-=> On 11-14-97  23:15, Robert Plett did testify and affirm <=-
-=> to Robert Craft concerning education beauracrac <=-
 
 RC> RP> And to decide, both you and the Court must define it and
 RC> RP> set specific standards.
 
 RC> I've already shown the contrary. To require that one attend
 RC> school thru age 16 and that the high school course consist
 RC> of 4 years English, 3 years mathematics, 3 years science
 RC> and 1 year each American and World history in no way
 RC> dictates content nor standards.
 RP> English, math, science, and history aren't content?
No, Robert, they're subjects.
 RP> How interesting.  And how is it that it is shown children
 RP> have been educated in those things, lest someone be accused
 RP> and convicted of child abuse? 
Pop quizzes are child abuse? How droll.
 RP> You know how - by testing knowledge of content.  How does
 RP> one test knowledge of content and conclude the results
 RP> represent an adequate education or lack thereof without the
 RP> use of standards, hmmmm? 
Because the government - state or federal - isn't the one
who sets the standards or the grades. Standards and grading
criteria are set by the school board and PTA. 
 RP> You're sounding a lot like the Affirmative Action folks who
 RP> say it isn't quotas they seek, but can't determine
 RP> compliance without them. 
::sigh:: Try reading what I write, not what you want me to
have written. The state I grew up in - Illinois - dictated
only the minimum number of quarters of specific subjects I
must take to graduate. The content and slant of the course,
textbooks, the grading standards AND the standards for
graduation were determined by the local school board and
PTA. Since my parents were active in the PTA and even
served on the school board, it's quite clear that the
predominate influence in my primary and secondary education
was that of my parents, and their friends and neighbors. 
 RP> Incidentally, you earlier condemned the parents of a 12
 RP> year old girl because a newspaper story, I think it was,
 RP> said she couldn't read. 
She didn't even know her ABC's. She'd been confined in a
single room since birth. Her three siblings were all
allowed to attend school. 
 RP> I'm wondering - was this an Amish or Old Order Mennonite
 RP> girl? 
No. Neither of those sects would condone such treatment.
 RP> If so, do you suppose it occurred to anyone to determine
 RP> whether or not she could read German? 
She speaks English and she doesn't know her ABC's, in any
language. She was the abused sibling - a pattern which is
unfutunately all too common. One child out of a group of
siblings becomes the "target" - the abused child - while
other siblings are treated normally. 
... After tax day, a fool and your money are soon partners.
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