Alas, no.
Let's review some of the highlights of the platform document, shall we?
In the section entitled "American Identity Patriotism and Loyalty," the document decries the current multicultural curriculum as "divisive." I'm a product of Texas public schools, and I can say I spent a great deal of time learning about dead white men, with a little "Hey, it's Black History Month!" thrown in. We learned some about Mexico, because it's kind of hard to skip in history class, seeing as Texas WAS Mexico for a while there. I just don't see how learning that there are other ways of doing things out there is "divisive."
My favorite part, though, is this one: "We oppose the teaching of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) (values clarification), critical thinking skills and similar programs that are simply a relabeling of Outcome-Based Education (OBE) (mastery learning) which focus on behavior modification and have the purpose of challenging the student's fixed beliefs and undermining parental authority."
I can't even begin to describe what a terrible idea this is. First, why the dismissal of mastery learning? Encouraging students to understand a subject completely and then demonstrate their knowledge of it is bad? It sounds like the GOP is looking for a generation of high school graduates who know just enough reading and writing to show up at work on time every day and do what they're told.
Is that really such a good idea in today's economy? Turning out students with no critical thinking skills, no creativity, no real growth potential? How are they going to be "job creators" if all they know how to do is absorb and regurgitate information?
The document also calls for "objective teaching and equal treatment of all sides of scientific theories," where these theories should be taught as "challengeable scientific theories subject to change as new data is produced." Okay, it doesn't sound so bad since that is, in fact, pretty much what something being a theory means--that it's just about the best way we have so far of describing how things work but by all means if your science says something different let's figure out why--but the "all sides" part means that scientific explanations get put on equal footing with religious ones, and the elimination of higher-order thinking skills from the curriculum virtually guarantees kids won't be able to tell the difference between the two.
Besides these educational reforms called for, other prime examples of crazy include:
- Eliminating Congressional representation for the District of Columbia
- "Protection from Extreme Environmentalists," repeal of the Endangered Species Act, and an end to the EPA
- Freedom for religious organizations to openly endorse political candidates without losing their tax-exempt status. Religious organizations who contribute to political campaigns should not have to disclose information about the individual contributors.
- Opposition to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which "coerces" business owners to hire fairly
- The US Flag Code should be made into law.
- Opposition to hate crimes laws or "any criminal or civil penalties against those who oppose homosexuality"
- "Unequivocal" opposition to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
- Withdrawal from the United Nations and relocation of UN headquarters elsewhere
- Abolition of the federal Department of Education
- Abstinence-only sex and drug awareness education, and no provision of reproductive health care services, including counseling or referrals, to public school students
- Emphasis on faith-based drug rehabilitation programs
- Elimination of capital gains, estate, and property taxes
- Repeal of Minimum Wage legislation
- Worker's Compensation coverage should be optional for employers, not mandatory
And, finally, Israel. Full support of Israel, "based on God's biblical promise to bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel and we further invite other nations and organizations to enjoy the benefits of that promise." I just don't know what you can even say to that, except wow.
That kind of makes me wonder what's in my state's platform documents. What examples of crazy can you find in your state?
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ReplyDeleteActually their decision to eliminate critical thinking in school makes sense (said with a crooked smile) as 8 of the 10 fastest growing career opportunities do not require a college degree and 4 of them do not even require a high school degree. You do not want people in these positions being able to think!!!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/02/americas-10-fastest-growing-and-fastest-shrinking-jobs/252712/#slide1
I love this quote by Chris Hedges that really sums this up:
ReplyDelete“We’ve bought into the idea that education is about training and “success”, defined monetarily, rather than learning to think critically and to challenge. We should not forget that the true purpose of education is to make minds, not careers. A culture that does not grasp the vital interplay between morality and power, which mistakes management techniques for wisdom, which fails to understand that the measure of a civilization is its compassion, not its speed or ability to consume, condemns itself to death.”
There's logic behind the decision, Denis, but it's the wrong kind, operating on all the wrong assumptions.