Update on Education Committee vote

Apparently Senator John Goedde read my previous email on the vote to the Education Committee saying that it contained misinformation.  To my knowledge, the only error in it was that it included Michael Jorgensen in the list of Senators who voted to approve the rules.  I would like to point out the fact that the list was qualified with "Unconfirmed vote tally" preceding the list.  The error was made because the report to Idaho Eagle Forum was that Monty Pearce was the only one to vote against the rules.  The assumption was made that all members were present at the committee meeting. That error was corrected in a subsequent email by Idaho Eagle Forum.  

As to the rest of the email, I have gone through it and listed the page number references to what was said so that everybody can check the accuracy for themselves.   The references that were added to the email appear in this aqua colored font below. 

 

 

January 15, 2007

RE: Senate Vote on Idaho School Board Proposed Administrative Rule Changes

 

Today the Idaho Education Committee voted on the administrative rules changes proposed by the Idaho State Board of Education. 
 
Idaho Eagle Forum urged a NO vote on these rule changes
Administrative Rules Review - 2007 Legislative Session
 
Confirmed vote tally is as follows:  
 
Voting NO on the rules and in the interests of Idaho children & taxpayers
 
Monty Pearce
 
 
Voting YES on the rules and AGAINST the interests of Idaho children & taxpayers
 
John W. Goedde
Russell M. Fulcher
Gary J. Schroeder
Tom Gannon
Stan Bastian
Mike Burkett
Edgar J. Malepeai

Not voting (even though he was in the building at the time of the Ed. Committee meeting)
 
Michael Jorgenson

 

 
 
So what did they vote for? 
 
1.  To allow "limited english proficiency' to be used as a criteria for determining "At Risk" status.  'At Risk' students are eligible for a myriad of costly special services paid for by YOU... the taxpayers of Idaho.... and at the expense of AMERICAN children.   p 91
 
And in the rules... it stated that the Idaho State Board of Education had NO IDEA how much that would cost local school districts.  So in effect, these legislators opened your pocketbook and wrote a blank check for services for "limited english proficiency" students. 
How magnanimous of them.  Pg. 102-103 LEP
 
 
2.  They voted to require 2 lab science courses for graduation.  Can every school in the state offer 2 lab science courses?    Or are taxpayers going to have to build labs for schools that don't have them?
pg 98 05 Mathematics Item a - says 4 credits in science 2 of which must be lab. 
pg. 99  05 Science Item b  says "Four credits of courses outlined in Subsection 107.05a must be laboratory based.  So 4 credits would be 2 lab classes would it not?  
 
3.  They voted to require an additional 2 math classes for graduation.  This was proposed last year under high school redesign and it was overwhelmingly rejected by parents, teachers, school administrators because it eliminate electives like music and art.  pg 98 04 Mathematics Items a. through c.  
 
Worse still is that the rules state:   Algebra   or    a class that meets Algebra standards.  Ref. pg. 98 04 Mathematics Item b.i and b.ii  Most people would say "what does that mean?  It's either algebra or it isn't. But this is the underhanded way they are slipping implementing vocational oriented classes into the curriculum - meaning   "fractions for hairdressers"   "Geometry for landscapers".   Ref.  Curriculum Guide for Electronics Technology, June 2002, pg iv TI 0501 and TI 0502; also pg 10-11
 
4.  The Education committee voted for the semantically deceptive "highly qualified" teachers.  They eliminated education requirements for teacher certification.  Instead they will use resume data for life and career experience to determine if a teacher is "highly qualified".  Docket No. 08-0202-0602 pg 20 004.01 The Idaho Standards for the Initial Certification of Professional School Personnel as approved in April 2006 incorporated by reference.  See pg IV - Overview and format of new standards.        
 
 
No doubt there are other surprises yet to be discovered in the 2007 administrative rule changes.  The Idaho State Board of Education is very clever about implementing changes to convert American schools into dumbed down soviet poly-technical schools for functionally literate "workers". 
 
It's a shame they don't use that cleverness to serve the interests of children rather than to undermine the foundations of the American system.  
 
Is that a conspiracy theory?    You be the judge:
 
 
Idaho Achievement Standards  8/15/2006
Docket 08-0203-0602  bottom of Page 39-40
 
Idaho Achievement Standards - incorporated by reference. 
 
They are teaching globalization from Kindergarten through Grade 12.   
 
 
Global Perspectives K12
 
 
Note that Idaho Constitution says republican form of government - not a global socialist form of governance:
 
Idaho State Constitution
Article IX, Section 1
 
SECTION 1.  LEGISLATURE TO ESTABLISH SYSTEM OF FREE SCHOOLS. The stability of a republican form of government depending mainly upon the intelligence of the people, it shall be the duty of the legislature of Idaho, to establish and maintain a general, uniform and thorough system of public, free common schools.
 
  
It's a sad day for Idaho and our nation when legislators don't know the difference - or don't care.