Expanded Education Opportunities
By Lamont Neal on Saturday, April 28th, 2012 |
The latest pamphlet mailed to citizens of our district by State Representative Dan Leonard make the same claims I refuted in March in an email I also shared here. My email fell on deaf ears.
I am absolutely perplexed how Mr. Leonard can call these claims "Expanded Education Opportunities".
He begins with "rewarding quality teachers" through SEA1 - "Creates merit pay and annual evaluations for teachers." If Mr. Leonard, would have done any research on this, he would know that the plan legislated has already been initiated in other states - and is backfiring completely.
Now in Indiana due to SEA1, among other recent initiatives, The BEST teachers are leaving the profession in droves. Further, universities are seeing a 20 - 25% decrease in those entering the educational field. Masters of education program enrollment in Indiana Universities are down substantially. How does that get us quality?
Let us tell the truth of what it does do: it lowers the cost of public education to the taxpayer at the expense of quality education for our future generation. In other words, Indiana State Legislatures, including Mr. Leonard, have sold our children out.
Continuing down the list, Leonard claims to Focus Dollars on the Classroom. Have you ever wondered why our school corporation began advertising? Did you ever think you would see the day when there had to be a billboard along the highway trying to persuade you to choose a school district? This is how Mr. Leonard's claim of "providing education dollars that follow the student" is playing out. Every dollar spent on advertising by any corporation is a dollar not spent on the education of a student.
Then Leonard claims to "Expand Educational Options for Hoosier Families" by "Promoting Public Charter Schools." This bill gave taxpayer money to PRIVATE institutions that educate the public, also known as charter schools, (which data is showing DO NOT outperform public schools). How does it make sense to someone who claims to be fiscally conservative to give taxpayer money to private schools? If you follow the money trails, you will notice that big business is behind charter schools. And big business also donates generously to candidates on either side of the political spectrum, as long as they push charter school legislation.
While were speaking about being conservative, Leonard's legislation has approved Indiana to become a common core state, which means all Indiana students will be committed to a Federal Government Project that indoctrinates a government controlled, government dictated knowledge base. When this plan is fully implemented, and students are no longer taught to be innovative, use creativity, or think for themselves, it will be the end of the public school pillar that supports democracy.
Comments...
Brad posted on May 2nd, 2012 @ 09:04:44This article brought to you by the Local Teachers Union. "The Teachers Union, giving 110%, 10% of the time."
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