"No I was suggesting the federalization politics of Bush wacking and Obamanation have userped local school authority and ability to teach."
Fair enough, but that wasn't what you appeared to say. And the DoE started way before them. What do you think the DoE actually does? See my note upthread to LE. For instance, that example of assessment criteria you keep bringing up? It is 99% certain that's a state mandate, not a fed mandate. Feds don't do licensing; feds do stuff like SPED law (as they probably should).
"And sure there are motives to do so - in order to entrench powers held, etc. Like in 1984 (online movie). Thats where federalized cariculum, text books, and methods have long been controvercial. Applied under local controls the sources can be helpful but applied by $-consequence paperwork bullshit is bullshit."
I hate NCLB and the big hammer (funding) too, but let's try to remember those books and stories are fiction.
"It results in an indoctrination system rather than education system."
Again, some examples of widespread indoctrination?
"Kids are getting more reading on line anyway."
What exactly do you mean by this? I would challenge that kids are reading at all. Other than manuals to videogames. : ) I'm sort of joking. But fewer and fewer kids read for fun. Certainly, those who do are known to complain about what they have to read in school (but do you think they'd find Brave New World and 1984 on their own?).
"And since the indoctrination's pretty transparant too - well now we have OWS."
What does that have to do with school? We also have the Tea Party. We also have DR and other sites where people think what they want and show both knowledge and ignorance.
" What do you expect? Do you really think the BNW/1984 scenarios would be utopian?"
Of course not; that's why they're called dystopian novels. Brave New World--we live some of it now, but it's not the school part, not yet, or not everywhere. Challenging and controversial books are still read in school, and full length, too.
Reitze, my friend, you're still talkin' fear rather than fact. Or at best, your claims are unsupported. I'm willing to talk; I'm willing to listen; I'm willing to admit that there's a big old world of school outside my experience. I hope you are willing to do the same, including recognizing that your awful experience is not what school is for everyone.
