[Vision2020] "Deficiencies in Government Schools" A Rebuttal

DonaldH675@aol.com DonaldH675@aol.com
Tue, 8 Jun 2004 04:48:06 EDT


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Visionaries:

Doug Wilson's June 7th homily on public school deficiencies <dougwils.com>=20
does not contain fresh material. Nonetheless, it is a source of continual=20
astonishment to me that Doug pontificates as though his criticism of public=20
education were:=20
1.    Original;
2.    Knowledge based;
3.    Economically disinterested; =20
4.    Not founded on false dichotomies
5.    Not based on the Logos model of exclusivity in student selection=20
       =20
While Doug provides an eight point laundry list of criticisms directed at=20
public education I will limit myself to commenting (for the moment) on only=20=
the=20
first one.  Doug says:
=20
1.    "Rootless experimentalism in teaching methodologies: for example,=20
private schools that use phonics have one hundred percent literacy coming ou=
t of=20
first grade. Whole language doesn't work well at all in teaching kids to rea=
d,=20
but it does work in creating a class of kids with learning disabilities. The=
se=20
kids then need a special program. Which, incidentally, needs to be funded."=20=
=20
=20
Doug, as usual, does not cite any source to substantiate his claims nor does=
=20
he indicate with what authority he writes. For those interested in learning=20
more about the phonics versus whole language reading debate the following=20
websites are useful: =20
http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~jar/Reading_Wars.html  and=20
http://reading.indiana.edu/ieo/bibs/wholvsph.html
=20
Of course, Doug shaped the policy that prevents a child from attending Logos=
=20
School if she/he did have significant learning or physical challenges. The=20
following material is taken from the Logos Elementary School Student/ Parent=
=20
Handbook, pg.27, 2002-2003 which I believe remains in effect.=20

January 18, 1994=20
Scope:  This policy applies to all students and teachers in all the=20
classrooms of Logos School.
Definitions:
            Severe Learning Disability:  Any condition in a potential studen=
t=20
which would require a separate classroom, program, and staff in order to=20
provide the educational services desired by the parents. E.g. Down=E2=80=99s=
 syndrome,=20
deaf/mute, blind, etc.

            Learning Disability:  Any condition in a potential student or=20
student which does not require a separate classroom, program, and staff in o=
rder=20
to provide the education services desired by the parents.  E.g. Hyperactivit=
y,=20
Attention Deficit Syndrome, dyslexia, etc.  For the purposes of this policy,=
=20
it is not important whether or not the condition was accurately diagnosed an=
d=20
is a genuine learning disability.

Guidelines:
1.         Children with a severe learning disability will not be admitted t=
o=20
Logos due to the lack of adequate staff, funding, and facilities.
2.         Children who have been diagnosed as having a learning disability=20
will be required to meet the same academic standards as all the other childr=
en=20
in their grade level.
3.         Children who have been diagnosed as having a learning disability=20
well be given as much individual instruction and encouragement as their=20
classmates. "
This loathsome statement not only reveals the stupendous ignorance and=20
bigotry  [Downs Syndrome is a "learning disability"?????] of Wilson, Inc., i=
t is=20
antithetical to Christian conduct and theology.  History offers many example=
s of=20
the rotten fruit resulting from policies of  intellectual and physical eliti=
sm=20
- none of them worthy of imitation except, apparently, at Logos. And yes,=20
once again, we see that (at least partially) it's about money.  Surely, in t=
he=20
twenty + years of Logos existence, it would have been possible to fund some=20
programs for special education students, There was/is clearly no interest in=
 doing=20
so. =20
I publicly rebuke the men who developed this policy and the men who sustain=20
it today.  Shame on all of you.  And, in particular, shame on you Doug Wilso=
n=20
for presuming to lecture anyone on education, or come to think about it, pre=
ach=20
on Christian behavior. =20
Rose Huskey
Once you lose integrity everything else is easy.

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<HTML xmlns:o =3D "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"><HEAD>
<META charset=3DUTF-8 http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; charse=
t=3DUTF-8">
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2737.800" name=3DGENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fffff=
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<DIV>
<DIV><FONT lang=3D0 face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3 PTSIZE=3D"12" FAMILY=
=3D"SERIF"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face=3DArial><FONT size=3D3=
>Visionaries:<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE:=
 10pt"><FONT face=3DArial></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE:=
 10pt"><FONT face=3DArial><FONT size=3D3>Doug Wilson's June 7th&nbsp;homily=20=
on public school deficiencies &lt;dougwils.com&gt; does not&nbsp;contain fre=
sh material.&nbsp;Nonetheless, it is a source of continual astonishment to m=
e that Doug pontificates as though his criticism of public education were:&n=
bsp;</FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE:=
 10pt"><FONT face=3DArial><FONT size=3D3>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Original;=
<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE:=
 10pt"><FONT face=3DArial><FONT size=3D3>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Knowledge=
 based;<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE:=
 10pt"><FONT face=3DArial><FONT size=3D3>3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Economica=
lly disinterested;&nbsp;&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3D3><SPAN styl=
e=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face=3DArial></FONT></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE:=
 10pt"><FONT face=3DArial size=3D3>4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Not founded on false=
 dichotomies</P></FONT></SPAN>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE:=
 10pt"><FONT face=3DArial size=3D3>5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Not based on th=
e Logos model of exclusivity in student selection&nbsp;</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE:=
 10pt"><FONT face=3DArial size=3D3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
; </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3D3>While Doug=
 provides an eight point laundry list&nbsp;of&nbsp;criticisms directed at pu=
blic education I will limit myself to commenting (for the moment) on only th=
e first one.&nbsp; Doug says:</FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE:=
 10pt"><FONT face=3DArial>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE:=
 10pt"><FONT face=3DArial>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"</FONT></SPAN><SPAN sty=
le=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face=3DArial><o:p>Rootless experimentalism in t=
eaching methodologies: for example, private schools that use phonics have on=
e hundred percent literacy coming out of first grade. Whole language doesn't=
 work well at all in teaching kids to read, but it does work in creating a c=
lass of kids with learning disabilities. These kids then need a special prog=
ram. Which, incidentally, needs to be funded."&nbsp; </o:p></FONT></SPAN></P=
>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE:=
 10pt"><FONT face=3DArial><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE:=
 10pt"><FONT face=3DArial><o:p><FONT size=3D3>Doug, as usual, does not cite=20=
any source to substantiate his claims nor does he indicate with what authori=
ty he writes. </FONT><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face=3DArial><FON=
T size=3D3>For those interested in learning more</FONT><FONT size=3D2> <FONT=
 size=3D3>about&nbsp;the phonics versus whole language reading&nbsp;debate&n=
bsp;the following websites are useful:</FONT>&nbsp; </FONT></SPAN></FONT></P=
>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE:=
 10pt"><FONT face=3DArial><A title=3Dhttp://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~jar/Reading_War=
s.html href=3D"http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~jar/Reading_Wars.html"><FONT size=3D3=
>http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~jar/Reading_Wars.html</FONT></A><FONT size=3D3>&nbs=
p; and </FONT></FONT></SPAN><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p><FONT face=
=3DArial><A title=3Dhttp://reading.indiana.edu/ieo/bibs/wholvsph.html href=
=3D"http://reading.indiana.edu/ieo/bibs/wholvsph.html"><FONT face=3DArial si=
ze=3D3>http://reading.indiana.edu/ieo/bibs/wholvsph.html</FONT></A></FONT></=
o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE:=
 10pt"><o:p><FONT size=3D3></FONT></o:p></SPAN>&nbsp;</P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE:=
 10pt"><o:p><FONT size=3D3>Of course, Doug shaped the policy that&nbsp;preve=
nts&nbsp;a child from attending&nbsp;Logos School if she/he did have signifi=
cant learning or physical challenges.&nbsp;<SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; F=
ONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-lang=
uage: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">The foll=
owing material is taken from the Logos Elementary School </SPAN><SPAN style=
=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New=
 Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-lan=
guage: AR-SA">Student/ Parent Handbook, pg.27, 2002-2003 which I believe rem=
ains in effect. </SPAN></FONT></o:p></SPAN></P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10p=
t"><o:p><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-fareast-font=
-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language:=20=
EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3D2></FONT><FO=
NT size=3D2></FONT><FONT size=3D2></FONT><FONT size=3D2></FONT><BR></SPAN></=
o:p></SPAN><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12=
pt"><FONT size=3D2><FONT size=3D3><FONT size=3D2>January 18, 1994</FONT> </F=
ONT></FONT></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE:=
 10pt"><o:p><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT size=3D2><I style=3D"mso-b=
idi-font-style: normal">Scope</I>:<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; <=
/SPAN>This policy applies to all students and teachers in all the classrooms=
 of<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp;Logos School.</SPAN></FONT></SPAN=
><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT size=3D2><BR></FONT></SPAN></o:p></SP=
AN><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FON=
T size=3D2><I style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Definitions</I>:<BR><SPA=
N style=3D"mso-tab-count: 1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </SPAN>Severe Learning Disability:<SPAN style=3D"mso-spa=
cerun: yes">&nbsp; </SPAN>Any condition in a potential student which would r=
equire a separate classroom, program, and staff in order to provide the educ=
ational services desired by the parents. <I style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: no=
rmal">E.g</I>. Down=E2=80=99s syndrome, deaf/mute, blind, <I style=3D"mso-bi=
di-font-style: normal">etc</I>.<BR></FONT></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE:=
 10pt"><o:p><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE:=
 12pt"><FONT size=3D2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbs=
p; Learning Disability:<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </SPAN>Any c=
ondition in a potential student or student which does not require a separate=
 classroom, program, and staff in order to provide the education services de=
sired by the parents.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </SPAN><I styl=
e=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal">E.g</I>. Hyperactivity, Attention Deficit=20=
Syndrome, dyslexia, etc.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </SPAN>For=20=
the purposes of this policy, it is not important whether or not the conditio=
n was accurately diagnosed and is a genuine learning disability.</FONT></SPA=
N></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE:=
 10pt"><o:p><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT size=3D2><BR></FONT></SPAN=
><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT size=3D2>Guidelines:<BR>1. <SPAN styl=
e=3D"mso-tab-count: 1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </SPAN>Chi=
ldren with a severe learning disability will not be admitted to Logos due to=
 the lack of adequate staff, funding, and facilities.<BR>2.<SPAN style=3D"ms=
o-tab-count: 1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </SPAN>Chil=
dren who have been diagnosed as having a learning disability will be require=
d to meet the <I style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal">same </I>academic sta=
ndards as all the other children in their grade level.<BR>3.<SPAN style=3D"m=
so-tab-count: 1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </SPAN>Chi=
ldren who have been</FONT> <FONT size=3D2>diagnosed as having a learning dis=
ability well be given as much individual instruction and encouragement as th=
eir classmates</FONT>. "</SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt">This loathsome statement not only reveals=
 the stupendous ignorance and bigotry &nbsp;[Downs Syndrome is a "learning d=
isability"?????] of Wilson, Inc., it is antithetical to Christian conduct an=
d theology.&nbsp; History offers many examples of the rotten fruit resulting=
 from policies of&nbsp;&nbsp;intellectual and physical elitism - none of the=
m worthy of imitation except, apparently, at Logos. And yes, once&nbsp;again=
, we see that (at least partially) it's&nbsp;about money.&nbsp; Surely, in t=
he&nbsp;twenty + years of Logos existence, it would have been possible to fu=
nd some programs for special education students,&nbsp;</SPAN><SPAN style=3D"=
FONT-SIZE: 12pt">There was/is clearly no interest in doing so.</SPAN><SPAN s=
tyle=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt">&nbsp; </SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt">I=20=
publicly rebuke the men who developed this policy and&nbsp;the men who susta=
in it today.&nbsp; Shame on all of you.&nbsp;&nbsp;And, in particular, shame=
 on you Doug Wilson for presuming to lecture anyone on education, or come to=
 think about it, preach on Christian behavior.&nbsp; </SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Ro=
se Huskey<BR></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></o:p></FONT></SPAN></FONT><FONT lang=3D0 s=
ize=3D3 PTSIZE=3D"12" FAMILY=3D"SERIF">Once you lose integrity everything el=
se is easy.</FONT></P></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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