Is this the REAL motivation for No Child Left Behind

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

I'm not a huge conspiracy theorist... however, does anyone else think it's possible this was the true motivation behind the NCLB?

Think about it - if you force teachers to train kids for a specific test, they probably have to take away time from teaching other things in order to make time to teach them this other crap the government requires. Where do you think that time comes from? It probably comes from things like teaching kids the true value of our Constitution and why it's necessary to protect our rights as Americans and humans. I know it might be a reach, but it falls right in line with everything else our fascist right wing is doing. Crap, vacuous media programming added in with little education of our rights = a more compliant public?

Could we get some teachers chiming in on this possibly? I'd love to hear their point of view.

http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/story.jsp?floc=FF-APO-1110&idq=/ff/story/0001%2F20050201%2F1433815518.htm&sc=1110

First Amendment No Big Deal, Students Say

By BEN FELLER

WASHINGTON (AP) - The way many high school students see it, government censorship of newspapers may not be a bad thing, and flag burning is hardly protected free speech.

It turns out the First Amendment is a second-rate issue to many of those nearing their own adult independence, according to a study of high school attitudes released Monday.

The original amendment to the Constitution is the cornerstone of the way of life in the United States, promising citizens the freedoms of religion, speech, press and assembly.

-----snip-----

[ClassWarrior]

There's no one real reason - it's a "Strategic Initiative."

The Radical RW has become extremely good at this: single initiatives that impact a whole range of issue areas in one fell swoop. We need to become better at this. For a better explanation than I can give here, see:

http://www.rockridgeinstitute.org/research/rockridge/stratinit/view?searchterm=initiative

NGU.

[ClassWarrior]

6. Watch how many different "real motivations" people will give here...

And they're all correct. That's the beauty - and the frustration - of a "Strategic Initiative."

NGU.

[necso]

13. Nice article,

people should read it.

And may I emphasize that the "New Energy for America" concept that the article talks about can be tied to more fundamental themes (like national security and economic nationalism -- or some other name for populist economics).

The tighter the "weave", the stronger the cloth.

[Betsy Ross]

1. Simpler than that.

keeping the masses ignorant, more controllable and more likely to vote Repug.

[geekgrrl]

4. and likely to think joining the army is their only option after HS. n/t

[geekgrrl]

5. deleted duplicate.

[mhr]

2. Training Students To Be Good Corporate Drones With Low Expectations

And low aspirations.

Corporations cannot tolerate dissent in any form.

Teach the box and nothing outside the box!

[mopinko]

3. nah

that's what fox news is for.
the real purpose of nclb is to privatize education. to shut down public schools. so that the fundies will finally get public funding for their madrasas.

[pnutchuck]

7. We can go as far back as the establishment of the public school

system itself. One theory I heard in a sociology class mused that PS were established because of our burgeoning industrial society. We needed workers that could sit at an assembly line for 8 hrs or more, could read basic English, and could follow instructions.

Unfortunately, as we grew in education, we grew in independence and demanded better education. Now, the establishment would like to see the people reduced to those same complacent workers of the early 1900's. Hence, 'reforming' the PS system to create barely educated, uninformed, limited thought.

This type of society is easier to control, creates a larger military, and has very few dissidents.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

8. the DOD has ALWAYS had a huge hand in development of the curriculum

used in our public schools....... Hitler also supported a state sponsored education system (public schools). ... The government determined the cirriculum which they used to support their ideaology

[Lerkfish]

9. NCLB and vouchers are designed to destroy public schools altogether.

The real point is to further stratify the haves and the have nots...

[atommom]

10. All of the above! They're pushing for privitization of education

for those that can afford it, and a (grudgingly provided) far inferior "public education" for those who can't. Ultimately, they'd like to do away with public education. Educating people just makes them too uppity!

[Rambis]

15. That is the ultimate goal

If the emporer had his way there would be nothing his friends couldn't exploit for profit. Education is no different than an oil company or anything else you try to squeeze a dime out of.

[Igel]

11. Baltimore County, 1970s.

They didn't teach the Constitution. Or civil rights. We were too busy showing that Loblolly pines resisted SO2 polution more than other varieties of pine.

Then again, I went to one of the first public schools founded in Baltimore City/County, 1890s.

The use of public schools to assimilate and provide some sort of common culture came a bit later. First the tool had to be found worthy before it found that particular use.

[kerrygoddess]

12. As the parent of teenager

This really concerns me. I have to say I wondered the same thing. They gone to lengths to cut history classes in High School, cut the budget for arts (freedom of expression) and 9 out of 10 prniciples in the study said they don't have the money for school newspapers...

http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/blog/default.asp?view=plink&id=305

[lonestarnot]

14. I am proud to report public school doing something right...

My kid came home with report on class discussion re high percentage of children that believe freedom of speech needs to be curbed. Kid gave the curbers and discussion some hell.