NHEG-Magazine-November-December

www.NewHeightsEducation.org
In addition to the almost $700 million in RTT funds and the $61.4 million spent at the state level, the city of New York saw millions
of dollars invested from groups like Democrats for Education Reform (DFER). So what are the results of these investments?
According to Cornell University’s NYC Education Data program, less than half of all eighth graders in the state are proficient
in English language arts and math. We see this same type of result across the country.
Indeed, these results do not stack up well internationally, either. A 2015 Organization for Economic Cooperation Development
report shows just how far behind American students are falling. The average score for 15-year-olds in math, language, and
science on the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) test for the US was 470. Only Mexico (402), Chile (423) and
Turkey (420) had lower scores. Thirty-one other nations had scores higher than the US, with Japan leading the way at 532.
Where to Look for Solutions
Why, in 2019, after all the money spent and all the reforms that have been instituted, are we still seeing such horrific results in
our schools? The answer is much simpler than it has been made out to be: The system is broken. There is no remedy to fix this
system. It is fundamentally flawed. The famous saying that you cannot fix a problem with the same mind that created it rings
so true. So if reform will not work, what are we to do?
Again, the answer is simple: unschool. First, let’s be clear—charters and virtual schools are not desired long-term outcomes.
They are soft variants of the current system, and while they may show growth in the short-term, in the long run, they still stifle
learning due to government regulation. There are many methods for accomplishing the goal of unschooling. Some systems are
already in place, such as homeschooling. Another great model is the Sudbury School. This is a democratic system of education
that allows students the autonomy to determine their own paths of learning.
We need more educators to speak up and have the courage to buck the system. Until that time, we will keep fencing with
shadows.
All across the nation, students are being prodded like cattle into classrooms, and the one-size-fits-all approach is failing them.
They are bored and uninterested, and we blame them. We tell them and their parents that there is something medically wrong
with them—that they need medication and counseling. This ought to weigh on the minds of every adult in America as cruel
and abusive. Only systems that return power, and ultimately the desire to learn in children, will suffice. We need more educators
like John Taylor Gatto to speak up and have the courage to buck the system. We need more leaders like Kerry McDonald
and Dr. Peter Gray, who have led the charge in researching and promoting the unschooling model. Until that time, we will keep
fencing with shadows.
Source: The Foundation for Economic Education (FEE)
https://fee.org/
10 Things College
Grads Can Do to
Prepare Themselves
for the Journey Ahead
Those coming of age today will face some
of the greatest obstacles ever encountered
by young people.
www.NewHeightsEducation.org
By John W. Whitehead
Sunday, May 26, 2019
Cersei Lannister of Game of Thrones once said, “No matter who you are, no matter how strong you are, sooner or later, you’ll
face circumstances beyond your control.”
Those coming of age today will face some of the greatest obstacles ever encountered by young people.
In addition to being overtaxed and underemployed, they will also be forced to march in lockstep with a government that no
longer exists to serve the people but which demands they be obedient slaves or suffer the consequences.
Unfortunately, we who should have known better failed to guard against such a future.
Worse, we neglected to maintain our freedoms or provide our young people with the tools necessary to survive, let alone
succeed, in the impersonal jungle that is modern America.
Based on the current political climate, things could very well get much worse before they ever take a turn for the better. Here
are a few pieces of advice that will hopefully help those coming of age today survive the perils of the journey that awaits:
1. Be an Individual
As John F. Kennedy warned, conformity is “the jailer of freedom, and the enemy of growth.” Worry less about fitting in with the
rest of the world and march to the beat of your conscience.
2. Learn Your Rights
We’re losing our freedoms for one simple reason: most of us don’t know anything about our freedoms. So grab a copy of the
Constitution and the Bill of Rights, study them, and stand up for your rights before it’s too late.
3. Speak Truth to Power
Don’t be naive about those in positions of authority. People in power, more often than not, abuse that power. To maintain our
freedoms, this will mean challenging government officials whenever they exceed the bounds of their office.
4. Resist All Things That Numb You
Resist all things that numb you, put you to sleep, or help you “cope” with so-called reality. As George Orwell warned, “Until
they become conscious, they will never rebel, and until after they rebelled, they cannot become conscious.” It is these conscious
individuals who change the world for the better.
5. Don’t Let Technology Turn You into Zombies
Techno-gadgets are merely distractions from what’s really going on in America and around the world. If you’re going to make
a difference in the world, you’re going to have to pull the earbuds out, turn off the cell phones, and spend much less time
viewing screens.
92 92 NHEG | GENiUS Magazine MAGAZINE | November | www.geniusmag.com
- December
6. Help Others
None of us can exist very long without help from others. If we’re going to see any positive change for freedom, then we must
help one another. That will mean gaining the courage to stand up for the oppressed.
November - December 2019 | NHEG Magazine 93