What do we learn in school, State control and Education institution (wikileaks)

I’m going to interrupt, because I want to get to some memos that we’ve been getting from around the country that are very important and interesting. University students are being warned about WikiLeaks. An email from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, that we read in headlines, reads—I want to do it again—quote, 

"Hi students, we received a call today from a SIPA alumnus who is working at the State Department. He asked us to pass along the following information to anyone who will be applying for jobs in the federal government, since all would require a background investigation and in some instances a security clearance".

"The documents released during the past few months through Wikileaks are still considered classified documents. He recommends that you DO NOT post links to these documents nor make comments on social media sites such as Facebook or through Twitter. Engaging in these activities would call into question your ability to deal with confidential information, which is part of most positions with the federal government.

"Regards, Office of Career Services."

That’s the email to Columbia University students at the School of International and Public Affairs.

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Waiting for Superman

The Myth of Haratio Alger: America Ranks Toward the Bottom of Social Mobility

By Jonathan L. Walton
March 18, 2010
 
The myth of American success is one of the most enduring ideals of this nation. Wrapped in the language of liberty and freedom, this myth promulgates the belief that every person born in America is afforded a clean slate of equal opportunity. Though this myth has adjusted itself to each generation, two themes remain consistent: Neither family lineage nor class can control one’s destiny. And moral virtue and personal character determine one’s success in life. This is why the narratives of self-made men and women are a central part of American culture and religious life. (But so are Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny!)

OECD Reprot

The Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) has released a report that should deflate this nation’s inflated sense of self and fundamentalist devotion to “free-markets.” According to their findings, social mobility measured according to earnings, wages and education across generations is relatively low in relation to other developed nations such as Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Germany and Spain.
For instance, in terms of earnings levels, nine developed countries, including France, offer greater mobility than the United States. The U.S. only tops Italy and Great Britain. And the U.S. ranks the highest in terms of the influence of parental background on student achievement in secondary education.

So what’s the moral of the story? If you want your children to have more opportunity than you, pack your bags and move to Sweden! Or maybe, as Americans, we can stop promoting the lie of “rugged individualism” and “personal liberty” and acknowledge how much our nation needs sound governmental regulations and social policies such as healthcare reform, reinvestment in public education, and a living wage to short-circuit this nation’s dash to the bottom.

See also Raj Patel:
Rich dad poor dad
Class mobility in the U.S.
Geoge Carlin:
the American Dream

Texas Conservatives Win Curriculum Change

AUSTIN, Tex. — After three days of turbulent meetings, the Texas Board of Education on Friday approved a social studies curriculum that will put a conservative stamp on history and economics textbooks, stressing the superiority of American capitalism, questioning the Founding Fathers’ commitment to a purely secular government and presenting Republican political philosophies in a more positive light.

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Mary Helen Berlanga accused fellow members of the Board of Education of “rewriting history.”

The vote was 10 to 5 along party lines, with all the Republicans on the board voting for it.
The board, whose members are elected, has influence beyond Texas because the state is one of the largest buyers of textbooks. In the digital age, however, that influence has diminished as technological advances have made it possible for publishers to tailor books to individual states.
In recent years, board members have been locked in an ideological battle between a bloc of conservatives who question Darwin’s theory of evolution and believe the Founding Fathers were guided by Christian principles, and a handful of Democrats and moderate Republicans who have fought to preserve the teaching of Darwinism and the separation of church and state.

Teachers. We Need Teachers

Although, this is a bit of a unfinished suggestions, it seems closer to an answer than, simply, firing teachers. You can't blame teachers in a broken system, but you also can't blame parents in a broken system. Education reform of any kind needs to assess education and social system in its whole.

New Rule Don't Fire Teachers- Bill Maher

Texas Text Book Massacre

Ultraconservatives Approve Changes to State Education Curriculum

God's History of Texas

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