While the intent of federal involvement may have been good, the results have not. For example, federal rules requiring education of special-ed students in the "least restrictive environment" properly kept the handicapped with their classes whenever possible -- but often resulted in more adults being added to the classrooms creating distractions. Federal funds for handicapped students encouraged school districts to find more "handicapped" students to generate more money for themselves -- students who were only "handicapped" by schools failing to educate them in the first place. Federal rules on student privacy have become barriers to police agencies trying to maintain the public order and to tuition-paying parents trying to get information on their older students' performance. However, free access is given to selected not-for-profit social agencies pushing their services.
And then there are the academic results. Students coming out of the "system" these days knowing less substantive knowledge than their parents should be proof enough that Federal involvement has worsened education, not improved it.
Now, the Department of Education is planning even more control. From EducationNews.Org ..
Eye-popping power grab: Licensing of U.S. colleges
Under the proposed federal rule change, institutions of higher education "would be required to have a document of state approval … to operate an educational program, including programs leading to a degree or certificate," explained an analysis by Shapri D. LoMaglio for the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities.
People should be free to pay for the higher education that they want. If an institution gives the public what they pay for, it will be rewarded by the public. If the institution fails to do so, it will fail to attract students. Simple as that.
If the government is going to involve itself in dictating curriculum to adults, then it is dictating what knowledge people will be able to acquire for themselves.
. . . and you thought all these moves were not a conspiracy.
1 comment:
A few points. "Federal funds for handicapped students encouraged school districts to find more "handicapped" students to generate more money for themselves." Not in any school district I'm aware of. Special Ed is a huge cost that districts would just as soon avoid. It is not a money maker. What swelled the ranks of Special Ed in the schools was the Americans with Disabilities Act, some say misinterpreted to schools.
"Federal rules on student privacy have become barriers to police agencies trying to maintain the public order." Well, at least SOMEBODY has privacy. But not really. I know a School Resource officer who daily communicates with local, state and federal agencies on the activities and whereabouts of gang members and federal "witnesses." And he says this is normal among peers. There's a federally funded conspiracy you missed ! :) I know school administrators who are very uncomfortable with that situation.
"However, free access is given to selected not-for-profit social agencies pushing their services."
I'd like to hear more about this one.
A:"Students coming out of the "system" these days knowing less substantive knowledge than their parents."
B:"... should be proof enough that Federal involvement has worsened education, not improved it.
First, a citation on A would be nice, which might probably support your point, but I doubt if it would do so were it normalized for socio-economic factors. Short version of that is: factor out minorities and see what the stats say.
And B doesn't follow, logically. I think worse things have happened to education than the feds. Parents.
" ... institutions of higher education "would be required to have a document of state approval"
Yup, fed control. No doubt this move is to insure that those of us with suspicious views against being ruled by elites will not be able to conduct information sessions unless approved by the elites.
“If the government is going to involve itself in dictating curriculum to adults, then it is dictating what knowledge people will be able to acquire for themselves.” Uh, gee, they’ve been doing that for a long time. Just in my lifetime, since the National Defense Education Act of 1957.
“. . . and you thought all these moves were not a conspiracy.”
No,no! They ARE! Some of ‘em.
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