Anthony Cody notes that Glen Beck brought his tirade against the Common Core to parents in 700 theaters. A critic described him as the Music Man, trying to sell his wares to a gullible public.
Cody says: “The funny thing is that Common Core itself is being sold by yet another version of Professor Hill, in the form of billionaire Bill Gates.”
Cody writes:
“While Beck warns about the dangers of big government, Gates has been warning us about another bogeyman – the supposedly broken public school system. He warns that our kids are going to wash out in the international race for the jobs of the future, which supposedly will only go to those prepared for college and career by the new rigorous standards and tests.
“Those who recall The Music Man will remember that Professor Hill wanted to sell the town on the idea of a band, so that they would purchase musical instruments and uniforms, on which he would make a tidy profit. That sounds a bit like the new Common Core-aligned curriculum, tech devices, tests and professional development which must be bought in order for the project to succeed.
“Beck’s claim that Common Core is a progressive plot to turn our children into socialists is way off base. Likewise, Gates’ claim that the jobs of the future depend on preparing ever more students for careers in technology and math is shown to be without support. Just this week, an oped in USA Today pointed out that at the same time Gates proclaims the need for more skilled workers, Microsoft has laid off 18,000 of them, and stagnant wages show a lack of real demand. Furthermore, three out of four graduates with STEM degrees are not even working in jobs that require these skills, making it hard to believe there is any real shortage that would support Gates’ push for larger numbers of people prepared for such careers.
“In The Music Man, the fast-talking con artist was ultimately redeemed by an unlikely savior – the town’s librarian. Unfortunately neither Glenn Beck nor Bill Gates seem to pay much attention to librarians – or their friends in the teaching profession. Professor Harold Hill’s downfall was when he fell in love, and wound up sticking around to make his promised band a reality. Sadly, this seems the unlikeliest of outcomes for either Beck or Gates.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
“Beck’s claim that Common Core is a progressive plot to turn our children into socialists is way off base”…..I agree with that statement.
Common Core is actually a plot by Narcissistic “little dictators” to turn our children into a future lives of servitude as robots. It is creating totalitarianism. It is destroying the mental and physical health of children, who are the foundation of this nation.
In a sense Beck is correct in that CCSS is destroying our democracy because it is destroying the “humanness” of children; however, it is not socialism that we should fear. We should be so lucky. No, it is total annihilation. The mental illness to children caused by this abuse is leading to our descent into madness.
I think what Beck means by “socialist” is anybody who disagrees with him or doesn’t buy gold from his sponsors.
If you love socialism become a Navajo Nation member. They have free healthcare, free education and free land, but the have no plumbing or no electricity.
You might want to repeat 4th grade, JohnQSmith, if you aren’t already doing so, since the idea of the Navajo having “free land,” after having been pushed onto a reservation, reveals a special type of willful ignorance…
You put it much better than I could have, Michael. Thank you.
JohnQSmith,
Are you from Anytown, USA????
Agree!
Yes, indeed. If you are over 40 in the tech industry and don’t swill gallons of Code Red while working 80 hour weeks towards a heart attack at 50, you are considered obsolete and a human version of Windows Me. Hence, Gates et al wanting to import H1b cube slaves.
This hits a little too close to home for me.
Wish there was a LIKE button because I totally agree and see this very same thing ramming its way into public education.
BTW Common Core is being rightfully eviscerated right now!
http://m.us.wsj.com/articles/marina-ratner-making-math-education-even-worse-1407283282?mobile=y&mod=trending_now_7
Barry Garelick of The Heartland Institute just took apart Elizabeth Green’s article, and Bobby Jindal, La. Gov., is challenging the legality of Common Core and the finessing of a national curriculum in court.
Barry Garelick:
http://news.heartland.org/newspaper-article/2014/08/06/common-sense-approach-common-core-math-standards
“. . . rightfully eviscerated. . . ”
Double entendre intended???
Is the Heartland Institute referenced, the same one Sourcewatch links to the Koch’s and ALEC, climate change denial and denial of second hand smoke toxicity? BTW, the movie “Thank you for Smoking”, is a smart and funny movie.
Glenn Beck is whipping up support for School Choice. That is not an answer to the Common Core. The proliferation of charter schools will be the end of public education. If the pending re-authorization of ESEA is actually passed in the Senate (S. 1094 sitting in the Education Committee) the money will follow the child into any private, religious, or charter school in the U.S. across county or state boundaries ensuring the implementation of the Common Core in all schools because once a school accepts federal money it is beholden to implement the standards. The NCLB flexibility waivers contain the language forcing the states to do this.
So what you are saying is that Beck is either consciously or inadvertently following a course that will further entrench the CC$$? While at the same time pushing his own failed vision for education in America? Beck has Gates envy………
Actually, and surprising to me, yes. The other issue I found in his book was the fact that he advocates for competition in teacher certification, and he appears to be championing groups like Teach for America. I agree with the premise of getting government out of public education and teacher education/certification; however, right now, there is no way competition would survive because of the powerhouses and their dollars behind privatizing and controlling education as well as educating educators. All of this is why I am a strong advocate for homeschooling, having chosen to do so myself. I would have liked to see homeschooling included in the conversation about school choice.
Obama and Arne envision the school as the center of every community, open 24 hours, providing meals, health care, mental health care….. just turn you kids over to the state as soon as they are born and watch the school to work machine reduce your parenting role to “partner” as the state increases theirs to owner.
There will be increasing intrusion into home schools as Obamacare is implemented. Checking on pre-natal care, early childhood care, mental health surveys, will be a foot in the door. If any federal money is offered though ESEA for home schooling, then the Common Core and the tests will have to be implemented. The idea of Title I funds being portable is going to end all choice, all freedom in education.
The NEA has this to say….which is good.
The union will oppose any ESEA reauthorization proposals that include vouchers, which the union labels “a threat to quality public schools.” NEA also opposes Title I “portability,” which would allow Title I funds to follow individual children to whatever schools they attend, including private schools. The NEA further opposes “super Ed-Flex,” a plan that would allow states to combine Title I and other ESEA programs into block grants.
Then the NEA goes on to say….which is bad. (integrate services)
The NEA’s Lobbying Goals:
Federal resources to enhance the availability and quality of public school child care programs, including preschool and before- and after-school programs.
Creation of a national database on early childhood care and education programs. Federal programs to assist parents in gaining parenting skills and in understanding child growth and development.
Development and implementation of comprehensive, community-based drug and violence prevention programs that link community resources with schools and integrate services involving education, vocational and job skills training and placement, law enforcement, health, mental health, community service, mentoring, and other appropriate services.
Effective School-to-Work initiatives. http://www.eagleforum.org/educate/1999/aug99/leg-program.html
The end of laughter, the end of play
This descent into madness brings a very dark day….our new American way 😦
Funny you should mention the madness. I have been a staff developer or instructional coach since 1990. I am returning to the classroom of my choice – emotionally disturbed students – because I cannot take the madness of education “reform” anymore.
Sadly, the teapartiers and possibly the Glen Beck followers and the like spout that teachers and unions embrace common core’s dumbing down because their rhetoric that teachers are lazy and unions protect them suits the agenda of for profit charters.
The truth is out there. The proof of what has been happening time and again when charters go unsupervised exists. The changing of laws and anointment/appointment of school boards and superintendents and principals through the pipelines of Broad and TFA and making impotent elected boards and supes is coming to the news.
Keep hanging them with their own nooses.
People are waking up and are no longer hypnotized by the rhetoric and the anti-public school agenda.
The lawsuits are nonsense; people are realizing this. People who have had their schools closed and their kids sent off to different schools without seeing success are getting angry and vocal. Look to Newark as a prime example.
People are starting to recognize the snake oil salesmen and beginning to week through the well-crafted rhetoric. Up is down. Down is up.
If you love democratic socialism, just look at Finland, Norway or Denmark. Those poor folks are poverty stricken, with no plumbing and massive poverty. Oh wait………. (sarcasm alert) The critics of Social Security said that it would lead to socialism, totalitarianism and a loss of freedom. The critics of Medicare said that it would lead to socialism, commies under every bed and a loss of freedom. The fear mongering and red baiting never ceases.
Love it, Izzy. It’s true. And, not being negative… kindergarten is the new first grade. No more learning through play for kindergarteners. CC is not developmentally appropriate, is not research-based and has not been tested… except, of course, on our own children! Not to mention the new Social Studies that downplays our Constitution!
Unfortunately, until there becomes a focus on the family and poverty, things won’t change. Our scores are low because of poverty. Period.
I am really dumbfounded that no one seems to have studied history much, or understands that Beck makes NO claim without the solid research and evidence to back it up. The US brought the Prussian public education system, designed as a socialist control system (and used and “perfected” by Hitler), to this country. The US also brought German psychiatry/psychology to this country, and integrated it IMMEDIATELY into the education system. It’s been no secret over the past two centuries (read Charlotte Iserbyt’s well-documented book or anything by John Taylor Gatto) what the plan was…study history! Also visit http://www.invisibleserfscollar.com, the author of which is Robin S. Eubanks, who also wrote the book “Credentialed to Destroy: How and Why Education Became a Weapon,” also heavily researched and documented. Wake up, people! People don’t like it when their eyes are opened with unpopular truth, but instead of this consistent attack on Beck on this site, READ, and RESEARCH!
I am really dumbfounded that no one seems to have studied history much, or understands that Beck makes NO claim without the solid research and evidence to back it up. The US brought the Prussian public education system, designed as a socialist control system (and used and “perfected” by Hitler), to this country. The US also brought German psychiatry/psychology to this country, and integrated it IMMEDIATELY into the education system. It’s been no secret over the past two centuries (read Charlotte Iserbyt’s well-documented book or anything by John Taylor Gatto) what the plan was…study history! Also visit http://www.invisibleserfscollar.com/, the author of which is Robin S. Eubanks, who also wrote the book “Credentialed to Destroy: How and Why Education Became a Weapon,” also heavily researched and documented. Wake up, people! People don’t like it when their eyes are opened with unpopular truth, but instead of this consistent attack on Beck on this site, READ, and RESEARCH!
People often get confused about the “socialism” in “National Socialism”. In fact, it has absolutely nothing to do with real socialism. It’s strongly right-wing fascism/totalitarianism/authoritarianism, which is the exact opposite end of the scale from true socialism, which is about individuals being able to develop and contribute to society as individuals and to share in the profits from those contributions. The real socialists, the Democratic Socialists, were among the fiercest opponents of National Socialism, which is why Hitler sent people to the concentration camps for even remotely dabbling in communism.
Dienne,
Really?
Robert Owen, Thomas Spence, Plato, Sir Thomas More, Charles Fourier, and Tommaso Campanella all agree with your summation of socialism EXCEPT that all of their visions require compliance with the directions of a select few. You can develop and will contribute according to the permissions of the “virtuous” philosopher-kings.
Who would you propose as your “virtuous” Philosopher-King?
(by the way you won’t be able to elect that person, only the self anointed educated & virtuous will make the selection.
I’m not even sure what you’re talking about. I don’t think Plato wrote too much about socialism.
Nothing in Marx or any other socialist theory requires ” compliance with the directions of a select few”. That would be capitalism. Socialism is a movement of the people for the people. The Occupy movement is probably the closest the world has ever seen to real socialism and they specifically eschewed any notion of “leaders”.
Occupy Wall Street was funded by George Soros through the Tides Foundation. And how did that leaderless idea work out? Did you attend any of those Occupy meetings where everything had to be decided by consensus? Socialism is a fantasy, a dangerous one.
Hitler didn’t write Mein Kampf. A Jesuit priest, Father Staempfle did. (As quoted from the book, A Secret History of the Jesuits, Edmond Paris, 1975)
Things are often not what they appear to be. The figure heads and spokespeople are often nothing more than useful idiots for the puppeteers.
http://gulagbound.com/22740/the-neo-marxist-globalist-engineers-of-leaderless-ows/
Dienne then you haven’t really read or studied them. The point Elephant Tree was making.
Plato’s Republic explicitly portrays a society based on communal living, and sharing tightly controlled by “virtuous” philosopher-kings.
By the way I didn’t list Marx, he wasn’t a “socialist” he was a “communist”
Unfortunately, most people have been taught to trust what other people tell is true without discerning for themselves. Add to that the propagandizement of the media and their campaigns that inform you who you are supposed to believe or why any opposition to their POV can only be from evil uneducated sources and it is easy to see that Iserbyts, Gatto, and Eubanks are unfortunately correct in what has happened.
How do we undo the damage/decay to our democratic society if Reading and Research are the solution?
From Wil Durant:
Hence a certain tension between religion and society marks the higher stages of every civilization. Religion begins by offering magical aid to harassed and bewildered men; it culminates by giving to a people that unity of morals and belief which seems so favorable to statesmanship and art; it ends by fighting suicidally in the lost cause of the past. For as knowledge grows or alters continually, it clashes with mythology and theology, which change with geological leisureliness. Priestly control of arts and letters is then felt as a galling shackle or hateful barrier, and intellectual history takes on the character of a “conflict between science and religion”. Institutions which were at first in the hands of the clergy, like law and punishment, education and morals, marriage and divorce, tend to escape from ecclesiastical control, and become secular, perhaps profane. The intellectual classes abandon the ancient theology and—after some hesitation—the moral code allied with it; literature and philosophy become anticlerical. The movement of liberation rises to an exuberant worship of reason, and falls to a paralyzing disillusionment with every dogma and every idea. Conduct, deprived of its religious supports, deteriorates into epicurean chaos; and life itself, shorn of consoling faith, becomes a burden alike to conscious poverty and to weary wealth. In the end a society and its religion tend to fall together, like body and soul, in a harmonious death. Meanwhile among the oppressed another myth arises, gives new form to human hope, new courage to human effort, and after centuries of chaos builds another civilization.
A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself within.
The Wil Durant excerpt is interesting to ponder.
The most immediate fight is (1) against hedge fund owners who plot to profit directly from the taxes, we willingly pay, for student education and (2) against tech moguls who plot to profit from (a) unproductive electronic classroom gizmos (b) testing and curriculum products and (c) data mining for customers.
Profit is definitely a big piece of this.
Dear Elephant Tree,
Glenn Beck (1) doesn’t seem to know very much history, and (2) he is a master at distorting what history he is familiar with.
Here’s Beck with another great distorter:
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/09/19/mark-levin-glenn-beck-discuss-re-establishing-the-constitution-in-first-ever-conversation/
You are correct about the socialist system and the psychiatry/psychology from Germany. However, Beck has some ulterior motive for promoting school choice. I don’t think he is that innocently stupid that he thinks it is actually a good idea. School choice ends up being no choice at all, less choices than we have now. It will be the end of public education and will lead to a tiered society like in Chile.
Dawn, I actually agree with your point about school choice, and am in the middle of righting a review of his book “Conform” to that effect; however, because I disagree on this point does not mean that I suddenly need to disparage him on everything. At least he is honest about what he believes, and why, and isn’t that part of what we are trying to maintain in this country, freedom? I enjoy a good debate, as I don’t know it all and have had my mind changed a few times, and I always learn something new regardless, but when debates get nasty and personal, it’s just discouraging.
Dear Amy Elephant, while the Prussian system may indeed have been designed as a system of control that aspect of it apparently didn’t survive contact with American values let alone contact with American crony capitalism. In all the decades this stealth plot has had to impose its agenda you’d think it would have made some small amount of progress, no? Socialism is about as far as you can get from the oligarchy we are faced with these days, and the structures of the American deep state, as vile as they are I their own right, would never permit any socialist structure to take root. Socialism in America remains a humorous party joke. I do hope you know and understand the huge difference between social justice and Socialism. Many are confused because they share the same root word.
Linda Darling Hammond who was the head of Obama’s educational transitional team and his fist pick for Secretary of Education can’t get a sentence out of her mouth that doesn’t include the phrase “social justice.” She is all about equity including pooling local property tax monies from suburban communities with cities. She heads up the Smarter Balanced Testing Consortium creating the tests for half of the states, and remember, teachers will have to teach to the test.
UNESCO, which is partnered with Bill Gates since their agreement in 2004 for him to create and disseminate a world -wide curriculum to teach the goals of UNESCO using Microsoft as a platform is all about “social justice.” Have you looked at the recommended books and texts for ELA in the CC? Have you glanced at the little Scholastic Magazines that get circulated to all of the lower grade students? The idea of “white privilege” is infused throughout and the idea of “social justice” heavily endorsed.
http://archive.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=13978
The signature of modern leftist rhetoric is the deployment of terminology that simply cannot fail to command assent. As Orwell himself recognized, even slavery could be sold if labeled “freedom.” In this vein, who could ever conscientiously oppose the pursuit of “social justice,” — i.e., a just society?
To understand “social justice,” we must contrast it with the earlier view of justice against which it was conceived — one that arose as a revolt against political absolutism. With a government (e.g., a monarchy) that is granted absolute power, it is impossible to speak of any injustice on its part. If it can do anything, it can’t do anything “wrong.” Justice as a political/legal term can begin only when limitations are placed upon the sovereign, i.e., when men define what is unjust for government to do. The historical realization traces from the Roman senate to Magna Carta to the U.S. Constitution to the 19th century. It was now a matter of “justice” that government not arrest citizens arbitrarily, sanction their bondage by others, persecute them for their religion or speech, seize their property, or prevent their travel.
This culmination of centuries of ideas and struggles became known as liberalism. And it was precisely in opposition to this liberalism — not feudalism or theocracy or the ancien régime, much less 20th century fascism — that Karl Marx formed and detailed the popular concept of “social justice,” (which has become a kind of “new and improved” substitute for a storeful of other terms — Marxism, socialism, collectivism — that, in the wake of Communism’s history and collapse, are now unsellable).
Exactly right. Beck has all research and evidence to back up everything he says. He’s right on in what he says. Have been following him on CC for the last 2 and 1/2 years. Follow him. He is honest.
The other thing that really got my goat is the fact that Anthony Cody would compare Beck to Bill Gates, of all people. Apples and oranges, yet by creating the comparison, an association also develops in the minds of people who aren’t informed. It creates a “they are both evil” scenario, and I think they were wrong for doing so. Beck isn’t the only one speaking out so strongly, yet he is the one under fire lately.
Good grief, the attack of the Beck trolls. Beck is a hideous deluded human being. Anyone who looks to him for truth and enlightenment is a certified fool and that’s being generous.
I find it Beck-trashers fascinating because not one of them has bothered to delve into the foundation of his claims to come to the realization that the evidence/documentation is strong. I have followed him for over 10 years, and have checked up his information often, never finding holes. That, and the nastiness that ensues towards those who find his work a solid resource. Interesting…
I hope you will take a look at Beck with Mark Levin posted in a comment of mine above.
Perhaps you’ll share your thoughts on just how knowledgeable and honest they are in that “discussion.”
The website, Sourcewatch, in the listing for Glenn Beck, starting at the heading, “Conspiracy Theories”, dispassionately summarizes the origination of Beck’s views.
yep
Thank you, Anthony,
I always appreciate reading from a person who gets it and knows what they are talking about.
It scares me when people like Glenn Beck spout off their propaganda and of course I can’t stand Bill Gates’ place in all of this too.
My question is how is it that Glenn Beck is able to convince so many people that he knows what he’s talking about and how do we help people, who have become is like little cult?
Hopefully, there are more that realize he’s wrong than right. But he is good at appealing to a person’s emotions. . . It really shows me that we need a huge transformation not only in education but in all of society!
uggghhh
“Good grief, Beck Trolls”
Great example of witty retort devoid of research or reading of Beck.
Have you read anything Glenn Beck wrote?
I have and checked his citations.
You may not agree with his assertions, but they are based on research.
Re-using Charles Schultz does not indicate intellectual discernment, it merely indicates you may have read the Sunday funnies.
The crisis in education in America is just one part of the assault on our society. The long term intent of CC is to enable Elysium, not to end poverty.
“. . . but they are based on research.”
And the next question: What is the quality of that research?
In 2013, when you look at which college degrees brought graduates the highest income, eight were STEM degrees.
By the way, what are you smoking up there, Ann?
Beware, Bill F, your solicitation of illicit drug information is being monitored by the authorities.
I’ve been saying here and elsewhere for quite some time that the STEM “crisis” or “shortage” is a myth, a hoax.
So too is the claim that the Common Core is necessary to fix what ails American public education. Before it was scrubbed from the Common Core website, the rationale for it was “global competitiveness.” But that’s just not true.
What’s also untrue is that American public schooling is in “crisis,” and needs another dose of top-down “reform.” It just isn’t so.
STEM is tightly tied into Common Core. And Common Core is supported strongly by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable – groups which have supported all the economic policies that piled up deficits and debt and nearly broke the economy. These economic policies are part of the reason why jobs have moved offshore and the American standard of living is in decline. In short, supply-side policies have drained the nation of much of its economic vitality and fed the income and wealth inequality gaps.
[Note: the Chamber and the Roundtable– and Glenn Beck, and Fox – have ben rabid supporters of supply-side economics.]
Take a look at the new job projections for the next decade (2012-2022) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The vast majority do NOT require a college education (and in nursing, as many of two-thirds of the RN needs may be filled by those with twp-year degrees):
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/most-new-jobs.htm
So, if education “reform” is NOT really about “global competitiveness,” and “career and college,” and a schooling or STEM “crisis,” then what’s the plan?
As Diane has noted, the real plan is to privatize public education.
And that’s why genuine reform needs to focus on the historic mission of public schools to nurture and promote democratic citizenship.
But the Chamber, and the Roundtable, and corporate “reformers” – and Glenn Beck – are not in favor of that, which helps to clarify that it’s exactly the right track to take.
“Seventy-six Campbell Browns”
(parody of Willson Meredith – Seventy Six Trombones, from “The Music Man”))
(Conducted by Rusic Man Professor Ornery Bill)
Seventy-six Campbell Browns led Reform Parade
With a hundred and ten charter-schools close at hand.
They were followed by rows and rows
Of the wolves-in-sheepy clothes,
The cream of ev’ry famous scam.
Seventy-six Campbell Browns caught the morning shows
With a hundred and ten public schools closed behind
There were more than a thousand Rhees
Springing up like weeds
There were schemes of ev’ry shape and kind.
There were cherry-picking VAMstudies and Gates platoons
Blundering, Blundering all along the way.
Double-billed baloneyums and big buffoons,
Each buffoon having his big, fat say!
There were fifty foolish Canons of Reformery
Blundering, Blundering louder than before
Teacher nets of ev’ry size
And reformers who’d improvise
To game the passing student score
Seventy-six Campbell Browns hit the TV shows,
While a hundred and ten public-schools blazed away.
To the rhythm of Test! Test! Test!
All the kids began to wretch,
And they’re wretching still right today!
I love you.
Dang, I thought you loved me, I’m heart-broken now!
TAGO!
I have often thought of Professor Harold Hill when reading this blog, but not in the way the post describes. My thoughts turn to Professor Hill when I see every change in the world since about 1970 viewed as a turn for the worse, whatever is new is evil, and the only thing that can save the country is a marching band.
“. . . the only thing that can save the country is a marching band.”
I’ve known a number of band teachers who agree with that statement!!
It was not the band so much as the search for something new in town and proclaim it was a sign of the apocalypse. Any change from life as it was before would destroy the youth of the town.