Here is entry in my book regarding Montgomery County Plan, 1946, which I discussed during interview last night.
Reauthorization of ESEA is final chapter of this plan. Nothing new. Maybe we should forward this email to our elected officials!
Enjoy!
Excerpts taken from Appendix I, the deliberate dumbing down of america...A Chronological Paper Trail, 1999, out of print, but available as free download atwww.deliberatedumbingdown.com .
(Updated/abridged 2011 version available at Amazon.com)
Community-Centered Schools: The Blueprint, Montgomery County, Maryland Schools, as proposed by Dr. Nicholaus L. Englehardt and Associates, Consultants, and written by Dr. Walter D. Cocking (New York City: April 1, 1946). This was probably the most important blueprint for the nation, although The Hawaii Master Plan [see 1969] certainly follows in its footsteps. Dr. Paul Mort’s statement below is right on target. It took exactly fifty years to implement “The Blueprint” in every school of the nation. Letter of transmittal states:
[The] program should be put into operation gradually… and Dr. Paul Mort and others have accumulated evidence which shows a period of almost fifty years between the establishment of need (need assessment, etc.) and the school programs geared to meet it. If the school as an agency of society is to justify itself for the period ahead of us, it must be accepted that its fundamental function is to serve the people of the entire community, the very young children, the children of middle years, early adolescent youth, older youth and the adults as well.
The task of the teacher of the future is a greatly different task than that which teachers usually performed in the past. The fundamental equipment expected of the teacher of yesterday was knowledge of the subject he taught. Modern education demands teachers who are acquainted by experience as well as by study with our democratic society and who participate actively in the life of the community. They have a broad cultural background and an understanding of world conditions.
Teacher educational institutions have not prepared teachers to do these things. Prior emphasis has been upon subject matter and method. The Blueprint goes on to list the major purposes of a total instructional program “of benefit to the entire community.” Under “The Educational Program” one finds:
continuing and improving the teaching of the cultures of the past; developing the ability to communicate effectively; developing the ability to think; developing desirable personality and character traits; discovering and developing worthwhile interests; developing respect for others, or intercultural relations; protecting and promoting health; developing wholesome home and family life (Other agencies must accept at least some of the responsibilities formerly borne by the family. The school must study the problem intensively. It must experiment.); developing wholesome habits and understanding of work; good members of society cannot be developed if they are ignorant of work and what goes into it. In the years which lie ahead, it would appear that the school is the only agency which society has which can be expected to accept this responsibility.
IT MUST BE DONE. [emphasis in the original]developing understanding of economic principles and forces (Emphasis must be placed upon the economic principles and forces which are operating at that time rather than upon those of the past.); developing consumer competence… schools of the future must do much about such things; developing vocational competence; developing social and civic competence—understand obligations as a member of the group;… and to give wholeheartedly and unselfishly service to his local, state, national and world government; developing understanding of, and skill in, the democratic way of life; developing knowledge, understanding of, and skill in, the creative arts; developing understanding of, and skill in, wholesome and worthwhile leisure activities (Much depends upon people discovering and practicing worthwhile leisure pursuits.); developing a well-rounded emotional life with particular attention to moral and spiritual needs. (A well-balanced emotional life is the final test of a well-educated person. It is our belief that all people are religious, that religion finds expression in many different ways. We do not believe in America that they should teach any particular kind or type of religion.)
Under “The Service Program” one finds Health and Medical Services. (In the school of the future, provision must be made not only for children enrolled but to all people, young and old.) The list is endless and includes the following cradle-through-grave services: recreational, library, guidance and counseling, child care, demonstration and experimental services, planning and research, employment, audiovisual, social welfare, group meeting place, character-building services. The Plan [Blueprint] states further:
The end results are that the school makes itself indispensable to all phases of community life. In the future development of school programs, the service program will receive increasing emphasis until the school becomes in fact the agency to which all the people in the community turn for assistance."
