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May
22, '01 Vol. 1, No. 12
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T H E S C H O O L L I B E R A T O R
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Alliance for the Separation of School and State
-Permission granted to forward in its entirety.-
--Please distribute widely.--
1) Soccer Moms on the War Path, Oooo, Ahhhh.
2) Stalag PS 13
3) Death Is not a Choice
4) EduAbsurdity: Failing the Grader
PLUS
* Gatto book/Fritz video bonus package
* www.sepschool.org needs your
financial boost
* SepCon2001 Set for Nov. 16-18 in Arlington VA
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THIS WEEK'S LINKS
1-----1-----1
Cracks in the Edifice: Last week, Jerry Mintz of AERO
http://www.educationrevolution.org
gave us a first hand account of the battle over high stakes testing.
Here's another perspective from ground zero, this time in Scarsdale, where
Moms aren't buying the state's line. Make note of this very interesting
sentence: "The revolt has so troubled The Business Roundtable,
an association of chief executives of major corporations, that it has
published a booklet this spring suggesting strategies for combating the
'Testing Backlash.'" [One might ask why the Business
Roundtable is so interested. That is, of course, if you haven't read John
Taylor Gatto's "The Underground History of American Education."
See below.-Ed.]
"In N.Y., Putting Down Their Pencils: Parent Rebellion against
Standardized Testing Strikes at Heart of Bush Plan"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/
articles/A42373-2001May17.html
2-----2-----2
You know, when you've got all those captives under your control six hours
a day, five days a week, it's awfully hard not to mess with their little
minds, isn't it? Bar coding spreads to the West Coast
and look whose paying for it. Also, note this from comedian John Amatruda,
president of School Technology Management, an ID-system manufacturer:
"It's not Big Brother. It's saving money. It's being more
accountable."
"Grant to take swipe at bar-code ID cards"
http://www.sacbee.com/news/news/loca
l01_20010519.html
3-----3-----3
More experiments on children, this time with deadly consequences. Who or
what is to blame for child suicide? Barbara Simpson finds fault with death
and dying classes (pick up a copy of Thomas Sowell's "Inside American
Education" for more on these). Yet, there is a case
to be made for the blame going to the original experiment, compulsory
schooling itself. Peruse the late 1800s juvenile crime and suicide
statistics as reported by Zach Montgomery at the link below.
"Death is not a choice"
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?
ARTICLE_ID=22905
"Poisonous Drops in the Federal Senate"
http://www.axon-family.net/kaleb/poison_drops/
4-----4-----4
EduAbsurdity: Unintended consequences for 47,000 [!] Minnesota test-taking
students. According to the article, this is the tip of the iceberg:
"An examination of recent mistakes and interviews with more than 120
people involved in the testing process suggest that the industry cannot
guarantee the kind of error-free, high-speed testing that parents,
educators and politicians seem to take for
granted. (Registration required.)
"Right Answer, Wrong Score: Test Flaws Take Toll"
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/20/busi
ness/20EXAM.html?pagewanted=print
=================================
BONUS OFFER. Save $15.00! Buy John Taylor Gatto's magnum opus, "The
Underground History of American Education," plus Marshall Fritz's new
video, "Public Schools Are Destroying America and What You Can Do
about It." Regularly $45, get both for $30 plus
$3.50 S&H. Call (559) 292-1776 Monday-Friday, 9 to 5 Pacific time; ask
for the School Liberator Bonus Package. Or fax us anytime at (559)
292-7582. Visa/MC/AmEx/Discover accepted.
Snail mail OK, too.
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HELP UPGRADE Sepschool.org
Still looking to reach our budget goal of $25,000 for a much needed
website face lift. Steve Brock is already hard at work redesigning www.sepschool.org.
Take a peek.
http://sbrock.hobbiton.org/clients/sepschool/
Any amount is greatly appreciated. Please email your contribution amounts
to mailto:Morgen@psnw.com If you
pay by credit card, have her call you back for the number so all is
secure.
================================
SepCon2001 is set for Friday-Sunday, Nov. 16-18, 2001, the weekend before
Thanksgiving, at the Hilton DoubleTree Hotel in Arlington VA. Pencil it in
your calendar now.
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SCORECARD
Total Proclaimers (as of May 18, 2001): 12,563
New
Proclaimers year-to-date: 933
Top three states in Proclaimers per million population:
Minnesota, 177; New Hampshire, 146; Utah, 124.
See all states at
http://www.sepschool.org/cgi/ranking.cgi/PPM0
SIGN THE PROCLAMATION or get a family member to: "I proclaim publicly
that I favor ending government involvement in education."
http://www.sepschool.org/Proclamation
WANT TO SOUND OFF? Discuss education issues with fellow articulate School
Liberators. Go to
http://www.sepschool.org/Other/eGroups
Discussion.htm
COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? Send us your message at
mailto:ccuthbert@fix.net
WORD OF MOUTH is the most efficient means of marketing the Separator
philosophy. Please forward this newsletter to your family, friends and
associates.
================================
FINAL THOUGHT
It's no secret that MCAS [Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System]
is becoming a major political problem.
That's not just because many students fail. A growing number of parents,
teachers, and administrators do not
accept the simplistic political equation of "higher standards"
with more and more testing, or buy that this exam is going to
fix what's wrong with the education of their children. Massachusetts
Department of Education Spokesman Jonathan]
Palumbo is right when he says MCAS supporters are now in the minority. But
turning off the mike on its critics--which the education department
did--isn't going to fix that.
"The same undemocratic sensibility that imposes high-stakes testing
also acts to suppress dissenting views," [Author Alfie]
Kohn said. True enough: They are the product of the same quick-fix
mentality. But quick fixes don't work, in public schools or public
debate." --Adrian Walker
"MCAS critic is silenced"
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/134/
metro/MCAS_critic_is_silenced+.shtml
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THE SCHOOL LIBERATOR is currently a FREE service of The Alliance for the
Separation of School & State 4578 N First #310, Fresno CA 93726 (559)
292-1776. We are a non-profit, grass roots educational organization
dedicated to informing people worldwide how education can be improved for
all--not only the poor--by liberating schools from politics.
For more information go to http://www.sepschool.org
Publisher: Marshall Fritz
Editor: Cathy Cuthbert
Copyright 2001, The Alliance for the Separation of School & State,
Inc. All rights reserved.
==============================
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