The Problem With Education Is Educators

Teachers are real good at reinforcing self-worth. Step out of line--the approved OEA/NEA line--and you will find yourself being ridiculed for having different views than those that are approved. Disagree with the prevailing winds of political correctness? Well, sorry sonny, you've just engaged in bullying behavior. Educators are very good at instilling political correctness. Not so good at math and science, but is that really the goal of education?

Oregon State University CLA Dean Larry Rodgers, B.A., M.A., Ph.D. English:

“CLA takes its foundational teaching role very seriously. Every student in the university takes our classes. But if you take a more specific area like climate change, you find that while scientists have strong, data-based research validating disturbing planetary trends, the move to public action has been a tough sell. Why? I would say that we haven’t yet found a persuasive public narrative that translates solid science into policy and policy into action. How to achieve buy-in is where CLA needs to be a world-changer. We teach our students how to communicate, how to think deeply and ethically about tough issues, about the responsibilities of citizenship. I strongly believe that our ability to address an issue like climate change lies in how well we use these kinds of skills.”

No need to worry about precision. No need to question. Think deeply and ethically about tough issues. That's all. (The voice in my head was Ralph Henshaw's, "That's all, I didn't mean to kill 'im.")

The purpose of the State? To do good. To help us achieve the Vision!™ That we haven't established Ecotopia yet is a sign that we haven't addressed the issue of communication, not that the ideas implicit in Ecotopia are either impractical, or worse, juvenile. We need "buy-in."

How practical is that? Here are some announcements that have come across my desk recently:

Oregon Arts Commission Awards Opportunity Grants to Oregon Artists. $12,839.00.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is soliciting public comments on reporting protocols for facilities and businesses required to report their annual greenhouse gas emissions. DEQ is updating the reporting protocols to conform with recent amendments to Oregon’s greenhouse gas reporting rules and to conform with new federal reporting requirements. (Cost to government and to business? Left unsaid.)

At their monthly meeting, the Commissioners of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission voted unanimously in favor of beginning the rulemaking process in regard to an alcohol impact area in Downtown Portland. (No word why the State is dealing with a city issue. But I don't think this will be costless. No budget numbers were supplied.)

The Oregon Department of Transportation is seeking input from the public on 85 projects from around the state under consideration for funding through the Transportation Enhancement program. The Transportation Enhancement (TE) program provides federal funds for projects that strengthen the cultural, aesthetic and environmental value of the transportation system, such as bicycle facilities, historic preservation and archaeological research. Projects that have advanced to the public comment phase represent about $92 million.

The Oregon Environmental Justice Task Force has received a National Achievements in Environmental Justice Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for effectively implementing Oregon's environmental justice legislation and incorporating environmental justice considerations into state agency programs. (No mention about the increased costs to the private sector that led to "winning" such a prestigious award. Remember, we need to achieve buy-in.)

Oregon has moved up a notch, from sixth highest unemployment, to fifth. How to achieve buy-in. Oh, we'll just rely upon our schools. Merry Christmas!