Jeb Bush plan shows disdain for education (Madison, WI op-ed)

[seafan]

This is an outstanding piece that exposes Jeb's devious plans for educating our children. We should remember this when he decides he wants to run for *higher office*.


Ed Garvey: Jeb Bush plan shows disdain for education
March 28, 2006

What is this great idea Jeb Bush, voucher-pushing governor of Florida "public schools be damned" and future GOP nominee for president, says he is sorry he didn't think of? Buckle your seat belts.
A bill passed the Florida House with a push from Bush that would force high school kids to declare their major field of study. Now keep in mind that Jeb doesn't really like public schools. Too many poor folks mixing with the rich kids, you know. But Jeb claims he wants to reduce the dropout rate with this cockamamie scheme.

"Majors would include English and math" or (and here is the real deal) "vocational fields like carpentry and auto repair," according to press reports. Isn't this exciting? Why not "sports" as a major? After all Florida State already provides scholarships for that growing field without requiring a working knowledge of English. Perhaps the high schools could have their own car wash and auto repair shops to raise money for other less relevant and underfunded programs such as biology, physics and literature. Other ideas for courses come to mind like "Surviving while in prison" or how about a major in "creationism"?

Here is the best part. Jeb would "oversee districts with poorly performing schools and pay teachers bonuses based on factors like job performance and how many minority or poor students their school had." Can't you hear Jeb grilling teachers "Why so many kids in regular courses where they fail? C'mon, how about pushing car repair. You do want a bonus, don't you?"
Thank you, Jeb Bush. Thank you, No Child Left Behind. Thank you, whoever you are. What a great idea!
Pause a moment and ask if our country has thrown in the towel on future generations.

snip

Have these folks lost their minds? Emphatically no, they have not. The goal of the neocons is to destroy public education to build demand for vouchers and overall privatization of our primary and secondary schools and our universities. Why waste money educating poor performers? This money could be used to train kids for "real" jobs in the new world economy.
Listen to the neocons. Read what they are saying. They don't like government and they are hellbent on destroying it.
Follow the Bush logic. Reduce funding for schools; reduce the number of teachers; spend less on special education and gifted and talented programs; teach to the math and English tests; drop the arts, and more and more parents will be begging for vouchers so their kids can attend the "Bradley Foundation School of Education and Creationism."
As for the poor kids? Well, the Bible says the poor will always be with us but they can learn how to wash cars, do layups and study the Bible. "Hey, we didn't make them poor. They had a choice. So don't hold back my kid because the poor made lousy choices. Please."

snip

http://www.madison.com/tct/opinion/column/index.php?ntid=77933&ntpid=0

[hippiechick]

1. Ah, good old Ed Garvey !

Indiana needs a couple pot-stirrers like him! :applause:

[rodeodance]

3. Ed has kept us sane for decades now.

[rodeodance]

2. says the barbians are at the gate

.....Well, now, we in Wisconsin can relax because we have the best public schools in the country. OK, Iowa and Minnesota aren't bad either, but we certainly put Florida, South Carolina and Louisiana to shame, don't we? My question is for how long.

The same neocon foundations pushing Jeb Bush's nutty idea worked our Legislature to greatly expand vouchers in Milwaukee while burdening the public schools. The same forces have reduced spending on our university system while spending like drunken sailors on prisons. The same forces keep revenue caps in place, reducing the quality of our public schools, while they condemn teachers because the teachers have health care and pensions.

The barbarians are at the gate. But they are very well-dressed. We had better awaken before they destroy public education by privatizing our system while offering only vocational training to the non-wealthy in our state.

[rodeodance]

4. says the neocons want to shut down public schools. yes yes yes