Education

What we are seeing is a government mandated education system creating a generation of liberal activists. We are teaching “fairness,” “climate change,” “diversity,” “tolerance,” and “humanism,” but not the 3 R’s. Is there a way back to the basics of education?

Overview: B.F. Skinner famously said “Give me a child and I’ll shape him into anything.” Lenin said “Give me four years to teach the children and the seed I have sown will never be uprooted.” Are you turning that important job of molding and teaching your children over to the government? What are the children being taught? How will it play out over the succeeding decades?

In general progressives talk about “investing” in education, setting national standards, and controlling options available to parents, with substantial support from teachers’ unions. Conservatives support getting back to the basics, giving parents maximum control over the education of their children, limiting the federal government’s involvement, encouraging education choice, innovative solutions, and home schooling. Both groups talk of “reform” but with very different outcomes in mind.

Prior Legislation (2019 Session): 

Bills regarding Family Life education: HB1693, HB2205, SB1141, SB1159
http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?191+sum+HB1693
http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?191+sum+HB2205
http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?191+sum+SB1141
http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?191+sum+SB1159

Bills regarding Standards of Learning: SB1218
http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?191+sum+SB1218

Bills regarding home instruction and education choice: HB2102, HB2416, HB2654, SB1021, SB1095, SB1275, SB1590
http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?191+sum+HB2102
http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?191+sum+HB2416
http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?191+sum+HB2654
http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?191+sum+SB1021
http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?191+sum+SB1095
http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?191+sum+SB1275
http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?191+sum+SB1590

Many other bills in the 2019 session addressed issues including funding sources, Standards of Quality, School Boards, kindergarten and pre-K funding and enrollment.

Talking Points:

  • Education should be accessible by all, and be free of ideology. The best teaching is that which teaches a child to think, not regurgitate facts for an exam.
  • Are race-based statistics on academic achievement valid, or do they reflect economic disparities? Are “equal outcomes” possible if there are not equal beginning points?
  • Are pre-K and kindergarten classes good for the majority of children? What do they accomplish?
  • Is the school system too focused on SOL scores?
  • Teachers are being required to do so much more than teach. Should non-teaching activities be picked up by other dedicated staff?
  • What is behind the push to create “global citizens,” a way of adopting the United Nations agendas?
  • Should technology in lower grades be limited until children become literate with reading and basic math?
  • There does not appear to be any relationship between school spending and student outcomes. Why then is the focus on increased investment?

Share Your Stories:

  • Did you remove your child from a public school? Why?
  • Has the school curriculum clashed with your beliefs?
  • Were you able to influence the contents of textbooks or lesson plans?
  • Were you discriminated against because of your home schooling?
  • Has the mainstreaming of special education students been a positive or negative in the classroom and for the special ed students?
  • Has the inclusion of non-English speaking students had a significant effect on classrooms and/or teachers?
  • Has the LGBTQ+ agenda reached your school, and have your children been affected by it?

Education Choice and return to the basics
Opponents: Jeffrey Bourne, Sam Rasoul, Kaye Kory, Kathy Tran, Jennifer Boysko, National Education Association, Virginia Education Association, Local School District Education Associations, Commonwealth Institute (http://www.thecommonwealthinstitute.org/)

Supporters: Steve Landes, Mark Cole, Dave LaRock, Jason Miyares, Glenn Davis, Nick Freitas, Bill DeSteph, Jr., Rob Bell, Thomas Jefferson Institute, Heritage Foundation, EdChoice, Excellence In Education, Goldwater Institute, Foundation for American Christian Education, EducationNext

Resources:
http://schoolquality.virginia.gov/
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/index.shtml
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/statistics_reports/index.shtml

Home

https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2018/08/27/public-private-school-family-income-study
https://www.thenewamerican.com/print-magazine/item/31225-rescuing-our-children
https://www.veanea.org/take-action/advocacy-action-center/

Legislative Information

https://www.glsen.org/learn/policy/local
https://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2017/05/four_ways_that _education_advoc.html
https://www.stopk12indoctrination.org/