Texas GOP...SMH
In case you hadn’t heard, the Republican Party of Texas has issued their 2012 political platform and has come out blatantly opposing critical thinking in public schools throughout the state. On his television show, The Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert recently brought to national attention this astonishing little tidbit: a plank from the 2012 platform of the Republican Party of Texas reads, “ We oppose the teaching of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) (values clarification), critical thinking skills and similar programs that are simply a relabeling of Outcome-Based Education (OBE) (mastery learning) which focus on behavior modification and have the purpose of challenging the student’s fixed beliefs and undermining parental authority.”
Yes, you read that right. The party opposes the teaching of “higher order thinking skills” because it believes the purpose is to challenge a student’s “fixed beliefs” and undermine “parental authority.”
So, if a child is of the “fixed belief,” for example, that 2 + 2 = 97 or that Stalin was the first president of the United States, educators ought not correct the little genius lest he (God forbid) change his “fixed belief,” thereby undermining mom and dad.
The party platform gets worse when it comes to prohibiting thinking critically about science or the scientific method. Take the section on "controversial theories," :
“We support objective teaching and equal treatment of all sides of scientific theories. We believe theories such as life origins and environmental change should be taught as challengeable scientific theories subject to change as new data is produced. Teachers and students should be able to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of these theories openly and without fear of retribution or discrimination of any kind.”
Alternative beliefs such as creationism are now cleverly invited into the curriculum as so-called science or theories to debunk the purportedly false notions of the theory of evolution. But if critical thinking is not to be used in the classroom, how would these beliefs be examined for evidence?
The party also opposes early childhood education, sex education (they call for abstinence-only sex education), and multicultural education, but supports “school subjects with emphasis on the Judeo-Christian principles upon which America was founded.”
Based on the above, it seems a fair conclusion that the Republican party in Texas doesn’t think much of public education. Unfortunately, this notion isn’t limited to the GOP in Texas but is more commonly being seen across the country by some of the most strident of “school reformers.”
And it doesn't stop at education. Prohibitions against thinking critically or scientifically comprise just one of 30 pages of the anti-Enlightenment thinking seen in the Texas GOP platform document. Here is some more of its chilling content:
Trying juveniles as adults
Emphasis on faith-based drug rehab
Opposition to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
Flat-rate income tax
Repeal of the minimum wage
Opposition to homosexuality in the military
Opposition to red light cameras
Opposition to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, because firms should be able to fire people for what they consider "sinful and sexually immoral behavior."
Continued opposition to ACORN (even though it has not existed since 2010!)
Opposition to statehood or even Congressional voting rights for the citizens of the District of Columbia
And no-questions-asked support for Israel because, "Our policy is based on God's biblical promise to bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel and we further invite other nations and organizations to enjoy the benefits of that promise."
It seems as if the Republican Party (and perhaps the Democrats, as well) have devolved into poster children for irresponsible leadership. Disagree? The Texas GOP came out against critical thinking. Case closed.
Yes, you read that right. The party opposes the teaching of “higher order thinking skills” because it believes the purpose is to challenge a student’s “fixed beliefs” and undermine “parental authority.”
So, if a child is of the “fixed belief,” for example, that 2 + 2 = 97 or that Stalin was the first president of the United States, educators ought not correct the little genius lest he (God forbid) change his “fixed belief,” thereby undermining mom and dad.
The party platform gets worse when it comes to prohibiting thinking critically about science or the scientific method. Take the section on "controversial theories," :
“We support objective teaching and equal treatment of all sides of scientific theories. We believe theories such as life origins and environmental change should be taught as challengeable scientific theories subject to change as new data is produced. Teachers and students should be able to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of these theories openly and without fear of retribution or discrimination of any kind.”
Alternative beliefs such as creationism are now cleverly invited into the curriculum as so-called science or theories to debunk the purportedly false notions of the theory of evolution. But if critical thinking is not to be used in the classroom, how would these beliefs be examined for evidence?
The party also opposes early childhood education, sex education (they call for abstinence-only sex education), and multicultural education, but supports “school subjects with emphasis on the Judeo-Christian principles upon which America was founded.”
Based on the above, it seems a fair conclusion that the Republican party in Texas doesn’t think much of public education. Unfortunately, this notion isn’t limited to the GOP in Texas but is more commonly being seen across the country by some of the most strident of “school reformers.”
And it doesn't stop at education. Prohibitions against thinking critically or scientifically comprise just one of 30 pages of the anti-Enlightenment thinking seen in the Texas GOP platform document. Here is some more of its chilling content:
Trying juveniles as adults
Emphasis on faith-based drug rehab
Opposition to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
Flat-rate income tax
Repeal of the minimum wage
Opposition to homosexuality in the military
Opposition to red light cameras
Opposition to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, because firms should be able to fire people for what they consider "sinful and sexually immoral behavior."
Continued opposition to ACORN (even though it has not existed since 2010!)
Opposition to statehood or even Congressional voting rights for the citizens of the District of Columbia
And no-questions-asked support for Israel because, "Our policy is based on God's biblical promise to bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel and we further invite other nations and organizations to enjoy the benefits of that promise."
It seems as if the Republican Party (and perhaps the Democrats, as well) have devolved into poster children for irresponsible leadership. Disagree? The Texas GOP came out against critical thinking. Case closed.
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