The Great Shalom Podcast : Overcoming Learning Problems

Last Time: Engage as  Mama Bear

Last time we talked a little bit about being a mama bear - holding other people accountable. Today, I am going to talk about my perspective that arises from 2 generations of failure, even with prodigious ability, to get government school officials to follow the law. I also recognize the work of Katy Marshall (Texas Scorecard) and her Exposed podcast, that discusses the dark side of Texas public schools. Trouble is, Texas is not somehow different than any other state. Maybe it is much better! They may have larger school districts -- or not. They may have more conservative politicians - or not. They may have citizen who are more willing to speak out because they think the system is more conservative -- probably.

Rabbit Trail: Isn't it Odd?

Isn't it odd, actually, how all our local school districts, in whatever state seem to be facing the same very strange problem of porn in school at the same time. Isn't strange how, after FBI fingerprints being put in as a precaution back in 2007, and public outing of sex offenders' locations online, that we still have so much sexual abuse of children? Isn't it passing strange that when parents come to school board meetings, that across the country, they are treated as if they were criminal offender? And not just in one location or another.   Okay, but moving on.

Exposed : Dark Side of What is Going on in Government Schools

It happens that recent episodes  of Exposed have focused on alleged abuse in Prosper ISD. What needs to be understood in context is that Prosper is an reasonably affluent part of Dallas Fort Worth metroplex, fast growing, and not unusual. Some small towns might suffer less, but they are under the same ultimate management. Similarly, one thinks of Texas as a "red" state -- but we have already discussed the false dichotomy of thinking that that means that governance is more conservative or just. Go back about 3 episodes for that.

https://texasscorecard.com/podcasts/season-6-episode-2-the-other-cheek/

https://texasscorecard.com/podcasts/season-6-episode-3-the-spreading-rot-2/

THIS TIME: MY THOUGHTS ON MOST IMPORTANT TO DO

This time on Overcoming Learning Problems, I will share with you my maybe surprising conclusions about what is more important for a mother to do today. More conservative and more radically change oriented. Think Susanna Wesley! Change the world. And you will find it jolly well matches your personality, too, I imagine. You will be, should be surprised that I think so, but I do. My reflections today, after more fights with school officials than I wish to recall.

DEEPER APPRECIATION, MORE PURCHASING, MORE SHARING

Knowing this, I expect you will find a deeper appreciation of what we are doing here at GSB: Overcoming Learning Problems. Our perspective will save your child from the abuse and academic degradation that you WILL find in government schools. Our perspective might save you the $87,000 one of our interviewees say that they charge families. It should save most home-schoolers a lot of grief, anxiety, and bewilderment. What I put out here, for free, is very valuable. Please make use of it, get more, and tell your friends.

Not Right to Always Be Nice

Holding others accountable - yes, that is part of a righteous life. I was taught to always always always be nice -- by my mother. But my dad held people accountable, for sure! He could not understand why I was so shy. "Be brassy!" Did he not know what mother was teaching me? Anyway, one day, when an older Christian woman said, "Integrity demands..." it was very helpful -- if not a revelation. Being righteous sometimes means requiring others to do right, to keep contract, and not get away with wrong. Sometimes, we take on hurt willingly. Other times, normally when someone else's well-being is a stake, we do not. As parents, we protect our children.

Time to Engage to Hold Public Officials Accountable

Today, we are hearing about government school going beyond what anyone of us could have imagined. Then, we hear about law enforcement being violently corrupt. Yet, then we hear about courts veering wildly from the rule of law. We cannot be silent. We must speak. Given that we have been given both right and duty of governing, we must engage.

Students With Learning Disabilities Need Special Protection From School

At no time is this more important than when we have a child with a learning problem. Precisely because they are spending so much time and effort on decoding or the simple tasks of academics, they may miss the nuances of social interaction. It may seem that they ahve a bully target on them, both to fellow students and adult staff. Indeed, much of what the school does with children with special needs ensures that they will continue to have worse troubles for the rest of their lives. It is vital that parents protect their children. Today, consideration of being a mama bear.

LEFT VERSUS RIGHT

In our world today, we talk a lot about Left versus Right politically. We call one kind of extremism "communist" and the other kind "fascist."  It is abundantly clear, however, that we need some definitions.  These historical parties are a mix of both political and economic ideas or ideologies. They do not include the full spectrum of ideas and reality is not on a 2 dimensional spectrum.

Socialism is centralized government and redistribution of wealth. They coined the term "capitalism" which does not adequately define "free trade" of all kinds. Communism is merely authoritarian socialism. Fascism is centralized government while retaining private ownership of the means of production. Authoritarian government can partner with private industry and still be tyrannous. Democracy is rule by the majority. Republicanism (when used by American founders) meant representative democratic government under the rule of law, rather than of men.

In fact, communists and fascists are more alike than different. But, yes, they like to hate one another. Fascists, specifically the Nazis, were socialists, just like their Bolshevik and Trotsky-ite cousins. Both were authoritarian. Communists of the day like to call everyone they hated, a Nazi. Mao, Gramsci and others had their own twists, but all were based on increasing conflict toward revolution and top-down control afterwards.

What we really want, I think is liberty with some charity. I don't think very many people want tyranny -- except those few on top. They have been fairly successful at fooling all the rest of us.  Get definitions before you go out and fight for idea, some promise, (especially one that has always lost out, been fake, and stolen lives.)

THIS WEEK'S NEWS FROM CANADA

In this week's news, hilariously, a government and specifically the Prime Minister of that government who like to make slurs against his opponents by calling them "fascists" and "Nazis"  (because he is a communist and the government there has long leaned socialist) actually invited an real Nazi, a fascist who fought for Hitler, into their official meeting and gave him a standing ovation -- twice. They were thinking about the current conflict in Ukraine. However, they have many citizens who fought against Nazism, many from Ukraine, Lithuania, Estonia, and many from Poland who well remember World War II.  They took great exception to the Parliament's invitation and honoring a Nazi. The international press noticed too. Canada's government is in a scandal. More importantly, the government has been thrice caught in tyrannous policies, violating their own Charter Rights. This may end the PM's career and I would expect an election to be called, or at the very least a shuffle in the Parliament. The Speaker resigned with apologies.

YOU ARE AHEAD WHEN YOU LEARN - IF YOUR TEACHER IS GOOD - BE THANKFUL

We could not have know about this drama when we made this episode several weeks ago. Dear listener, dear reader, feel good that you are ahead of many by learning. Please show us the love for how we have taught so selflessly for so long. Please send a thank you donation, share with your friends, and talk about these issues in civil ways. Thanks for your response.

We just answered some mother's questions about preschool curricula choices. The confusion arose because of some intended distraction fights among and between preschool educators.

Now, an even more pernicious false choice, even more intentionally caused. On the claim of needing to have diversity within the reading choices, all good literature has been banned. Good is defined as what has stood the test of time, and thus worth learning about. Further, it was replaced by tawdry, poorly written.... trash. Look, it is. Stop yelling and start thinking.

This situation in the classroom of teaching porn is heightened by the refusal to teach the classics. Diversity is great. INCLUDE female authors and authors of a variety of ethnic backgrounds or nationalities. Fine.

Reduce the book list  to only poorly written, modern books, especially on inappropriate topics, and you have ....   well, not anything worthy of being called learning. This is mis-education. And everyone knows it. That is why, instead of defending it, they get violent, first in words, then in actions, and finally in lawfare.

THINK FOR YOUR SELF.

Thanks to some young mothers in homeschooling conversations this longstanding controversy arose, reminding me of all the wasted time I have heard this argued. Children should play! No! I want them to learn. This is such a false choice. It is a trap. It is what is called a "false dichotomy" as if there are only two discrete choices. This is not true. In this case, the best is a "both-and."

In other situations, the best is something else entirely. It is not just home-school mothers who bless their hearts are just asking what is best, which way to go. I have seen educators engage silly disputes. Indeed, I have seen professors spur this on. And that is the problem. WHY is this such an issue.

New home-schoolers are just asking. But why would flocks of teacher argue about this for decades. Because it is what they were taught. Let's consider that.  But first, let's answer the moms.  Enable your child to learn while they are playing -- as far as they are considered. As long as you get your head out of the 2D world and don't obsess on making your two year old boy sit still, you have no problems. It all becomes easier when you see that.

Wrapping up our Grandmothers' prayer campaign that we were running this summer. Encouraging prayer always, of course. Explanation of the progress of prayer through the ages and how a prayer tool like this fits in. I cover several of the most popular scriptures to pray and several options for continued prayer.

Fortunately, we know that if we pray in the will of God, we will have our answers. And we do know that God wants total well-being for all children! Yay! HalleluJah!

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We have been learning many new things. The headlines are mesmerizing. Isn't that so? Now we have all discovered and had confirmed what we had suspected in the area where we were: the evil has taken over the industry, the sector of society. Whether it is doctors going along with killing patients rather than helping them, or military focusing on not winning a war, or teachers being willing to hurt children -- it is all the social structure that few are willing to contravene. But right to conscience based on the Judeo-Christian faith in something more than this here and now is what made our world great. And that hope continues. That God still reaches out his hand. Those who take hope, exercise faith, can overcome all the evil in the world.

My listeners, mostly mothers, but parents, grandparents and educators want to find solution to the learning problems their children have. Apply yourself here. Apply these solutions. Rather than being paralyzed by the word curses, the language that tells you that your child is hopeless and you must resign yourself. NO! These are not "disabilities" but "learning problems."  Learning problems have solutions, even if we must learn what they are. Diagnoses should not be death knells but instead, guidance to parents and educators how to help the child. TM

You can pay someone any amount of money, hope for the best, feel like you did what you could, and resign yourself that it was impossible if it doesn't work. Or, you could to a little investing, very little, and give it some application, and find your answer. Get the book, Learn at Home for Great Shalom at www.lulu.com.  Unique, it shows you how to consider what you child needs to learn and how to best deliver it. Then, get our *Celebrate the Victory* year long process. For sale this month only,  half price the already ridiculously low price, compared to what "providers" would charge you. Go to shop.

This is an episode from our 8 part series on manners and etiquette. Important and apparently entirely unknown among the younger set. No more important job skill. Get the series. On sale now.

About this time of year, most parents are buying new school clothes. In Texas this customer is so prevalent that this weekend is a "no tax" weekend.  So, let's consider clothing.

I will tell you that dignified and modest is better. You might want to talk about this with your children. They might surprise you.

Think: Why is it that elite school have uniforms? Why is it that rich women are likely to go in for "investment dressing"? Or did you know that? Did you think that the stars' look was what very rich women want? Or is that the ticket that some middle class women use to try to parlay themselves into upper middle class by attracting men?  Would a high earner female do the same?  Do any of these people dress trashy? Ever?

Everybody wants their friends to like what they are wearing. You, your child, is that friend. You could be the leader. I should tell you about the time my mother made me wear a one-piece bathing suit. I was mortified. No one ever ever wore those then. But the boys in my high school church youth group commented. Said all the girls should wear those. I was shocked.

What do you know? Eric Metaxas has W.O. Root on his 'cast to talk about men's clothing. Worth a listen, for sure! https://metaxastalk.com/video/o-w-root-aka-salvage-necktie-on-the-importance-of-wardrobe-and-personal-style

This is the 5th post in our summer campaign.  I hope I have encouraged everyone to pray for their progeny - and for the children of the society.

Here are the links I promised:

* Dr. Stella Immanuel MD  prayer and strategy book https://drstellamd.com/pray-for-america/

* Ed Silvoso's book *Prayer Evangelism*  https://archive.org/details/prayerevangelism00silv

* Dutch Sheets' *Give Him 15*  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAwQMhbyg04