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...

[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....

[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?

[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.

[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.

[frozenprince]

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

Trust me man, I know. The sheer and utter ineptitude of the Austin Police Force alone is enough to make you wonder just what the hell is going on and why we let these people run our state into the ground time and time again.

And man, Perry was a nutter. I'm glad that now the rest of the country knows what we always did.

[Slaxx Hatmen]

And man, Perry was a nutter. I'm glad that now the rest of the country knows what we always did.

Yup. The only catch to that is we get blamed for it.(Just like with Bush, only he wasn't even from here! )

[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

[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.

[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.

[Condottiere 40K]

It's alright; any boffins that they need, they can import in any case.

No wonder they wanted to emphasize Native American in their description, as Indian American could be somewhat confusing.

[MathiasOfAthens]

What is the point of school then?

"Mommy Daddy do I have to go to school?"

"No baby you dont have to, schools are evilz"

"Yayyyyyyyyyy!"

Police: "Why didnt you go to school?"

Kid: "Mommy and Daddy said I didnt have to".