19 Comments

What’s deeply ironic about keeping all students behind is that they don’t all stay behind equally. The cost of lowering standards to this level is staggering: delayed student learning and decreased trust in public schooling. But there exists an unexpected tradeoff: increased homeschooling, online learning (Outschool), and nationwide support for school choice vouchers. If public curriculum denies initiative place to apply itself, then initiative goes elsewhere or will be arbitrarily ‘learned out’ of students, a generation of them (read anything by John Taylor Gatto). Importing CA’s math curriculum to other districts nationwide may very well continue the recent public school exodus.

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we can hope it hastens the exodus. but until it does, kids are being done a disservice. they seriously are causing their own extinction.

there's so many more reasons for the exodus, like school-based health centers (physical and mental) that require no parent consent or participation. don't walk, RUN from that crap.

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Agreed. That’s why I’ve been watching my kids’ public schools closely for how and whether they inform conceal parents of children’s transgender identity. So far...they inform. Unregulated, this will drive schools to extinction.

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my 17 yr old reports that there is none of the gender curriculum stuff in his large, urban, (more than 50% minority, mostly working class) high school. a few openly gay, no trans that he knows of and nobody makes a big deal of it, as should be. I'm convinced that if kids are left alone, their differences will become minor to them, even academically.

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Agreed, much of these ideas are artificially superimposed upon kids, from racial constructs to gender ideology. Glad your son has been spared the transgender curriculum 👍. It’s even better that you’ve had this open discussion with him.

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👍🏾👍👍🏿👍🏻👍🏽👍🏼

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I pray these insane policies will wake parents and enable them to see the education system for the failure it is. We homeschooled our children back in the 90s all the way through high school (we have four college graduates, two with masters) and one thing we learned very early - not everyone is cut out for “school”. Education can be found in many places and states/any government entity should stop insisting on being the arbiter of where it is found and how it happens. Unschool and find what works for your children. Children by their nature are inquisitive - remember the “why” that comes before almost everything your 3-4 year old says? They want to learn, sadly most schools work the wonder right out of them.

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This has been one of the key flaws of Socialism since it came into existence. To have anyone excel - financially, academically, whatever - is ‘elitist’ and therefore can’t be allowed. Everyone must be held to the lowest common denominator, the lowest level of achievement, in order for all to be ‘equal’. That the result is a society with a low standard of living and low levels of innovation is no surprise. The society eventually rots, declines and takes all those innocent lives down with it. Don’t let it happen again!

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Pol Pot had a better program.

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Oct 3, 2023Liked by James Lyons-Weiler

What's wrong with diversity of thinking in our schools? Why don't we allow kids to shine in school using their innate intelligences? Not everyone wants to be a math genius yet that seems to be the gold standard of public schools these days. Howard Gardner's book the Theory of Multiple Intelligences shows how every child has amazing gifts but some of these are rarely praised in school and in fact, some students get scolded for their unique ability. Unfortunately, public schools don't appreciate some of these intelligences and create an unequal system that puts the STEM students on the pedestal above all else. Math and Science are great but I think more students would enjoy school if they could use their own unique talents to demonstrate their knowledge. Equity, a financial term, does not belong in the conversation about education and does not serve any student. Diversity of Thinking is a better term that we could ponder on.

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I was good with explosives in school.

Talk about a unique talent being quite unappreciated.

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Look at those on the throne in society, doctors, lots of math and science. Adults have set the stage.

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https://youtu.be/DsGHpY4nwbw?si=Fg88ChLG57_SHwNX anyone here watched Mike Judge Idiocracy? Me? Not yet, but I will. Apart from the annoying video game advertising this guy nails it. Thoughts?

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We are roughly 15 seconds away from that movie being a documentary

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Somebody’s about to get fired. No rational thought or intelligence allowed. Its 2023 damnit

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I won't trust engineers from California if they keep this up.

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one word: YIKES!

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Oct 4, 2023·edited Oct 4, 2023Liked by James Lyons-Weiler

Equal opportunity once sounded like a good idea - a good goal. But if it requires dumbing down schools' curricula, it is an effing lie. Then it is a "no opportunity" fiasco. We cannot allow any dumbing down, instead we need to encourage the best students for their ability and accomplishment.

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The wealthy will put their kids in the best private schools where the kids will advance, and homeschoolers will advance their children. Wealthy homeschoolers will hire great math tutors to teach their children (like they already do, that won’t change).

Once again those who have money will excel. Those with middle income and the poor who attend public school will be even further left behind. They had a chance before, but now the lower income kids who worked hard in school will have to study algebra on their own to get ahead. Will they take Khan Academy away from us too? Can’t have poor kids studying for free now, can we?

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