The Texas GOP stance on education

[Tyrone]

Here is a portion of their "education" platform.

Knowledge-Based Education – 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.

They want to get rid of critical thinking! Critical thinking is a skill that's needed for almost....everything. I can't possibly think of why they want to get rid of critical thinking. I know they say students will challenge their beliefs (isn't that the ing point!?) and their parents, but I think they just don't want people from challenging what the government says in the future.

And if you don't believe me here is a link to their platform:
http://s3.amazonaws.com/texasgop_pre...form-Final.pdf

And their site:
http://convention.texasgop.org/

[Col. Tartleton]

Critical Theory is the root of Marxism.

It's been shown in studies that focusing on Critical Thinking tends to make people less educated, not more erudite.

It's better you learn things in school rather than learn to not believe them...

[Tyrone]

Critical Theory is the root of Marxism.

MARXISM! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

I'm sure multiple studies have shown that to be true as well?

[YuriVII]

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

So uhhh any other fellow Austinites out there wanna go use our critical thinking skills on the state capitol?

[frozenprince]

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

So uhhh any other fellow Austinites out there wanna go use our critical thinking skills on the state capitol?

Man I wish I was still there

My friends in Round Rock are losing their damn minds over this. Of course having lived through the Rick Perry administration, this is nothing new.

[YuriVII]

Rick Perry wouldn't mind if we arsoned the capital. He could then rent an office in Westlake Hills for 10,000 dollars month with tax payer money just like he is doing with the governors mansion. Governor's mansion is still not repaired and the arsonist still not found. These are the types of people who run Texas and this is their education platform.

@DimeBagHo

I did not really know what OBE was before this article came out, but I do know that Texas is infamous for "teaching to the test" Which from reading the article seems what OBE is about. Which I think does more harm than good and limits critical thinking. If they want to get rid of teaching by the test than I might actually be for it. But all in all I think Texas Education system will continue to suck because of a societal attitude of anti-intellectualism which is strong in the USA and also quite strong in Texas. Either way, Texas schools dont really teach their children "how to think" anyways. I see so many people who can barely read in their mid-20s, its actually quite an embarrassment. I do not think the reason that is, is because they adopted OBE in 1991.

[King Gambrinus]

Critical Theory is the root of Marxism.

It's been shown in studies that focusing on Critical Thinking tends to make people less educated, not more erudite.

It's better you learn things in school rather than learn to not believe them...

This is quite possibly the most ridiculous argument I've ever seen in the Mudpit. It's almost sig worthy.




I think it's time we bring out our Dead Poet Society dvds ...

[Claudius Gothicus]

Critical Theory is the root of Marxism.

Critical thinking =/= Critical Theory.

Critical Thinking means, basically, examination of reality through the corroboration of facts asking ''why does this happen?'' and then conclusively examining the underlying processes through empirical and logical reasoning. To critique reality is to examine it without falling into simplism and reductionism, learning about the genetic code is a form of Critical Thinking.

Critical Theory is too large to be explained, but let's say that it's not the same as Critical Thinking.

[Vítor Gaspar]

Critical Theory is the root of Marxism.

It's been shown in studies that focusing on Critical Thinking tends to make people less educated, not more erudite.

It's better you learn things in school rather than learn to not believe them...

What the man.

[motiv-8]

Critical Theory is the root of Marxism.

Really? Could have sworn it was dialectical materialism. But what is this, some kind of inverse Godwin's Law? How absurd.

It's been shown in studies that focusing on Critical Thinking tends to make people less educated, not more erudite.

http://www.cracked.com/article_18458...:-as-fact.html
Says the one using one of the most well-known weasel words to manipulate truth. Thankfully using critical thinking skills I was able to sniff out this bull-.

It's better you learn things in school rather than learn to not believe them...

Well, having no idea what critical thinking is might indeed be the culprit.

One would have thought that advocating an education which teaches you to think for yourself and draw conclusions from evidence and logic rather than what your parents or some authority tells you is right, which the line "undermining parental authority" implies, would be common sense AND in line with American concepts of liberty, but wow some people really do want to bang on the Orwellian drum don't they.

[Imperial]

Tyrone, I don't think you understand political pandering to a certain side is.

Their controversial theories part kinda contradicts the knowledge-based education.

[Celsius]

Texas has an education system????

Well I never....

[DimeBagHo]

As far as I can tell this has nothing to do with critical thinking skills as such. What this looks like is just another round of disagreement over Outcome Based Education, which is mostly a theory about how to measure academic performance.

[motiv-8]

As far as I can tell this has nothing to do with critical thinking skills as such. What this looks like is just another round of disagreement over Outcome Based Education, which is mostly a theory about how to measure academic performance.

Actually it pretty concisely declares that critical thinking skills as an education tool should be rejected because they're "just a relabeling" of OBE, which is wrong and absurd when combined with the implicit idea that 'parental authority' and 'fixed beliefs' (what school-aged child already has 'fixed beliefs' anyway?) are more important than thinking critically.

[Imperial]

Say what you want about Texas, but I would want them on my side if Civil War ever broke out.

A group of researchers led by Professor Todd Humphreys from the University of Texas at Austin Radionavigation Laboratory recently succeeded in raising the eyebrows of the US government. With just around $1,000 in parts, Humphreys’ team took control of an unmanned aerial vehicle operated by the US Department of Homeland Security

http://now.msn.com/now/0628-drone-hack.aspx

[Admiral Piett]

I'm your huckleberry, Yuri.

[Sir Winston Churchill]

Here's what they're saying, "We don't want education to possibly make students question their religion."

In other words, thought-control. You are not allowed to believe differently. You are not allowed to be exposed to anything that may make you do so. You will listen to whatever you parents tell you, even if it's like the Jews are the root of all evil and must be destroyed, and you will like it.

I hate the idea there are children right now not being allowed to think. I mean, how dare they! Texas, if a trend like this is continued, will be an American North Korea.

[Exarch]

so long as they don't incorporate christian bull about intelligent design, i'm fine with almost anything they have.

[MathiasOfAthens]

so long as they don't incorporate christian bull about intelligent design, i'm fine with almost anything they have.

This is a way to sneak it in since eliminating critical thinking makes them more willing to accept their parents crazy belief systems.

[Imperial]

This is a way to sneak it in since eliminating critical thinking makes them more willing to accept their parents crazy belief systems.

lol

You can't eliminate critical thinking from somone. You act as if the Republicans have some kind of device that can go into peoples brains and change their cognitive process.