” and same sex couples – has been banned in several states)
(emphasis on empathy and “Robert’s story” [see below] – How do you think Robert feels when he hears people say
things like, “this is gay” or “You’re so gay?”)
(utilizing stereotype diagram – see below)
And this is Kindergarten to 5th grade, in a state where “legally, schools must wait until 5th grade to even discuss maturation”.
Study Materials Included in “School Safety”
- Famous Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People ( LGBT )
- Vocabulary Words (for a complete list, go to: Page One and Two PDF.
- Handout Article by Robert (about a letter allegedly written by the child of lesbian parents)
- Diagram (worksheet about stereotypes)
What is GOING ON?
I do NOT see this as a comprehensive anti-bullying program. It is very clear what the agenda is here.
As Sonja Eddings Brown says in her article,
. . . other states also have anti-bullying curricula. The mission? To teach public school children to be kind and tolerant of everyone . It’s as simple as that: Be kind to everyone.”
When our students are already failing miserably, with escalating drop-out rates, minimal reading and math skills, and even the Koran being taught and prayed from in public schools that won’t allow prayer, the Bible, or any discussion of Christianity, when will we decide to speak up?
Perhaps Barack Obama is correct and “We are not a Christian nation”.
This curriculum sounds pretty “secular” to me.
I know I’ll get hate mail again, just like I always do when this topic is written about on this site, but I’m not going to stay quiet any longer.
I have grandchildren in California schools and I think what is happening there is horrendous.
What do you think?
Brennan
P.S. Check this link for a video that shows the pledge cards given to 5-year olds in poor neighborhoods, where the parents don’t speak English yet, where the children were asked to sign their names as supporters of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and “questioning” people, as happened last fall in an Alameda School District kindergarten. See one of the pledge cards for yourself. Pledge cards on video
The Education Reform Illusion
smoke and mirrors in education
I think I’m going to scream!
As you may know, I’m on the mailing lists of LOTS of education sites and I follow what’s happening in education VERY closely.
As grandparents, and great-grandparents, we are committed to improving public schools for our children and ALL the children across the nation.
That’s one of the reasons I’m so spitting mad!
At last, something that works!
My beloved husband Don has PROVEN a plan for drastically improving public schools that is so workable and so easy to implement NATIONWIDE, that he actually wrote a book about it. “Set Our Teachers FREE!” tells the entire story about how “The Kingsland Plan” was developed and PROVEN over and over again, with GUARANTEED student success.
But first, everyone was committed to the farce that No Child Left Behind (NCLB) became.
When people finally realized what a failure that program was, how widespread the cheating for federal funds became, and how drastically public schools continued in their downward spiral, all of a sudden some people admitted that NCLB wasn’t the answer.
Something we’d been saying all along.
So EDin08.com/Strong American Schools came into existence. This organization claimed a mission of bringing the need for Education Reform into the Presidential campaign and had BILLIONS of dollars behind it. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was just ONE of the supporters.
We contacted the Gates Foundation, to offer the plan as a workable solution to improving public schools, and got a “Thanks, but No Thanks!”
Apparently bringing the information about failing schools to the candidates attention was MORE IMPORTANT than fixing the problems, because NOW EDin08 is disbanding, claiming a victory for their efforts.
In one respect, they are correct! President Obama has made Education Reform a big issue of his administration and is throwing BILLIONS of dollars at the problems. But, even after BILLIONS of dollars already spent, the right solutions have not been found.
In fact, almost everyone Barack Obama and Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, are counting on to fix schools HAVE NO BACKGROUND IN WHAT WORKS IN PUBLIC EDUCATION!
The Education Equality Project or EEP
Now that EDin08/Strong American Schools have accomplished their purpose (oh, really?), they are now disbanding and joining forces with Al Sharpton’s Education Equality Project!
Everybody and their brother is jumping on the bandwagon to close the achievement gap in our public schools. And there truly IS a big problem with the achievement gap between Caucasians/Asians and African-Americans/Hispanics.
But this COMPLETELY IGNORES the BIG PICTURE!
NOBODY is being educated adequately. NONE of our students are achieving levels of global competitiveness. Our best and brightest come in 12th to 24th in international competition!
We need to straighten-out our entire public education system!
Instead, billions of dollars and political clout is being vested in special interests ONLY!
I want EVERY CHILD IN AMERICA to have the opportunity to achieve academic excellence and success in their life!
We need to stop putting all our resources (including money) into helping only one segment of our population.
It’s time to STRAIGHTEN-OUT all the schools our children attend!
Read “Set Our Teachers FREE!” and learn how “The Kingsland Plan” can help ALL our children.
Brennan
Is Education Killing Creativity?
Sir Ken Robinson has a highly entertaining way of explaining things.
This video is from the 2006 TED meeting and well worth watching and enjoying.
What do you think?
Brennan
Common Standards in Education?
“X marks the states”
According to Michele McNeil, of EdWeek.org,
“Forty-six states—representing 80 percent of the nation’s K-12 student population—have formally agreed to join forces to create common academic standards in math and English language arts through an effort led by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers.”
Living as I do in South Carolina, it does not surprise me that South Carolina is one of the four states that hasn’t gotten on board. The level of education here is horrendous even when schools can set their own low-level standards.
Texas, Alaska, Missouri and, the aforementioned South Carolina, are the only four states that haven’t signed up for the program.
During the disastrous No Child Left Behind (NCLB) tenure, schools were able to slip through the cracks by setting standards in their own states. Numerous reports demonstrated wide-spread cheating by schools, especially since federal funds were linked to results.
The only way to really discover at what level schools, and students, are performing is to have equal standards across the board.
“This is a giant step,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who has been pushing states to adopt common, rigorous standards.
While I definitely disagree with Mr. Duncan’s attempts to politicize the education process, by making Mayors in charge of schools (already a proven educational disaster everywhere it has been implemented), I am wholeheartedly in agreement that common standards must be adopted if we are to have nationwide progress.
Fortunately, there is still ample time for the four remaining states to join the team.
Perhaps if concerned parents contact their local governor’s and chief education officer’s offices, these states will make a good decision for their students.
Maybe even South Carolina will get with the program.
Brennan
