Letters to the Editor - Sept. 18

Common Core is needed

Dear Editor:

Despite Linda Hohenstein’s background in public education, her recent call on this page to defeat the Common Core State Standards, a voluntary curriculum initiative currently available in 40+ states, is misguided. In fact, such a core is exactly what US public education lacks.

Ms. Hohenstein’s fears are based in her reading of now largely-ignored educational thinkers of the early to mid-1900’s, and there’s no doubt some of these thinkers were sipping the socialist Kool-aid. Overall, however, they weren’t real successful. Capitalism is today alive and well, Americans are still proud of their heritage, the American public still holds its leaders morally accountable.

There does appear to be a trend toward relativism in public issues, and certainly complete relativism breeds chaos. But what often appears to be creeping relativism is a natural reaction to creeping absolutism. These two philosophical forces live in constant tension. Public education is just one place where that conflict is visible.

Ever since John Dewey, conservatives speak scornfully of anything deemed “progressive” in education. Progressives’ wanted to throw out the factory-model school of the 19th century – the authoritarian teacher; disregard of student differences; a rigid curriculum with a high rate of dropouts; the rote memory of “facts”; and a discouragement of curiosity (the antidote to absolutism). Unfortunately, some of these progressives thought the answer to one kind of absolutism might come in another form – the top-down social-reform model controlled by a few self-anointed experts.

Didn’t work. Never will. They were dreamers (and not always socialists). Sure they influenced public education. For instance, nowadays pregnant teen-aged girls get to continue their schooling. There’s a good argument these girls get too much public assistance, but nobody really thinks anymore they should be kicked into the streets. As another example, there are good arguments that a one-sided environmental view gets an unfair share of coverage in science literature. But whatever their politics, every citizen gets pretty environmental when a de-railed train spews chlorine gas into the home neighborhood. Some “progressive” influences weren’t all that bad.

Further, Ms. Hohenstein fears that the NEA monster will drag American education into a terminal socialist swamp. That’s pretty far-fetched. The NEA is first a labor union. Its survival comes only from putting money in teachers’ pockets. Drifty anti-American conspiracies don’t get much credibility at the bargaining table.

That’s the background. Agreed, when you’re looking at educational initiatives, it is always smart to remain wary, but wariness and paranoia are two different things.

Researchers have been saying for a long time that American education cannot be competitive with nations which do work from a set of common academic standards. Common Core State Standards, signed onto by over 40 governors of both liberal and conservative leanings, is an attempt to shift emphasis toward academics, as well as acknowledgement that the curricular relativism with which we’ve been operating (every state, district, building, and teacher all do their own thing) is just one good way of shooting ourselves in the academic foot.

There are ideas and collections of reliable knowledge which all Americans share, or should share. These should be identified and used as a common educational platform. Ironically, while it’s the political right which has been most critical about a shift away from traditional subjects and away from a common academic experience -- the original purpose of public education, it is also the right which is cranking up opposition to a common core.

Ms. Hohenstein also fears losing local control. In reality, because there is no reliable academic baseline, local control is generally wasted firing an unpopular coach, quashing a sex-ed program, or quashing efforts toward tougher courses. With a Common Core, locals would for the first time own that necessary baseline from which to exercise rational control over meaningful academic practices, rather than simply exercising emotions over fleeting local issues.

The Common Core State Standards initiative needs to be given a fair shot at fixing some ragged edges of public education. Give it ten or fifteen years. Then, if it hasn’t produced, throw it out. Either way, not to panic. I have faith that America will still be here.

Ron Rude,

Plains

Find out who is in charge

Several people in the community have been misleading us about the Christmas Lights. They are saying that the complaints of a small group of people are the reason the Christmas Lights will not be put up this year. This is simply not true! For several years the fair board and more specifically the fair manager has stated both publicly and privately that the cost of the lights were being paid for by the private foundation, The Sanders County Fair Foundation. Both county personnel and myself have examined the fair income reports for several years and could not find any money the Foundation reimbursed the county for the approximately $1,500.00 of electrical costs. This additional cost was being paid for by the people of Sanders County. There is nothing wrong with this, but we need to know the true facts, especially when its time to make the budget.

According to one county official, money from private individuals has been promised to pay the cost of the lights. I believe the only reason the Christmas lights will not happen is the refusal of the fair manager to allow them to be put up. Even though the fair manager is an employee of the county, he claims he works for the fair board. The simple solution would be for the fair board to tell the manager to allow the lights to be put up. Call the chairman of the board Chris McGuigan or the vice chairman Bruce Icenogle and ask them who is in charge of the fairgrounds and the Christmas Lights.

Bob Heckman,

Plains

Locally Grown Viruses

Locally grown viruses – an answer to a recent letter to the editor entitled vets fighting for vets.

Engaging in idle gossip, according to Don Migel Ruez, is comparable to a computer virus and if left unchecked will continue until the entire system becomes corrupted.

The aforementioned letter to the editor is a perfect example of just that. Not one shred of truth can be found in it. And is malicious in nature.

Take for instance, Linda’s first point of complaint in booth pricing. Nowhere on the grounds can either a $40 or $500 booth space be found. She then goes on to mislead the readers into believing that there were vendors missing and that she knows the thoughts of these imaginary vendors.

Anyone notice that every single vendor space was rented? Even a last minute cancellation was rented within minutes. Linda also failed to notice that vendor space was so limited that ten vendors shared three spaces making the total vendors seven over what was available.

The next six paragraphs are obviously the rantings of a truly misinformed or easily manipulated individual.

I don’t know of one individual that takes issues with providing donations to the DAV directly but I do know that there are those of us, to include the DAV, which takes issue with illegally using the DAV name to raise funds for and by their own.

If she hears one incident of yelling at vendors, hiding signs on false reports – present your case. Again spreading gossip based on false assumptions.

Now here is a very interesting side note that you may want to look into and this is what inspired me to write this response.

A special investigator from the Department of Defense was called in to investigate the allegations that the Sanders County Transportation was using the DAV name in their fundraising effort. In his report they stated clearly that they were representing the DAV. In addition they claimed that I and other former employees of the homestead were somehow responsible for their own failings.

What wild imaginations these people have. I’ve already won the 11 court and civil cases that they refer to and am yet to this day unpaid. How could their failure benefit me in any way? What is motive in putting forth such lies? Ask for a full accounting of the event from Sanders County Transport, then call Fort Harrison DAV , ask where they stand.

Now there is a real eye opener. Perhaps the editor should assign a reporter to the task.

Ken Jones,

Plains