by Warren Liverance
LATELY, BOTH LIBERAL and conservative blogospheres are abuzz with discussion of the “The Common Core.” It seems that for once, the majority of both sides oppose something that would be bad for the country. Since this rarely happens, one may wonder what all the fuss is about.
The Common Core is the newest in a continuing series of curricula and testing proposals that have been rammed down the collective gullet of the American people. Much like the proverbial pate goose, such proposals serve to fatten us for consumption. Simply stated—standardized testing has become a way for those in power to control what it is that our children are taught. As my favorite teacher’s lounge philosopher used to say, “He who controls the test controls the curriculum.” As is usual with the Leviathan, the object is not to improve but to coerce.
The average person rises each morning and attends to children, parents, and other loved ones. People try to provide for their own and have a bit of time for themselves. Hobbies, church, and family fill their lives outside of work. They don’t bother anyone and expect not to be bothered by others. While they may be judgmental in ways that are not “politically correct,” they lead productive lives and contribute to society in a positive way. They are the “bitter clingers” our president talks about. And, in my opinion, they also constitute the majority of the people in this country.
Another type of person, a form of the 1 Percent, if you will, rises each morning consumed with self-promotion. These people exist to push themselves to the “front of the line.” For whatever reason—genetics, mental illness, or just plain ego—they feel that they deserve to be in charge. While not necessarily intelligent, they possess what I call “Animal Cunning.” They have the ability to manipulate others with words, symbols, and images. Because of whatever it is that drives them, they never give up. These are people that I think of as “lizards.” Lizards are drawn to places of power the same way flies are drawn to you-know-what. D.C. is crawling with “lizards.” The Common Core is the latest in a series of attempts by the lizards to gain power and control.
If you do even a cursory search of the articles written about Common Core you will stumble upon the fact that good ole Bill and Melinda Gates have their fingerprints all over the thing. Why would that be? Why would a lizard like Mr. Gates be so concerned with my children’s education? If ever there were a man obsessed with pushing his way to the front of the line, it would be Bill Gates. Why does he concern himself with public education? How does he find the time?
One only has to imagine what type of machines and software programs will be needed to test tens of millions of children to understand the Gates’s “interest.” There is a certain type of man, Henry Ford comes to mind, who comes to believe that his wealth, rather than being the result of preparation and opportunity, is the result of divine providence. The creator has chosen him, above all, to be in charge.
The very fact that a national standardized test exists lends itself to the abuse of said test. We have millions of educators in this country who spend years training to construct and test various curricula. Our top students are the world’s most proficient. However, unlike most of the world, we educate and test all of our students. This tends to lower our “average” scores and make it appear as though student mastery and preparation are worse than they really are. The U.S. leads the world in innovation and invention and is only dragged down by excessive government regulation and a rapacious legal/political complex. To think that some lizard in D.C. knows what is best for students in Salt Lake and students in Compton is preposterous. Local schools know what is best for local children. In my opinion, the federal government should have nothing to do with local education. They should shut down the Department of Education and send the billions of dollars wasted there to school districts in need—no strings attached. Or better yet, offer the money to private individuals as tuition vouchers. The Department of Education educates no one. It is a feeding trough for the unproductive, a Potemkin Village of intellect.
Think about this: By the 11th century China had invented gunpowder, the magnetic compass, ocean worthy ships and dozens of other technological wonders. They stood poised to dominate the world. Then the ruling lizards (The Song Dynasty) instituted a complex system of standardized testing and created a parasitical bureaucracy. China became sclerotic, inward looking, and despotic. One would think that Santayana would have something to say about that and the Common Core.
