Download - Political Agendas for Education
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The Republican Education Agenda for the Twenty-First
Century The Culture Wars
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Celebration of American Values: McCain, Obama,
and the 2008 Election
The Republican Platform:
¡ Plea for improved education for global competitiveness
¡ Stressed protecting traditional American values
¡ Supported the English First approach
¡ Promoted patriotism & a unified American culture
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The Republican Education Agenda & the Culture Wars ¡ William Bennett- objected Multiculturalism and
the undermining of traditional American values
¡ Lynn Cheney- American values vs the threat of multiculturalism
¡ 1996 Republican platform- attacked Clinton for not limiting bilingual education
¡ Bob Dole- English is a force for unity
¡ 2008 Platform- English Empowers
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Standards and Tests: The Politics of Culture ¡ 1990’s- development of national standards &
tests
¡ Controversy over CA framework for teaching history
¡ Stress on “Common Culture”
¡ Politics of knowledge
¡ Attack on affirmative action & multiculturalism
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Republicans: Pro-Life, Abstinence, and Creationism
¡ Religiously oriented Republicans
¡ Moderate Republicans
¡ The Moral Majority
¡ Reagan- doubts plausibility of Darwinian ideas
¡ 1996 convention: Christian Coalition & abortion opposition
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Compassionate Conservatism and George W. Bush ¡ Every public school should be
the path to upward mobility
¡ Values determine the economic & social systems
¡ Belief that government welfare programs result in perpetuating poverty
¡ Federal programs operated by faith-based groups to ensure the teaching of traditional moral values
¡ Crisis in education: Second great policy hoax
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Compassionate Conservatives & No Child Left Behind ¡ Public funding of faith-based organizations
¡ Links character education to democracy and free market economy
¡ Character education is included in drug & violence prevention programs
¡ Character education consistent with state academic core standards
¡ 42 million invested in character education by 2003
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No Child Left Behind & School Prayer ¡ Compassionate Conservatives ¡ Public funding of Faith-based organizations
¡ Federal legislation identified elements of character important for American society ¡ caring, civic virtue & citizenship, justice & fairness,
respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, and giving
¡ Secular Humanism ¡ Human reason instead of God as a guide for
ethical decisions
¡ Right to Voluntary pray in schools ¡ Tried to change the first amendment to include this protection
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Pornography, Family Planning, & Traditional
Marriage ¡ NCLB includes conservative religious values
¡ promotes abstinence education ¡ bans teaching about birth control by prohibiting funds
for sex education or HIV prevention education
¡ Preserving Traditional Marriage ¡ 2008 Republican Platform devoted a whole section ¡ The ‘Boy Scouts of America equal protection Act’ is
part of NCLB and allows club to use public school facilities – w/o allowing gays in club
¡ 1995 Telecommunications Act ¡ concerned about pornography on www ¡ allowed censorship of cyberporn & vchips ¡ schools required to have policy on internet safety
for minors
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Evolution vs Creationism
¡ Teaching of evolution – ongoing issue for some religious-oriented Republicans ¡ Contradicts the Word of God ¡ evolution cannot be observed or replicated in a lab so there is
no evidence it actually occurred ¡ Alabama - “a controversial theory some scientists present as a
scientific explanation for the origin of living things”. ¡ Alabama - since nobody was present, any statement of life’s
origins should be considered a theory not fact ¡ Kansas - teachers should not ridicule or embarrass a student for
expressing an alternative view or belief, just explain why it is outside the domain of science, and tell them to discuss with your family
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Sarah Palin, the 2008 Election, & Pentecostalism ¡ McCain – traditional American values
and patriotism
¡ Palin – conservative religious values ¡ A symbol of hope for religious-
based Republicans ¡ Pentecostal church member ¡ Pentecostals believe in biblical
inerrancy or literal interpretation of the Bible
¡ Pentecostals believe in American exceptionalism, so very patriotic
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Conclusion: The Cross & the Flag ¡ Grand Republican Narrative ¡ Patriotism in schools
¡ English only
¡ Unity around traditional American Values
¡ Positive-oriented American History
¡ America’s exceptionalism – leader of free world
¡ Republican Education Agenda ¡ Protection of school prayer
¡ Choice of religious schools at public expense
¡ Teach creationism and evolutionary theory