Utahs Republic

Some enterprising Tea Partiers have moved forward and created what looks to be a pretty nice TV series they’re calling Colony Bay. I don’t know how often the episodes will come out, but it appears to be pretty well done and has professionals involved. The last time I was excited about a privately produced  TV show was the “Star Trek New Voyages” that came out a few years ago with periodic episode releases. They were so well done they even got the original Sulu and Chekov to reprise roles in a couple episodes. Unfortunately it appears their website is down at this point so maybe they had to shut down. (www.startreknewvoyages.com)

Anyway, back to Colony Bay… This show is a Revolutionary War era re-enactment of life in the colonies and the first episode is called “The Travail of Sarah Pine” set in the winter of 1770. Visit the website here for more information though I’ve posted the trailer below.

https://www.ColonyBay.net

I think this is a wonderful project that we should support financially. You can do that by pre-ordering the DVD at 3 support levels. You can get just the first episode; get the first 2 with the 2nd to ship this fall and this gives you insider access (and it’s cheaper to get 2 at once); and third a teacher’s edition with lesson plans, worksheets, and visual aids to accompany the first DVD. You can order here:

https://www.colonybay.net/w/index.php/buy-dvd/

Here’s the trailer for the first episode:

Clever little video.

BYU’s Department of Education has published their Spring 2011 edition of McKay Today Magazine and contained in this small compilation is a tribute by former dean Robert Patterson to none other than John Goodlad. Susie Schnell sent me a link to it and even though it’s an article that has been seen on BYU’s website in the past, they chose to re-emphasize their complete and utter devotion to a man who is seeking the overthrow of all that BYU supposedly stands for.

First and foremost, lets be 100% clear that John Goodlad is an anti-Christ, and in LDS terminology, we would also call him a Korihor. He is an atheist, humanist, socialist, who espouses population control, constructivist math, implementing the gay agenda in the classroom, and having teachers introduce Marxist social justice in the classroom. Goodlad invited Bill Ayers, the godless Marxist terrorist turned educator to be the keynote speaker at his NNER conference last October. None of these philosophies are worthy of BYU’s mission or standards, neither does it correspond with direct teachings from the Book of Mormon which instruct us that both our secular teachers, and ecclesiastical leaders, should be individuals who walk in God’s paths or we should not trust them.

Mosiah 23:14 “And also trust no one to be your teacher nor your minister, except he be a man of God, walking in his ways and keeping his commandments.”

The BYU Education Department’s infatuation with Goodlad is completely independent of the LDS church. The church may own the school, but once teachers have tenure their ideology comes out without much fear of retribution in spite of the poison they may subtly distribute to students who believe their teachers are only espousing God’s truths and not the philosophies of men. They embrace Goodlad’s worldly philosophies because he is nationally prominent and has bestowed honors upon them and their college of education, specifically naming two individuals (Steve Baugh and John Rosenberg) as AED Scholars (Agenda for Education in a Democracy), and working with BYU for decades within his national network.

There are three dangers that threaten the church from within, and the authorities need to awaken to the fact that the people should be warned unceasingly against them. As I see them, they are flattery of prominent men in the world, false educational ideas, and sexual impurity.

Joseph F. Smith

2 out of 3 ain’t good.

BYU’s Ed department’s embrace of Goodlad shows they have utterly failed to follow the counsel of leaders, and of their core scriptural beliefs.

Last year (2010) when BYU’s Education Department was under attack from us for being members of John Goodlad’s NNER, which was trying to force BYU to accept the gay agenda into their school, the Provo Daily Herald reported that BYU was dropping its membership with the NNER (National Network for Educational Renewal) for “financial” reasons. However, in that same article, the Herald said, “Far from divorcing themselves from Goodlad, BYU provided the Daily Herald with a summary of Goodlad’s achievements” and went on to praise and adore this prominent national educator.

So here we are one year later and some have wondered if BYU’s Education Department was possibly changing their direction. They have answered with a resounding NO.

This tribute (PDF) in their latest newsletter clearly shows where they stand. My comments are on the right. (I also suggest to BYU’s Ed Dept. that they look at the title tag they have used with Robert Patterson’s photo and correct the (Freudian?) slip where they have named him “John Godland.”)

John Goodlad’s Influence on the BYU–Public School Partnership By Robert Patterson	My Comments
Robert Patterson is a lifelong educator and author. He was a former dean of the McKay School of Education at Brigham Young University between 1999 and 2003, during which time he worked closely with John Goodlad.	John Goodlad has been working close with BYU’s Ed. Dept. since 1983 when he first set up the Public School Partnership between BYU and 5 surrounding school districts, and in 1986 when BYU’s Ed. Dept. became a founding member of the NNER.
As I participated in the various activities of the BYU–Public School Partnership (BYU–PSP), I experienced an oft-repeated query from fellow participants: “Why do we pay so much attention to the opinions and ideas of John Goodlad?” I want to offer three possible responses.	Here comes the official answer as to why BYU’s Ed. Dept. pays to much attention to John Goodlad.
First, I suggest we look at the professional record of this man. His colleagues have publicly acknowledged the extent and value of his work by literally showering him with prestigious awards, including the Horace Mann League Outstanding Friend of Public Education and the John Dewey Society Outstanding Achievement Award in 2009. He has tirelessly done his utmost to address educational issues in a manner to help fellow professionals as well as the larger interested public.	Reason 1: he’s a prestigious (prominent) national award winnerHorace Mann: Creator of compulsory education”What the church has been for medieval man, the public school must become for democratic and rational man. God will be replaced by the concept of the public good. The common (public) schools shall create a more far-seeing intelligence and a pure morality than has ever existed among communities of men.” -Mann John Dewey: Original signatory on the atheistic, socialistic, Humanist Manifesto. “Education is thus a most powerful ally of Humanism, and every American public school is a school of Humanism. What can the theistic Sunday-schools, meeting for an hour once a week, and teaching only a fraction of the children, do to stem the tide of a five-day program of humanistic teaching?” -Dewey Evil, godless, prominent men who have an agenda to destroy faith in God and have awards named after them and Goodlad has received them. That’s reason #1 BYU’s Ed. Dept. follows Goodlad.
The second compelling reason relates to his role in helping to launch and enrich the organization of the Partnership. On invitation from Curtis Van Alfen, the BYU dean of education in 1983, Goodlad spent several months at BYU helping school district and university personnel catch a vision of the benefits of a collaborative relationship.	Reason 2: Goodlad did tremendous service for BYU to help them catch a vision of a collaborative relationship.What is Goodlad’s agenda?”The curriculum of the future will be what one might call the humanistic curriculum.” -Goodlad
Goodlad also invited the Partnership to become a member of the National Network for Educational Renewal (NNER). As a result, participants of the BYU–PSP have received outstanding leadership training as well as the opportunity to interact with school or university faculty members from other NNER sites. One result of this interaction has been the replication of the Seattle Associates Program at BYU. The Partnership has used associates as one of the main ways of sharing ideas and promoting a common value position within the BYU–PSP.	Reason 3: If you read the titles of some of the NNER conference talks, of which BYU Ed. Dept. professors regularly presented (along with Alpine School District leaders from the PSP) you’ll find intriguing topics such as these:”The Creation of a Wise and Healthy People and a Culture for Sustaining and Renewing  this Populace” (Sounds eerily like the U.N.’s Agenda 21 plan)”Expert Study Panel Groups (GLBT & Community Engagement)” (I don’t think I need to comment on this one) “School-based Mentoring: A Nurturing Approach to Improve the Educational Outcomes of Students At-risk” (This particular session was taught by a BYU prof. and when you read the brief section below, you’ll see their mentoring/nurturing approach is to supplant the parent with a nurturing teacher. Where did that come from? “Most youth still hold the same values of their parents… if we do not alter this pattern, if we don’t resocialize, our system will decay.“- John Goodlad) “And Justice For All: Using Artificial Environments to Create Community and Teach Diversity” “The Re-emergence of the Research School: A Model To Meet the Challenges of Education for Democracy” Whatever happened to teachers getting trained in how to teach math, reading, and writing? These courses have NOTHING to do with educating our children and EVERYTHING to do with indoctrinating them into a “social and political Democracy.”
Another significant and valuable application of Goodlad’s leadership is our Center for the Improvement of Teacher Education and Schooling (CITES). By accepting Goodlad’s challenge to experiment with this new organizational structure, we have found ways to include other BYU colleges in the Partnership, to strengthen the in-service provisions offered for school personnel, and to generate ideas through research and program evaluation.	Reason 4: The wonderful CITES center where the application of Goodlad’s philosophies are extended to other colleges, and through which PSP school administrators and principals pass in order to be deemed “Goodlad-agenda-ready” for public service. CITES is run by Steve Baugh, Goodlad AED scholar. Baugh is the former Superintendent of Alpine School District where he helped bring constructivist math (ex. Investigations, Connected, and Interactive math) to tens of thousands of children, forever damaging their mathematical abilities, but following Goodlad’s recommendations that a socialistic style constructivist approach be used to help further prepare children for life in a social and political Democracy.CITES also receives hundreds of thousands of public tax dollars each year yet won’t allow for an audit or release of how those tax dollars are spent in spite of requests by legislators.
John Goodlad has encouraged and supported the BYU–PSP in powerful ways. Without the benefits derived from the focus associated with his writings and programs and the example of excellent leadership through skillful mentoring and modeling of ideas and practices, the BYU–PSP would be far less able to speak with pride of the quality of education in our partner districts and in our university teacher preparation programs. We continue to be richly rewarded for celebrating Dr. John I. Goodlad.	Quality of education in our partner districts? Is that why UVU has a math remediation *department* for the nearly 70% of incoming students who can’t do simple college algebra?Teacher prep is nothing more than indoctrination prep. There is precious little content knowledge being transmitted to those who obtain a teaching certificate, but loads of philosophical poison from Goodlad’s agenda. We need teachers who actually understand math to teach it.

“As the educational system falls into the hands of the in-power political faction or into the hands of an obscure but tightly knit group of professional social reformers, it is used not to educate but to indoctrinate.” Ezra Taft Benson (An Enemy Hath Done this – pg. 229)

“I feel to warn you that one of the chief means of misleading our youth and destroying the family unit is our educational institutions. There is more than one reason why the Church is advising our youth to attend colleges close to their homes where institutes of religion are available. It gives the parents the opportunity to stay close to their children, and if they become alerted and informed, these parents can help expose the deceptions of men like Sigmund Freud, Charles Darwin, John Dewey, John Keynes and others. There are much worse things today that can happen to a child than not getting a full education. In fact, some of the worst things have happened to our children while attending colleges led by administrators who wink at subversion and amorality. Said Karl G. Maeser, “I would rather have my child exposed to smallpox, typhus fever, cholera or other malignant and deadly diseases than to the degrading influence of a corrupt teacher.” Ezra Taft Benson (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 307.)

John Goodlad is among the “others” mentioned and a disciple of John Dewey.

“There is a spirit working among the Saints to educate their own offspring. If our children will be all we will have for a foundation of glory in eternity, how needful that they be properly trained… There are wolves among us in sheep’s clothing ready to lead astray our little ones… Wolves do not devour old sheep when there are any young ones. I have herded sheep long enough to know that. Look after your children.”- Elder John W. Taylor, (Collected Discourses 2:138.)

The BYU Ed. Dept. magazine also contains an article entitled “Education in a Changing World” (PDF) and the very first section says:

What Is a Mentor?

Who was your mentor? Who could be trusted to answer the important questions you had? Who was there to give you advice? Who served as a role model at important points in your life?
Most successful people have had a mentor at some time in their life, whether in business, sports, the arts, the classroom, or university work.

FiVE Things You Should Know about Mentoring

1. What a Mentor Is and What a Mentor Is Not

A mentor is not:	What a mentor is:
a parent a cool peer a babysitter a therapist a disciplinarian a parole officer a nag a savior an ATM	a wise and trusted friend a link to another generation a confiant a tutor an advisor a visionary “seer” (been there, done that) a cheerleader a coach a listener an advocate a sounding board a guide a role model a partner a motivator

 

The greatest mentor I have had in my life is my father. I wonder how the department integrates the Proclamation on the Family into their philosophies? This article further shows the embrace of Goodlad’s philosophy as he believes:

“Public education has served as a check on the power of parents, and this is another powerful reason for maintaining it.”- John Goodlad, Developing Democratic Character in the Young, pg. 165

One of Goodlad’s core 4 dimensions of teaching is that teachers become the nurturers of students. Here’s a few Goodlad quotes (references at link) for you.

“[schools] should liberate students from the ways of thinking imposed by religions and other traditions of thought.”

“…educators must resist the quest for certainty. If there were certainty there would be no scientific advancement. So it is with morals and patriotism.”

“It is my expectation that Teacher Education for Democracy and Social Justice will become a rich resource for continuing this multi-layered conversation-from democratic belief to democratic action-that is the hallmark of educational renewal.”

“…the state we should strive for is better described in Deweyan terms as a social democracy.”

I ask, do you believe the philosophies of John Goodlad will help build up Zion? I say they will not. They will tear it down and destroy it. They will indoctrinate in false philosophies and destroy faith in God. Has the BYU Ed. Dept. fallen into this cunning plan?

2 Nephi 9

28 O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.

29 But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God.

What is that counsel we are to hearken to?

“We have not been using the Book of Mormon as we should. Our homes are not as strong unless we are using it to bring our children to Christ.Our families may be corrupted by worldly trends and teachings unless we know how to use the book to expose and combat the falsehoods in socialism, organic evolution, rationalism, humanism, and so forth… And our nation will continue to degenerate unless we read and heed the words of the God of this land, Jesus Christ, and quit building up and upholding the secret combinations which the Book of Mormon tells us proved the downfall of both previous American civilizations. (A Witness and a Warning, p. 6.)

Those who fail to see the dangers of an alliance with John Goodlad reject the message of the Book of Mormon and are literally walking in darkness at noon-day as they become accomplices in an effort to destroy the morality and agency of man.

David O. McKay, a staunch fighter against humanism and socialism, must be weeping in heaven that his name is attached to this department.

Glenn Beck recently revealed his plan for the post-FOX era. I watched it last week, intending to only watch a few minutes and see what he was talking about, but after a few minutes I was hooked to know what else he had up his sleeve. I predict Glenn will be known as one of the greatest visionaries of America. The scope of what he’s trying to pull off (and evidently has the money and backing to accomplish) is stunning. I invite you to watch Glenn’s presentation and hope you’ll subscribe for his new GBTV.com. I know I am.

https://www.glennbeck.com/2011/06/08/watch-gbtv-launch-event-now-on-demand-for-free/

A great new website has arrived that shows the interrelated nature of all the education reforms that have come out such as NCLB, RTTT, CCSS, and other wonderful acronyms you didn’t realize were ruining your child’s education. :) I strongly encourage you to spend a little time on this site and see how Bill Gates and Pearson publishing are gearing up to produce a national curriculum to accompany the CCSS which are essentially turning into national standards.

https://truthinamericaneducation.com/

Be sure to see how the Gates Foundation has *bribed* many organizations to buy into their reforms. On the list are Achieve and Fordham, 2 organizations I previously trusted to be objective but not any more.

https://truthinamericaneducation.com/?page_id=311

I also strongly encourage you to check out their “tool kit” with important links to resources on stopping CCSS. Please use your influence with legislators and school board members to help them understand why this is a bad idea. Some think that this is all being done in a small box. It’s not. It’s vast and interconnected from many different points. The CCSS is only one part of a plan to allow the feds to control education and lose what little local control we have.

https://truthinamericaneducation.com/action-center/tool-kit/

You can also read about Race to the Cradle here as the government gets involved in Pre-K funding.

https://www.cato-at-liberty.org/race-to-the-cradle/

Now I realize this video won’t appeal to everyone, and yet everyone would probably benefit by hearing much of what Michelle has to say. The first part covers the history of compulsory education and after that is over, Michelle talks from a scriptural perspective (LDS specifically) on the topic of educating your children. It’s an excellent presentation and I know it’s long, but I believe you’ll enjoy it if you take the time to watch.

Celestial Education – Michelle Stone

This video is dedicated to the wonderful and devoted Latter-day Saint parents who are striving with all their might to raise children ‘up unto the Lord’. The Lord and His prophets have given us much revealed truth about how we, as LDS parents, should educate our children and about what our schools should be like. This DVD is an attempt to uncover those teachings, which are missing from our current education system, that we may strive for a higher, more pure and Godly way to teach our children. Some of the ideas expressed in this video are the opinion of the presenter. We ask that each viewer watch with an open heart and seek the spirit of God which will testify of those truths that will be beneficial to them and their families. – Michelle Stone

Just as Star Trek’s visionary technology spawned all kinds of useful tools we enjoy today, the movie Minority Report has spawned it’s own tool but not the useful kind. Reported on Glenn Beck’s The Blaze news site, comes this video straight from the Department of Homeland Security, now testing citizens for “malintent” as they pass their new scanners designed to test your psyche.

“Move along citizens, nothing to see here. Just quietly put on those chains after you pass through the scanner.”

I’m sure there’s nothing in the constitution that would be violated by this device. That old document is sooooo outdated anyway.

From this year’s May Day parade in LA come the Communists promoting Socialism matched with its forerunner Democracy.

Until I saw this article in the Daily Herald last week,I had no idea this was happening. It’s not just Alpine School District, but this was their press notice.

https://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/article_b57fa762-8b85-11e0-b7de-001cc4c03286.html

Alpine School District

Summer Feeding Program — The Alpine School District has announced the sponsorship of the 2011 Summer Feeding Program. Free meals will be made available to all children under the age of 18 years. Sites will serve breakfast from 8:30-9:30 a.m. and lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Operating dates will vary by each serving site which are: Geneva Elementary, 665 West 400 North, Orem; Westmore Elementary, 1150 South Main, Orem; Greenwood Elementary, 50 East 200 South, American Fork; Cherry Hill Elementary, 250 East 1650 South, Orem; Mountain View High, 665 West Center, Orem; Sharon Elementary, 525 North 400 East, Orem; and Windsor Elementary, 1315 North Main, Orem. Please check with each school for dates and extended times.

The State Office of Education has put up a convenient website to allow for people everywhere to find the closest free meals for their children during the summer.  Remember, it doesn’t cost you a thing. It’s FREE. Everyone should take their children here because it’s FREE. Nobody is paying for it. Really. It’s wonderful because it’s FREE!!! Just tell your children the government will always take care of them, even when their parents can’t, and everything the government does is FREE. Or at least for the betterment of mankind, so just grin and bear it neighbors. Your lack of charity for your fellow beings necessitates the feeding of the 5,000 by the government. <end sarcasm>

https://www.schools.utah.gov/cnp/Summer-Food-Service-Program/Map.aspx

Unfortunately, as I asked around about this program I learned that it’s not just low income families using this program, but financially secure families thinking “free food” is fun. One unconfirmed statement given to me was if schools didn’t use all their money for this program, funds would be reduced for the next year so they have to give away breakfasts, lunches, and in some locations supper and snacks, in order to make sure they get funding for next year. In just about every school, food that is prepared every day is thrown out rather than consumed by the hungry or employees, or hungry employees. There must be tons of food thrown away every day in Utah schools alone that is perfectly good…but that’s another topic.

Thankfully, we don’t have it as bad here as in some other cities such as the Chicago Tribune reported recently about a school in Chicago where the principal banned students from bringing lunches from home to protect students from their own poor nutritional choices. Heaven forbid we let kids’ parents send them to school with a less than optimal lunch (or at least one not approved by Nanny McPrincipal).

https://www.eagleforum.org/educate/2011/may11/free-lunches.html

Utah, when are we going to wake up and smell the socialism? Does your legislator know this is happening?

Kristen Shumway contacted me with a great idea recently. She lives in Alpine School District but the idea is worth sharing for other parents to get organized similarly. There are so many issues related to curriculum choice at our schools that having a body of local parents involved in this way makes a lot of sense especially if other parents at the school know about the group and can share concerns and ideas. These groups could easily become the “go-to” group for curriculum and activity choices as they become the involved parents who are most concerned with their children’s educational material. The Investigations math failure (click for new article from MD) and similar constructivist programs which Alpine School District and others continue to use K-12 continue to be shown an utter failure around the country. ASD has no studies to support the use of these programs and ignores the studies showing vastly superior programs such as Singapore, Saxon, and a few others. Parents need to mobilize at the local level and get the information out to parents in their own schools. I’m not sure if Kristen realizes the scope of what she’s sort of offered to do, but I’m so glad parents like her are getting involved.

Kristen mentions below that she will hold a meeting in her home, but I’m hopeful she’s overwhelmed with people like YOU :) wanting to do this at their own school and she’ll need a bigger meeting location.

Here is her email and contact information:

I would like to begin forming parents’ groups that would be associated with each high school, and the elementary and junior high schools that feed into it.  For example, my kids go and will go to PGHS.  I would like to start a group that could discuss the district issues, national tests, etc. per high school and its feeder-schools.  (According to a friend of mine, school districts on the East Coast are usually set up this way.)

I am hoping that by creating parent groups per high school we could create nascient “school board training groups” where parents could get educated, practice their skills, and exercise their voices on behalf of the people they care about most–their own children. Over time, if this idea takes off, these groups could start pushing for change on local levels, be elected to boards, and hopefully unite, creating a force that could give parents more voice in the education of our children.  Ideally, we could push for decentralized, smaller school districts.

As I see it, there is little strength among parents because there is no gathering and training place.  If parents have a problem, they have to come up with their own network.  PTA’s are really just an extention of the teachers’ interests to a large extent.  But a PACE group (Parent Alliance for their Children’s Educations) would be a group where we could disperse information and discuss goals for our own schools–tapping some of the positive energy Charter schools enjoy.  Also, parents could address problems/concerns and then prepare their solutions to be presented as powerfully and unitedly as possible.

We need a positive focus on building and improving.  Obviously there is a lot to fight against, but people are more powerful when they are fighting for something. I think these groups would be amazing training for citizenship and political activity as well.

So please send me your ideas and comments.  I would like to include them in a meeting I will be organizing at my home. Let me know (by email or phone) if you would like to be involved and how.    Anyone who would like to come help with ideas for creating a structure, defining goals, etc., is welcome.  Afterwards, I will post the results, and we will go from there.  We will need individuals who are willing to spearhead things in their schools.  This is a start-up so don’t count yourself out.  Anyone with the desire to improve their school for their children can gain experience along the way, just like the rest of us.

Kristen Shumway 801-701-0641

Sheldon Shumway 801-556-3431

kristen dot shumway at gmail dot com