The latest push to shove the federal Common Core Curriculum down states throats via the threat of ending federal funding to those states that do not implement it has hit Florida. The state legislature is currently in committee writing legislation to implement it and make it state law. I am not going to argue the merits of the Common Core as a viable education model because the jury is still deliberating its content and methodology. What I am going to discuss and emphasize is the effectiveness of the federal body that will gain permanent control over every level of education in America and its success rate since first taking this role in 1980.
The Dept. of Education:
Since its inception and implementation by Jimmy Carter on 05/04/1980 has been very effective at redefining and changing the overall quality and efficiency of the way our children are educated. Before the Dept. of Ed. the national high school graduation rates were around 80% (peaking at 81% in the 1970’s). More importantly the effective reading and math comprehension levels were at a 10th grade level and to get into a college or state university a minimum SAT score was 1300. (an Ivy League education required 1550) The aggregate IQ as determined by MENSA for the average high school graduate was approximately 98, the general populace 88.
Here is a very independent white paper from 2 German scientists that show a very different trend in our education:
“THE AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATE: TRENDS AND LEVELS,” J. HECKMAN AND P. LAFONTAINE (2010)
“For a number of reasons – poor survey design, uncounted incarcerated males, inclusion of GEDs, inclusion of immigrants, etc. – surveys commonly used by economists like the CPS provide poor measures of the US high school graduation rate. Heckman and LaFontaine attempt to fix these mistakes by comparing the CPS, decennial Census records, and annual high school surveys to create an accurate measurement of the US high school graduate rate. The current rate is around 77%, lower than the peak of 81% around 1970. Graduating rates among males are lower, and among blacks are far lower. Indeed, low education rates continue into college, with only about 25% of the current cohort graduating from college, and less than half ever attending college of any kind. This divergence in educational outcomes is likely a large driver of stagnant wages since the early 1970s, since wages among college graduates and postgrads have continued to increase. The US has fallen behind many other developed countries in the past four decades in both HS and college graduation rates. To my mind, these numbers are a national disgrace, and such low rates of human capital are absolutely drivers of future high crime rates and lower economic growth.” For the full text:http://ftp.iza.org/dp3216.pdf (WP – full version in ReStat May 2010)
The resultant comprehension levels are now at an all time low with 60% high school graduates reading at 8th. grade levels and math even lower. Most cannot perform simple algebra and without electronic assistance cannot perform simple math. The average IQ for grads’ is 90 and the populace average is 80. The standards for MENSA membership have always been the top 2 percentile of tested IQ’s, in 1970 it took an IQ of 150 to be considered in that percentile today it only requires an IQ of 135.
I can continue to identify and more importantly quantify the erosion of education since the federal govt. started direct oversight, but any American who has children or raised children or interacted with children in the last 40+ years can recognize the failings of the Dept. of Ed. and its devastation on our culture.
What is more frightening is why are our state govt.’s so willing to acquiesce our 9th. and 10th. Amendment rights so quickly? Why do we elect school boards and appoint administrators to over see the education of our children to see them systematically neutered by the Dept. of Ed.? Federal $$$$$!
To get the money you must get with the program whatever the current program is no matter how bad or how egregious. It is pay to play and if you don’t play then you don’t get paid. In the first stages of the implementation of Common Core in place like Texas there have been multiple instance of push back by both teachers and more importantly parents when they have learned what their little Johnnie or Suzy are being taught.(or more importantly NOT TAUGHT) The removal of things like Algebra and Early American History in favor of Islamic studies and Homosexual awareness.
A recent article from the folks at the CATO Institute summed it up very well:
Saying Common Core Not Federal a Joke, but Joke’s on Us!
By: NEAL MCCLUSKEY
“Last week I posted video from an American Enterprise Institute conference featuring supporters of national curriculum standards—the Common Core—dismissing concerns that implementing the standards might cost lots of taxpayer arms and legs, and laughingly brushing aside concerns that the Common Core might lead to federal control of school curricula. The latter emanated largely from Chester “Checker” Finn, president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, whose organization is a leading national standards supporter.
Yesterday news came out that made clear just how serious—and unfunny—concerns about a federal takeover are. According to Education Week, the U.S. Department of Education will start a “technical review process” for the Department-selected consortia creating the national tests to go with the standards. And what will that review look at? Not compliance with accounting standards or something administrative, but test “item design and validation.” That means, most likely (in-depth information from the Department was off-line as of this writing) reviewing the specific questions that will go on the tests. And what is tested, of course, ultimately dictates what is taught, at least if the test results are to have any concrete impact, ranging from whether students advance to the next grade, to whether schools gain or lose funding. Since the ultimate point of uniform standards is to have essentially uniform accountability from state to state, they will have to have some concrete impact, rendering this a clear next step in a major Federal incursion into curricula.
Now, maybe Finn wasn’t aware of any of this last week when he blew me off with knee-slapping zingers about the U.N. taking over the Common Core, but I doubt it: according to Education Week, one of Fordham’s employees, Kathleen Porter-Magee, will be on the federal review team, as will frequent Fordham collaborator William Schmidt of Michigan State University. So either Finn is an extremely hands-off manager, or as he summoned his inner Don Rickles last week he knew very well that federal tentacles were inching even deeper into America’s schools.
Ha, ha, America. Joke’s on you.”
Neal McCluskey
The 9th. Amendment to the Constitution states: “ The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people”
The 10th. Amendment states the following: “The powers NOT delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are RESERVED to the states respectively, or TO THE PEOPLE”
It is not difficult to see that once again our Rights as defined are being transgressed by the political class and govt. bureaucrats that are currently dominated by the progressive socialist ruling class elites who do not believe in the Constitution or your right’s as defined by them.
I am calling my state reps. now to rip them a new one and let them know a storm is coming and it will cleanse this nation of ALL the cancerous bodies now destroying it and we will not stop until we have our Republic as founded.
In Freedom,
Dr. Keith C. Westbrook Ph.D.
“WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF- EVIDENT, THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL, AND THEY ARE ENDOWED BY THEIR CREATOR WITH CERTAIN UNALIENABLE RIGHTS, AMONG THESE RIGHTS ARE LIFE, LIBERT AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. THAT TO SECURE THESE RIGHTS, GOVERNMENTRS ARE INSTITUTED AMONG MENT, DERIVING THEIR JUSTPOWERS FROM THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED.” Thomas Jefferson