1. Politics of Education
1.1. Conservative
1.1.1. Decline of Standards: Conservative Perspective argue that in response for greater equality, liberals and radicals lowered academic standards.
1.1.2. Decline of Cultural Literacy: Conservative Perspective argue that liberals and radicals watered down the traditional curriculum in response to a multicultural education.
1.1.3. Accountability measures for both schools and students--minimum standards for what students should learn and skills to possess at specific grade levels.
1.1.4. Free market mechanisms.
1.1.5. Traditional academic curriculum (history, literature, canon of Western civilization).
1.1.6. Return to basics: strengthening of literacy skills and other traditional learning.
1.2. Traditional Vision
1.2.1. I believe that education should include strengthening of literacy skills. Accountability measures should be in place for students as well as teachers. The vision of school should be traditional. Hard work and individual initiative are characteristics that have not been taught in our school systems as they should.
1.2.2. Traditional Vision: The schools are necessary to the transmission of "traditional" values of the U.S. society. This includes, but not limited to, hard work, family unity, and individual initiative.
2. History of U.S. Education
2.1. Reform Movement: Traditional
2.1.1. Also supported discipline and authority in education, in the defense of academic standards "in the name of excellence."
2.1.2. I support this reform because I believe that education should be available to everyone, but also insist that it should be earned. Education is not something that individuals automatically deserve. Education should require work.
2.1.3. Supports the idea that education is something that individuals need to work towards. Education should be seen as a goal to reach through hard work and commitment, not something that is deserved without perseverance.
2.1.4. Supported knowledge-centered and teacher centered education along with subject-centered curriculum.
2.2. Interpretation: Conservative Perspective
2.2.1. Argues that curriculum has been watered down to support skills over curriculum
2.2.2. Critics blamed the "progressive" educational ideas for lowering academic goals in place of social goals