Obama's Indoctrination 101, According To Santorum



politico.com

Presidential campaigns have always astonished me with the facts, figures, statistics and numbers that are tossed around by candidates.  One never is quite sure which statistics, numbers, facts and figures are accurate.  Organizations that fact-check such information generally rule that most of these numbers, statistics and facts are misleading, filled with half-truths and less than accurate.  The American people have become accustomed to hearing this information every four years and generally believe the numbers that their candidate put forth as the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.  In addition to using numbers to share a story, candidates have a great propensity for inventing perceptions of their opponents views and plans.    

This past week saw this very approach by Rick Santorum, Republican Presidential candidate, as he put forth the reason for President Obama wanting more young people to attend college.  He claims Obama wants more young people to go to college so that they can undergo indoctrination to a secular world view.  His actual words, "I understand why Barack Obama wants to send every kid to college, because of their indoctrination mills, absolutely...The indoctrination that is going on at the university level is a harm to our country."

Throughout an hour long interview with radio host, Glenn Beck, Santorum proclaimed many of his social views which have been well-documented over the last week.  His view of education, specifically his perception of what he calls Obama's secular world view is just too fascinating.  Santorum claims that over 60% of young people who attend college with a faith commitment leave college without it.  What Santorum claims is that President Obama wants kids to attend college so that they leave behind their Christian faith.

No mention of the President wanting more young people to gain an education and be prepared for a professional life.  No mention of  achievement.  No mention of  a degree.  No, President Obama wants our young people to lose their Christian faith by attending our universities.  Who really can believe such nonsense?  Does Santorum really believe such poppycock?   It is difficult for me to consider his candidacy for the Presidency when he shares such dribble. 

Santorum and his wife, Karen, are solid believers in home-schooling.  He commented to Beck, "The federal government needs to get out of education.  The state government by and large needs to get out of education, other than making sure there are sufficient resources, particularly in poorer neighborhoods, to be able to help some sort of equality of education in America..to have the resources to have the best customized education."

Does he really believe that all of our children across this great nation of ours would have an equal opportunity in education to grow, to learn and to excel without some level of governmental direction and regulation?  Does he really believe that colleges and universities have as one of their primary missions the devaluing of Christianity?   He is free as we all our to choose to home-school our children.  Given all of his recent social stances, home schooling in the Santorum home would not be the education I would choose for my child.          

Dropout Factories Targeted In Obama's 2013 Education Budget

educated nation.com

President Barack Obama  has put forth the challenge to all Americans, "Let us all make turning around our schools our collective responsibility as Americans."  An ambitious goal considering the budget cuts, spending restraints and debt facing our federal and state governments.   It is clear however, that the only way our nation will ever overcome the dependence on some of our entitlement programs and effectively compete with other nations, is to invest, invest and invest in education.  Obama's 2013 budget does just that.    

President Obama has targeted approximately 1,600 high schools that account for nearly 50% of our nation's high school dropouts.  Keeping kids in school is a high priority within Obama's 2013 budget and a major cornerstone of the Blueprint for Reform of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.  (ESEA)

"These dropout factories" as the President has referred to them, account for about 10% of all high schools across the United States.  Two-thirds of all minority dropout students attend these dropout factories.  Unless you reside in one of these communities, you can only imagine the devastating consequences for these communities including eroding home values, unemployment, crime and hopelessness. 

Two of the programs contained in ESEA include the GEAR UP and TRIO programs.  GEAR UP serves middle school students providing awareness activities designed to keep students on the path toward higher education.  TRIO which includes the Upward Bound and Talent Search programs, focuses on high school students , specifically lower-income and students from families with no college background not only the access but pathways toward success in higher education.

Additionally, funds are designated for turnaround grants to help poor-performing schools to implement activities and opportunities that will result in dramatic improvement in student performance.  The College Pathways and Accelerated Learning program will focus on accelerated college-level courses for both middle and high school students from low-income families.  This program is designed to take those students who are perceived to be low achievers and candidates for dropping out but who are in fact not challenged by the existing curriculum.      

Promise Neighborhoods, College and Career Ready Students, Investing In Innovations are all programs designed to aggressively combat dropout rates by providing services, opportunities and investments to build achievement, performance and ultimate grow graduation levels.  Changing outcomes is the priority with each of these programs. 

As a nation, we must make education of our young people are number one priority.  Failure to do so will only result in more youth dropping out of school and our nation falling behind other nations of the world.    These dreadful statistics of our dropout factories should alarm each and every American citizen.  As President Obama said, "It is time for all of us, no matter what our backgrounds, to come together and solve this epidemic".    

Obama's Message - Teachers Matter - Students Matter

President Obama has been slowing but surely communicating his education plans since the State of the Union address where he spent a significant amount of time addressing our nation's educational challenges.  His comments included, "Teachers matter.  So instead of bashing them, or defending the status quo; let's offer schools a deal.  Give them the resources to keep good teachers on the job, and reward the best ones.  In return, grant schools flexibility.  To teach with creativity and passion; to stop teaching to the test; and to replace teachers who just aren't helping kids learn."

Stop bashing teachers.  It is true that teachers have continually come under attack from politicians and parents.  The teacher has been the fall guy for years.  Politicians play the education card all the time in hopes of speaking to what middle-class parents are most concerned about, their children's education.  Parents find fault all the time with individual teachers gaining most of their information through anecdotes from their children and other parents.  Not usually a great source of evaluation.  Obama spoke of creating a competitive environment that incentivizes teacher effectiveness.

We know that such incentives work and have propelled some schools to much better results.  Obama's keeping kids in school until they graduate or reach the age of 18 is a noble goal for sure.  Realistically, it is difficult to achieve for a whole host of reasons.  The Education Department reports that "we're losing a million students from our schools to our streets each year."  Certainly a disheartening statistic and one that should be countered with programs designed to encourage kids to stay until graduation. 

Obama's example of business and education partnering together to educate, train and employ was a great story.  Unlike teaching to the test, this business-education partnership results in well-trained employees ready to step into jobs.  This model should be employed in every technical school in America with incentives for employers to participate and benefit from it. 

Finally, the President made it clear that he wanted to extend tuition tax credits to American families.  He noted the high cost of undergraduate education stating, "So let me put colleges and universities on notice:  If you can't stop tuition from going up, the funding you get from taxpayers will go down."  This challenge has not gone unnoticed in academia as I have received two separate communiqués from the universities I attended regarding what they are doing to keep costs down and in line.

Education is clearly on the President's agenda.  The question becomes one of funding and priorities.  Like every election year, 2012 should bring the education of our children to the forefront.