The Great Education Struggle

On January 26, 2016, I watched live as the GED Testing Service announced major changes to the GED exam.  After two years of study, the Testing Service has decided to not just change the performance level indicators, but they also have determined the passing school was forcing GED graduates to actually met a much higher performance standard than their high school graduate counterparts.

In this episode, I explain the details and show how the GED might just be a better indicator of college and technical schools readiness than today's high school diploma.

Hundreds of thousands have been fighting the official federal takeover of public, private, and in large part, homeschool curriculum through the Common Core State Initiative.  Many of them see the similarities between the 20th-century totalitarian government schools systems and CCSS.  But often they are dismissed as using rhetoric, and living in the cold Cold War. But what would you say, if someone who lived in China under Mao Tse-tung rule, who completed her education in China and said, yes Common Core is the same standards and expectations Moa demanded of her and her classmates?

Yes, in fact, Lily Tang Williams has seen Common Core before!  It was the same education program she and her countrymen were forced to endure, and it has cost them and their country dearly.  Tune in this week, as we discuss Mrs. Willaiam's Chinese education roots and experiences and how they compare to what she sees in Common Core.

 

Lily Tang Williams

Born in the wild west of China, Sichuan province near Tibet,  and raised with her two sibling brothers by illiterate working-class parents, Lily grew up facing poor living conditions, food rationing, political, and social chaos.  In this tumultuous environment, she quickly developed both street smarts and compassion as well as the values of perseverance and hard work. At 17, Lily graduated at the top of her high school class and placed near the top of the national exams (held once each year for three eight-hour days).  She did well enough that she was only one of three students from her province of 80 million people to be accepted to Fudan University law school that year, one of China's top five universities.

Lily received her university law degree at Fudan University in Shanghai, practiced law and joined the Law faculty at Fudan.  She came over to the U.S. in 1988 to earn a Master's degree at the University of Texas at Austin, School of Social Work with a minor in Administration and Planning.

After her Master's degree, Lily worked with troubled youth from dysfunctional families in Ivanson Memorial Hospital and Wyoming Home Health Care in Laramie, Wyoming as a social worker. Later, she worked for corporations in Hong Kong and the United States as a corporate executive. In particular, as "China Operations Manager" for PREL Inc., directly reporting to it's president, she was responsible for the overall management of China-based office performing Wal-Mart manufacturer certification, quality control, and inspection.  In that capacity, she also acted as a liaison between Wal-Mart’s exclusive world buying agent at the time, PREL Inc., and vendors in China and Wal-Mart buyers.

Lily became a Colorado small business woman and entrepreneur in 2000. She is currently the President and founder of ACM International Corporation, a consulting and trading firm in Colorado specializing in China-related business services. She and her husband John also own and manage their rental properties in Colorado and Nevada.

After a long a long absence away from the mic, The Great Education Struggle is back. Join Virgina attorney and president of Deconstructing the Collision, Kevin R. Novak as we discuss framers presupposition, the proper jurisdiction of the civil government, and the abolition of the civil government education system.

Kevin R. Novak is a homeschool administrator, tutor and President of Deconstructing the Coliseum, LLC. Separate from Deconstructing the Coliseum, Mr. Novak is – as a member of the Virginia State Bar – a Virginia-licensed attorney who focuses on Education Law, including defending homeschoolers. Mr. Novak believes in defending homeschoolers because it is an offensive approach to advancing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Mr. Novak is a sole practitioner and is therefore, able to give his clients individualized attention. Prior to lawyering, Mr. Novak spent over seven years in the insurance business and many years in Christ-centered basketball ministry and inner-city homeless outreach. He hosts Deconstructing the Coliseum Radio show, which discourages the man-centered (humanistic) religion that arbitrarily excludes Jesus Christ from law and education.

Deconstructing the Coliseum website: www.deconstructingthecoliseum.comEmail: [email protected]Twitter:@DtColiseum

Kevin’s weekday Briefs, are aired on WVGV (West Virginia) and WAMV (Virginia).

On June 19th, 2015 America and Great Britain celebrated the 800th birthday of the Magna Carta. This small piece of paper represents one of the two greatest documents westerns have, yet most know nothing about it.  We can tell you about Robin Hood, Russel Crow and Kevin Costner versions, but we cannot tell you where the backdrop of this fictional story came from. But, without it, we do not the Bill of rights or our Constitution.  We simply would not have the United States of America.

Long, long ago, students were taught the principles of liberty in the school houses and homes, but that has long since passed away. While Common Core promises to equip today's children to be able to work in the 21st century, it does nothing to prepare them to live and operate as a free individual in a republic.

Bring your family around and join returning guest, KrisAnn Hall, as we discuss the significance of the Magna Carta.

KrisAnne Hall is  an attorney and former prosecutor who travels the country teaching the Constitution and the history that gave us our founding documents. She is the host of The KrisAnne Hall Show, she pulls no punches, puts Liberty First and gives no quarter to those who hide behind party labels. Like no other can, KrisAnne teachers tell what the founders had to say on today’s relevant issues.

KrisAnne is a disabled Army veteran, a Russian linguist, a mother, a pastor’s wife and a patriot. She received her undergraduate degree in Bio-Chemistry from Blackburn College in 1991 and her J.D. from the University of Florida, Levin College of Law. KrisAnne lives in North Florida with her husband JC and their adopted son Colton.

Education reformers have, for decades, decried the achievement gap among students and espoused the inequality of education throughout the nation. This is one of the major justifications for the implementation for Common Core State Standards. All sorts of reasons are pushed forward in an exempt to explain the achievement gap between all classes of students. But, seldom if ever, do the reformers discuss why the achievement gap is 25% narrower in private schools over public school.

In episode 63, Professor of Education at California State University, Long Beach and a Senior Fellow at the Witherspoon Institute, Dr. William Jeynes joins me as we examine the meta-analyses and relationship between the achievement gap in education and faith, Common Core, and the future of America. (Note: this conversation was originally going to cover really just the meta-analyses data analyst, and statistical analysis of the relationship between the achievement gap between public school and faith-based private schools. But, as it turned out we spent about the first 40 minutes talking aboutCommom Core.  For those who want to just listen to the analysis portion, you will want to fast forward to about the 4o minute mark.)

Go to the show notes for a full bio on Dr. Jeynes.

With the implementation of Common Core, Islamic proxy front groups have infiltrated the American school system, including Christian and homeschool curriculums. This is especially can be seen in the CCSS aligned Advanced Placement History Standards and textbooks.

Join Dr. Bruce Forrest and we examine What every American needs to know, but won't learn in school as well as attempt to answer the question, "Is Islam a religion of peace or is Islam a religion that is not practiced by the majority of Muslims?

Dr. Bruce Forrest has been a student of Islam since the 1960’s and for the last five years he has been serving as an Assistant Professor of Apologetics at Liberty University.

He has earned his D.Min from Liberty University. His doctorate thesis was titled An Introduction to Islamic History and Theology. He has earned his M.Ed. degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Northwest Nazarene University, his M.A. in Biblical Studies from Western Evangelical Seminary (George Fox University), his B.A. in Religion from NNU, and his A.S. Associate in Criminal Justice and Administration, Umpqua Community College.

Dr. Forrest has served as an Associate Pastor for 6 1/2 years, and has worked in Christian Education for 29 years.

Go to www.edstruggle.com/62 for additional show notes, including the list of the resources, Dr. Forrest mentioned in this episode.

 

With 93% of teens ages 12‐17 go online, 95% of teens have at least 1 social media account with 86% of those having a Facebook account, and 85% of  10-12-year-olds have a Facebook account, and even higher for those older, social media, parents rightfully are concerned. We live in the 21st century and regardless, whether we like it or not, a new world of technology is here and there is no escaping it. So what can a parent do to embrace the 21st technology and yet teach their children how to keep their family safe inline? Join John Wilkerson from The Wired Homeschool Podcast and blog as we discuss this and more in episode 62.

John combines his professional experience in the computer industry with 17 years of homeschooling 7 children giving parents an easy to understand advice on the application of technology in their homes.

John Wilkerson has been married to Lisa for 17 years and together they have 7 children. Their oldest has “graduated” from homeschooling and the other six continue to keep them very busy.

John loves gadgets and other geeky things (like Star Wars, Doctor Who, and bacon) and sometimes wishes he could homeschool on the holodeck of the Enterprise.In the spaces between working full-time, being a husband and father, struggling to follow God, and fixing stuff around the house John tries to find time for his hobbies: podcasting, blogging, social media, backyard astronomy, and coaching soccer.

The Wired Homeschool provides practical advice for homeschooling parents who use technology as part of their homeschool curriculum. Topics include Internet safety, responsible computer use, smartphones, tablets, e-readers, educational apps, social media, and more.

In addition to instructional articles and podcasts you’ll find articles on homeschooling philosophy, how the digital age influences our daily lives, and how parents can use technology to teach their children at home.

John can be contacted through his podcast and blog, The Wired Homeschool

Twiter & Facebook

Wiredhomeschool episode mentioned: Finding the Sacred in the Secular with Michael T. Hansen – WHS 137 – The Wired Homeschool

If you have teens that use social media, would you have them fill out this survey?

One of the major educational buzz words, today is "critical thinking." The proponents of the Common Core State Standards tought one of the major benefits of CCSS, is that it teaches critical thinking. By like I wrote in"Critical Thinking and Education Reform Called Common Core," critical thinking skills” is a term used in a number of different disciplines, but no one has a clue as to what it means. But it sounds good, which is why education reformers use it. While it sounds good and who would not want to get behind such an idea, the problem is that it is meaningless.

The next time you hear someone from the education establishment start talking about thinking skills, ask him or her to define it. Ask them to give you an example of thinking skills program they would recommend. See what you get.

In episode 60, James Nance, from Roman Roads Media, and I discuss the necessity of teaching real critical thinking skills through the study of formal logic.

James Nance, curriculum development and teacher, received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Washington State University in 1984, and after working for Boeing for 5 years, moved to Moscow, Idaho where he taught Logic, Rhetoric, Calculus, Physics, and Doctrine at Logos School for 25 years. 

During that time, he developed several curriculums, including the award-winning Introductory and Intermediate Logic. He enjoys teaching, reading, acting, and playing games with my friends and family. He and his wife Giselle have four children: Jamie, Josiah, Jacqueline, and Jonathan.

Daniel Foucachon, from episode 30 and president of Roman Roads Media, joins me at the Spokane Christian Homeschool Conference to discuss the importance of studying the works of the Western canon, and in particular Christians  Join us as we address head-on, should Christians study the pagan writings? You may also want to read a recent blog post Daniel and I collaborated on called,  "Should Christians Study “The Great Books?”   Daniel grew up in Lyon, France where his family were church-planting with Missions to the World. He was homeschooled for most of his education, attending a Classical Christian School for two years in Lyon. He then moved to Moscow, Idaho in 2005 to attend New Saint Andrews College, and graduated with a BA in Liberal Arts and Culture in 2009.   While finishing school and working in his father’s French restaurant, “West of Paris,” he ran a local media production company where he sub-contracted with Canon Press to create CanonWired. In 2010, he founded Roman Roads Media with the desire to equip homeschoolers with the tools to give their children a Classical Christian Education. He now lives in Moscow, Idaho with his wife Lydia, and four children.

Join Dr. Peg Luksik, Founder and Chairman of Founded on Truth, as we discuss the truth behind your state giving up its sovereignty and your freedom by implementing Common Core.

Dr. Peg Luksik, Founder and Chairman of Founded on Truth, and is a Pennsylvania teacher with over 35 years of experience in both special education and elementary education. Dr. Luksik  has taught at every level from pre-school to college in regular classrooms, resource centers, self-contained special education classes, and in alternative educational settings.Dr. Luksik has trained teachers in curriculum and classroom management, written and evaluated curricula, authored several books on education issues, and hosted a nationally syndicated television program dealing with education in America.

Dr. Luksik has trained teachers in curriculum and classroom management, written and evaluated curricula, authored several books on education issues and hosted a nationally syndicated television program dealing with education in America.

Dr. Luksik served as an advisor to President Reagan’s Commission on the Family and worked for the U.S. Department of Education, where her task was to review and evaluate education reform initiatives.

Dr. Luksik founded a program to assist low-income single mothers complete their educations that was recognized by President Reagan and named as a National Point of Light by President George Bush.

Dr. Luksik was a founding board member of the Pennsylvania Family Institute and the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference. Most importantly, Dr. Luksik and Jim, her husband of 35 years, have raised six wonderful children and are now proud grandparents.