Public Schools-Sensitivity Training Camps

By next year the passing grade for NYS Regents exams will be raised from 55 to 65 to correct the "dumbing down" standard of past years. However, local educators are concerned it is too soon to raise the passing standard and many students will fall through the cracks. It is clear local educators believe the standards set by the No Child Left Behind Act are difficult and hard to fill even though other school districts have raised their scores to 65.

They attribute this hardship to just another "unfunded state mandate"and increased test standards limiting the content of what teachers can teach.

Lynn Lyndes, superintendent of the Bradford school district said, "My concern is we'll miss things in schools we can't test. Where do we have time to talk about honesty, compassion or empathy for other people? We don't have time to talk about about those things. We barely have time to deal with all these tests we're required to put time into. Where do we give kids the opportunity for creativity when we have to make sure we aren't on some list somewhere for not reaching a certain standard for math or English?"

Okay......what's wrong with this picture? Since when is "talking about honesty, compassion or empathy for other people" more important than students receiving a stellar education from the school system? For 30 years educators have prioritized student "personal value/diversity issues" over academics. The very reason No Child Left Behind was passed was to correct this failed policy. Yet the "I'm Okay, You're Okay" curriculums still persist on the local level.

And why does it persist? Because it's a Liberal agenda that drives it. It's "their thing" seated deep in their ideology to "get to the kids first" before Conservative parents teach intolerance and pound the daylights out of their kid's self-esteem. You think I'm kidding. I am not.

Public schools have evolved from "academic institutions" into "sensitivity training camps" to combat the scourge of Conservative principles and a perceived lack of parental guidance. Liberals determined that "certain parents" were not morally or ethically equipped to teach their children right from wrong. They determined there was a crisis in the family and gradually adopted a "parenting" curriculum more appropriate to their ideology.

Was there a crisis in the family? Yes....it's been called "the breakdown of the American family." And when did this breakdown start? When Liberal ideology became pervasive in our culture.

Now the Left is struggling to stay dominate in the public school systems because of No Child Left Behind. They fight stiffer standards and rail against accountability. I think we've experienced enough of their "handiwork" these last 30 years. It's time for educators to educate and it's time for parents to "parent."

Click on the headline to read The Leader article.

Click on the links below to view report cards from Lindley-Presho School and Corning Free Academy.

Lindley Presho Report Card in Reading:
http://emsc33.nysed.gov/repcrdfall2003/overview-analysis/571000010010.pdf

Lindley Presho Report Card in Math:
http://emsc33.nysed.gov/repcrdfall2003/overview-analysis/571000010010.pdf

CFA Report Card in Reading:
http://emsc33.nysed.gov/repcrdfall2003/overview-analysis/571000010015.pdf

CFA Report Card in Math:
http://emsc33.nysed.gov/repcrdfall2003/overview-analysis/571000010015.pdf

New York State School Report Card by County (Main link):
http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/irts/reportcard/home.html