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Ralph Nader on Education
"We call for equitable state and national funding of school education and the creation of schools controlled by parent-teacher governing bodies."
Green Party Platform, as ratified at the National Convention Jun 25, 2000
"The United States stands now as the richest overall richest nation in the history of the world," claimed Nader's campaign literature. "There is no excuse for not smartly investing sufficient resources in education - an investment which, incidentally, pays off for society in narrow monetary terms"
While sharply attacking the accountability requirements of No Child Left Behind, the 2004 Nader campaign continued to attack the effects of consumerism on children and commercialism in school.
"The Nader Campaign," a press release stated "opposes the over-reliance on high stakes standardized tests included in the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, commonly known as 'No Child Left Behind.'"
"There is no excuse for not smartly investing sufficient resources in education - an investment which, incidentally, pays off for society in narrow monetary terms"
"Many schools are now met with fiscal emergencies, and educate children with crumbling infrastructure, old texts, and beleaguered teachers. This is a national tragedy. Public schools deserve adequate funding."
Nader wants to abandon not only the standardized testing both Bush and Gore endorse, but to radically refocus schools. Students “should learn, as the core curriculum, developing civic skills, learning how to practice democracy,” he said, “and the arithmetic, reading and writing will be a byproduct.
Boston Globe, page D1 Oct 8, 2000, by Scot Lehigh
He opposes, for instance, exposing public-school students to "the tyranny of standardized testing." Nader calls the use of such performance measures "a serious, silent kind of psychological violence."
“The tyranny of standardized testing is becoming the be-all and do-all for principals and teachers and school districts. It is distorting the whole curriculum…. [Standardized tests] don't recognize multiple intelligences. They don't recognize the assets that people have that spell success in life. Do they measure determination? Do they measure stamina, creativity, idealism, wisdom, judgment, experience? They don't.... And now they're becoming a yoke on our school system where school districts, principals, teachers all measured by test scores and guess who develops these tests? Corporate consulting firms who have their eye on the public school system of America in order to corporatize them.”
It [The Green Party] rejects privatization and vouchers that pay for students to attend private schools. The platform contends that vouchers for private schools will not only drain money away from public schools and create a "seperate and unequal education system."
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding education: [Did NOT indicate support] e) Allow teachers and professionals to receive authorization and funding to establish charter schools.
There is no public record of Ralph Nader speaking on "creationism in schools". His campaign has been contacted in an attempt to obtain his position on this issue, but has thus far failed to respond to our repeated requests. You can contact the campaign at: http://www.votenader.org/contact/.
Nader wants the federal government to give black Americans financial reparations to compensate for the suffering of black slaves before the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation. Just think what that would do for domestic tranquility. He also wants to leave affirmative action intact, he says, to counteract "300 years of affirmative action to benefit white males."
"Supports affirmative action policies"
"The federal government must not impose an overemphasis on high-stakes standardized tests. Such testing has a negative impact on student learning, curriculum and teaching by resulting in excessive time devoted to narrow test participation, de-enrichment of the curriculum, false accountability, equity and cultural bias, excessive use of financial resources for testing among other problems."
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding education: [Did NOT indicate support] g) Support teacher testing and reward teachers with merit pay.
There is no public record of Ralph Nader speaking on "school prayer". His campaign has been contacted in an attempt to obtain his position on this issue, but has thus far failed to respond to our repeated requests. You can contact the campaign at: http://www.votenader.org/contact/.
"Our schools don't teach chemistry without a laboratory nor cooking without a kitchen; schools must also teach students to be citizens using the natural laboratory of the community." To that end, Nader's “Civic Curriculum” suggests a series of citizenship activities that classes can undertake…and explains both the institutional barriers to citizen participation (campaign finances, media access, etc.) and common techniques of citizen participation in democracy (direct action, citizen lobbying, research, initiative and referendum, etc.).”
"There need to be courses on public advocacy, on propaganda, on public leadership, on public whistle-blowing (under what conditions you blow the whistle on a corporate or government organization you are in and what are your protections). That’s just a part of an overall curriculum expansion that I would like Princeton to adopt someday, which is to develop a Department of Civic Practice."