Elsewhere in the document, the platform stipulates that “[e]very Republican is responsible for implementing this platform.”
Note: Oops!
Send your comments and questions to the story links, to the Texas Republican Party at info@texasgop.org, to State Rep. Jason Isaac (R-Hays County) at campaign@jasonisaac.com, to Isaac's November general election opponent Democrat John Adams (Dripping Springs) at join@johnadamsforstaterep.com, or click on the "comments" at the bottom of the post
From TPM Muckraker
By Eric Lach
Posted Friday June 29
Read the full story
The Republican Party of Texas’ recently adopted 2012 platform contains a plank that opposes the teaching of “critical thinking skills” in schools. The party says it was a mistake, but is now stuck with the plank until the next state convention in 2014.
The plank in question, on “Knowledge-Based Education,” reads as follows:
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.
Elsewhere in the document, the platform stipulates that “[e]very Republican is responsible for implementing this platform.”
Contacted by TPM on Thursday, Republican Party of Texas (RPT) Communications Director Chris Elam said the “critical thinking skills” language made it into the platform by mistake . . ."
[More from Education Week: "the Texas Republicans go on to state that they "oppose mandatory pre-school and Kindergarten." And, in a statement that human rights groups (and many others) will find difficult to stomach, the platform says, "We recommend that local school boards and classroom teachers be given more authority to deal with disciplinary problems. Corporal punishment is effective and legal in Texas."]
14 comments:
I am sorry, because I know some of my friends and neighbors identify as Republicans, but your party is getting increasingly hard for thinking people to understand.
I don't want you getting involved in a woman's right to choose whether to have a baby or not, and this matter was settled long ago, because as Americans, we fought to wipe out dangerous, illegal abortions. Just because a woman has sex, does not mean she has to become a mother. This is every woman's personal decision, not yours, not the Republican Party and not Mitt Romney's. This is frankly NONE of your damn business and the sooner you recognize that fact, the better for us all.
And another thing, this attack on public education your Grand Old Party is mounting is just stupid and will create a generation of stupid Americans if allowed to continue. Only people with money will be able to educate their children and you may demonize poverty all you want, and even feel that poor people deserve what they get, but do you really think their children deserve to be permanent second-class citizens? Remember, these "kids" will someday be your next-door neighbors and your employees and co-workers, do you really want them uneducated?
If nothing else, think of yourself (I knew that wouldn't be difficult) and the kind of society you want to live in: one with bright, informed people or one with people who believe everything they are told and who follow orders? Critical thinking is crucial and whether it makes you end up thinking differently from your parents, then so be it. Isn't that what growing up is all about?
And while I am at it, would you Republicans please stop trying to make sure that again, only the rich and the employed can have access to health care? Again, this is easily a rational self-interest problem as who wants sick and injured people littering your lovely landscape? When everyone is well-cared-for, we are all better off.
When there is minimal wealth disparity, your home and property are safer from theft, when people can get medical care when they need it, our work force is stronger and you are less likely to catch something from sick folks. And when each child born is a child wanted by their parents, then the whole society benefits in countless ways: better mental health, better income management and families who are more in control of their lives and destinies.
Freedom is what I hear you people talk about, so how about giving us all the freedom to choose a healthy life where everyone has a fair shake at the good life? Please, my Republican neighbors, stop being so short-sighted and selfish and try to think beyond your religious or personal beliefs and realize that we are not all you, nor would be want to be you.
Please, have all the babies you want, but don't make us have babies we don't want, when we don't want them. Stop denying us equal access to quality health care and stop trying to return the American educational system to a for-profit model and America into something that resembles a Charles Dickens novel.
I was revving up for a comment, but I think "Jasper" said it all. And then some.
Remember that for every Dollar of Obamacare "Entitlement", $0.42 will be borrowed from the... Chinese. We are enslaving future generations with debt and the Chinese will be our Masters.
Don't be a Julia!
I am more concerned about what the American Tea Party can inflict on me and mine and my country, than the Chinese! Get real dude.
@Gunsmoke, Too bad Greece, Spain and Italy don't have a Tea Party, They are doing Wonderful with their versions of Obamacare and Socialist Lifestyles.
Piss off anonymous. The Tea Party is nothing more than a rebirth of Mussolini's National Fascist Party on American soil. Screw em
The Tea Party is a bunch of angry white people who still cannot believe a black person is heading this country and so selfish and shortsighted that they would rob the future of an education, health care and a clean environment while living off of America's best experiment in socialism: Social Security and Medicare.
"Critical thinking skills", anyone?
The good thing about the Tea Party is there are almost no young people involved in it, so if we can limit how much more damage these grumpy old people do, the future promises to be much better.
@Gunsmoke: Thanks for the laugh. I've found a whole new reason to appreciate the 2nd Amendment.
I guess the truth hurts, When the young people realize that the "Old People" are borrowing money from them for SS, Medicare, Obozocare, Free Phones, Free Housing, Illegal Immigrant benefits, Free Tuition, Free Food, Free Transportation etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc... They will wonder why they should work also, They will buy into the Low Life Lifestyle and the Liberals will have more couch potatoe voters to keep them in power. If the young people are raised correctly ( By their Parents not the Progressive Village) they will want to use their Parent instilled work ethic and pursuit of happiness to reach their dreams. Hopefully their will be enough "Old People" with money left that have started small businessed to employ these young people. If their is not enough money left for small businesses to start and proper these young people will be left with the bill from the Progressives with no ability to pay it off. They will be/ are screwed.
Last anonymous forgot to add that young people will wonder why they ever worked a day in their lives when they realize republicans have been borrowing from them to subsidize Big Oil, Big Coal, Big Drug Makers, Big Finance, Big Money, Big Propaganda and Big Lies, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc....
Big Oil, Big Coal, Big Drug Makers, Big Finance, Big Money, Big Propaganda and Big Lies, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc...., You mean all of the above that have been creating Jobs and Opportunities? While also generating Tax Dollars for Liberals wet dreams?
This helps explain so many things about the vocal anti-community, anti-science, anti-public education, anti-conservation citizens who routinely say awful things that other people truly do not understand.
These people are living in the past and are made very insecure that the world has changed.
http://www.alternet.org/story/156071/conservative_southern_values_revived%3A_how_a_brutal_strain_of_american_aristocrats_have_come_to_rule_america/
You lovers of corporate control, please go ahead and suck on Big Oil's tit and poison yourself and your family with its wastes.
But get the hell out of my way while I try to stop paying for and consuming the poisonous wastes of our consumer culture that is making fools of us all.
I will not stand idly by while the status quo is rammed down our throats. Not another minute.
So lick your masters' boots, but don't try to call it an ice cream cone.
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