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    Who are the NERD fund donors Mr Snyder?

    Raise the curtain.

    Public Schools Beware


    By Wendy Day, Section News
    Posted on Tue May 27, 2008 at 03:07:02 PM EST
    Tags: (all tags)

    Economics for the Common Good

    If the title of this lesson gives you pause, you are not alone.  This is just one of the course offerings from Creative Change, a group based out of Ypsilanti.  The entire curriculum offered by this consulting organization is centered on the social-progressive play book.

    The mission of this group:

    Our mission is to provide and promote innovative education that helps create a sustainable world: a healthy environment, a fair  economy, and a just and equitable society for future generations.

    What do they think is a "fair" economy?  How far do we go to institute a "healthy environment"?  
    What is an "equitable society"?

    They discuss with students things like NAFTA, the World Trade Organization, global warming, and of course, poverty and racism.  These issues may be worthy of academic study, but this organization is giving a one-sided presentation that many parents may not agree with.

    One of the chief supporters of this program is the United Nations Global Teaching and Learning Project.  

    According to a document used to sell this program in Bloomfield Hills, "At the international level, the United Nations has declared 2005-2015 the Decade of Education for Sustainability, a move that will bring resources and attention to the field."

    Among the goals of sustainability development is, "...and achieve a more equitable distribution of resources and power".

    Is this being taught in a district near you?

    Abraham Lincoln said that the philosophy of the school house in this generation will be the philosophy of the government in the next.  With that in mind, check out what Creative Change is teaching:

    Fifth grade students will learn about NAFTA. Here is an example of the kinds of projects they do:

    "Why am I smiling? Talking Back to Ads
    The picture below is a reproduction of children's clothing ad.  After studying about hidden social and environmental costs of everyday products, students were instructed to identify critical product information NOT revealed in ads.  A fifth grade student in a Vermont public school 'talked back' to the ad by adding the thought bubble."

    See the comic here:http://www.creativechange.net/examples/ex_k12/econ_ads.htm

    For 6th grade, language arts students will:

    "Watch television and/or skim through magazines, writing down and/or cutting out any advertisements that seem to encourage anthropocentric, hierarchical, individualistic, dominating behavior or thinking."

    If you haven't heard of anthropocentric thinking before, here is the definition:
    "anthropocentrism:  The view that humans are the most important beings on Earth.   Regarding humans as the central element of the universe."

    The underlying theme is that humans are no more important than plants and animals. We have heard that argument before somewhere.

    This program is being used in the Washtenaw Intermediate School District, The  Wayne County Regional Educational Service Agency, and Ann Arbor Public Schools.  Recently the Bloomfield Hills School Board voted to add the program to their curriculum.

    If you are concerned about this program, please read more about it at www.creativechange.net. Then contact your local School Board and find out if they are using this program or plan to.  Let them know your concerns.  If we don't stand up now, to make sure our kids get a balanced and rational education, the we may be looking at a very different country in 50-years.

    < Closing the books on the recall trainwreck | House Dem obstruction on partial birth abortion ban threatens to shut down chamber! >


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    Display: Sort:
    Wow! Unambiguous leftist agitprop! (none / 0) (#1)
    by Hayekian on Tue May 27, 2008 at 08:34:01 PM EST
    Usually the schools at least cover their standard political indoctrination with pedagogic figleafs, but these people are completely shameless! Shame on the school districts and Wayne RESA (ISD) for stealing time from their students with this tripe. They all deserve to pay a heavy price politically.

    Wow... (none / 0) (#2)
    by jgillmanjr on Tue May 27, 2008 at 08:39:26 PM EST
    Socialism is being pushed in more forms than I thought..

    "Is this being taught...?" (none / 0) (#3)
    by maidintheus on Wed May 28, 2008 at 01:50:50 PM EST
    Perhaps I would have been able to provide a short list if asked where it's not taught in some form or fashion.

    Same old fearmongering (none / 0) (#4)
    by NoviDemocrat on Thu May 29, 2008 at 12:25:26 AM EST
    How many years have conservatives been running around screaming Chicken Little claims that public education is leading us down the road to Communism or some other "anti-American" destination? Somehow, the students of America never manage to become the Communist drones that the conservatives claim they will be after being "indoctrinated" in the public schools. Guess what, no one buys your fearmongering anymore.

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