Small Town News

Our founders, our education and our future for America

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Warning: What I write in this column when taken initially at face value may offend some of my good friends and others who have dedicated their careers to the public education system, either as teachers, administrators or staff. I have many friends in that category who have put their hearts and souls on the line to help raise another generation to love learning, to love their country and to be prepared for the future.

This column is not directs ed toward those individuals who have selflessly devoted years in that manner.

It is about an educational philosophy birthed in lands far from the shores of the land of liberty though propelled forward in the United States by American names like John Dewey, revered in the educational community. Today it is in driven and funded by the largest lobbying group in the nation.

Who or what might that be?

This month's Education Reporter has the answer to the question, "Who is the Biggest Campaign Spender of All?"

The Reporter answers, "Political ads constantly warn Americans to beware of the legislative clout big business can buy. But the biggest political campaign spender isn't ExxonMobil, Walmart, Microsoft, or even an industry association like the American Bankers Association."

Can you believe that? I thought all our problems were rooted in the greed of big business and its political clout?

No, the Reporter goes on, "It's not even an entire labor federation, like the AFL-CIO."

So, if not big business and if not an organization as powerful as the AFL-CIO, who is it?

"Indeed the combined campaign spending of all those entities does not match the amount spent by the National Education Association, the public-sector union of 2.3 million teachers and nearly one million support staff."

While our founders well understood the need for an educated citizenry in order to maintain liberty, their understanding of the educational system and content would vary widely from that espoused by the NEA For instance, in looking toward the expansion of the republic, Congress, in authorizing the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, provided that "Religion, morality, and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged."

It's interesting, isn't it, that Congress found that schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged to provide for good government which in turn was dependent not upon knowledge alone, but upon religion and morality also promoted in those schools! (Isn't there some saying about the most dangerous person in the world is an educated derelict?)

But Congress did not, in writing the U.S. Constitution, provide for the federal government to be involved in education. That was a power reserved to the states and to the people.

Nonetheless that does not stop the NEA from spending massive amounts of its budget ($355 million for 2010) to promote an ever expansive state funded and state controlled educational system as a part of an ever expanding federal government providing for government and its educational system to be the panacea for each of society's ills. For instance, an NEA publication this summer reportedly shared that, the NEA supports "[mjandatory full-day kindergarten attendance for children, and the federal resources necessary to do so" as well as "[t]otal federal assumption of the cost and operation of welfare programs based on standards of human dignity" and "comprehensive school health, social and psychological programs and services."

On the other hand NEA opposes "[t] uition tax credits for elementary or secondary schools," the "use of vouchers in education" and "tflederally mandated parental option or 'choice' in education programs."

In other words it wants to control our children from the day they are born. Sounds like socialism, doesn't it? One would hope that the mission, the goals and the corresponding actions of the NEA would be altruistic. Sadly its history tells another story. As it set up a political action committee approximately forty years ago, George Fisher, NEA President, reportedly explained, "Whether we like it or not we're getting in to a lobby-mad, power-mad world. We are realistic enough to know that the great lobbies have power, and that if we're going to get a share of the pie, we'd better move in alongside of them." As we prepare for our future, in contrast to the goals and actions of an NEA all too willing to get in bed with a 'lobby-mad, power-mad world" we should remember the wisdom of our founding Congress that religion, morality and knowledge are all essential elements of good government and happiness for which "schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged."

Peter Johnston, an East Bernard resident, earned a history degree from Cornell University and is a former high school history teacher



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© 2011 East Bernard Express East Bernard, Texas. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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