Jump to Navigation

2008 Platform (filtered to reduces education quality)

This is a plank-by-plank review of the 2008 platform. Use the links at right to narrow it down, or explore alternate views:

Show:
original version
proposed changes
improved version
Showing only planks with reduces education quality fault: These proposals would make our kids stupider. (show all planks)
Legend: text to be added text to be deleted

State Board of Education

Educating Our Children > State Board of Education
We support an elected State Board of Education (SBOE) with authority over the Texas Education Agency, selection and termination of the Commissioner of Education, and textbook adoption. The SBOE must retain constitutional authority over the Permanent School Fund. TheThe state should offer subject-area teacher certification without additional educational requirements for individuals who hold a baccalaureate in their field or professionals who have equivalent life experience in a field. We urge that the Legislature repeal Education Code 28.008 and 28.009; and that the legislature instead work within the established framework of the Texas Education code and the authority of the State Board of Education.

There is no reason to have yet more elected officials.

People without college degrees should not teach in public schools.

Texas Education Code sections 28.008 and 28.009 force districts to take college preparation seriously. This is good. Proposing their removal contradicts with the Knowledge-Based Education plank that opposes "job training" in public schools.

Fault:
0 comments

Early Childhood Development

Educating Our Children > Early Childhood Development
We believe that parents are best suited to train their children in their early development and oppose mandatory pre-school and Kindergarten. We urge Congress to repeal government-sponsored programs that deal with early childhood development.
(plank deleted)

Kindergarten has been a productive part of K-12 public education for decades.

There is no mandatory preschool in Texas, and there is no movement to create such a program.

There is nothing about early childhood development programs that justifies special mention. More generic planks adequately address opposition to government expansionism.

Fault:
0 comments

Theories of Origin

Educating Our Children > Theories of Origin
We support objective teaching and equal treatment of strengths and weaknesses of scientific theories, including Intelligent Design. We believe theories of life origins and environmental theories should be taught as scientific theory, not scientific law. Teachers and students should be able to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of these theories openly and without fear of retribution or discrimination of any kind.
(plank deleted)

Scientific literacy is key to a good education. It must include robust knowledge of prevailing scientific theories. This includes evolution, the only commonly accepted science on the origin of life.

Intelligent design is a form of creationism. As a nonscientific religious belief, creationism does not belong in science classes.

Furthermore, creationism is a limited view within Christianity. Most American Christians belong to denominations that do not endorse this viewpoint.

Fault:
0 comments

Problems

Show problem parts of the platform:
Platforms promote principles and policies. Planks must not push particular polymorphic political proposals, including bills.about a specific bill (6)
Parts of these were recently implemented.accomplished (11)
Parts of these only promote limited religious viewpoints.advances religious doctrine (8)
Too many positions already overwhelm voters. We cannot add more without a plan to cut ballot complexity.another elected office (6)
The GOP should not be a virulent, anti-homosexual crusade.anti-homosexual crusade (6)
These destroy useful customs or start us down slippery slopes.bad precedent (17)
Cliches belong on the playground, not in serious platforms.cliche (5)
These contradict other planks.contradictory (13)
These simply go too far, overshooting a rational remedy.extreme (25)
These have factual errors.incorrect (11)
These planks advanced contemporary liberal causes or expand government.leftist (22)
These planks require belief in something that is untrue.misinformed (18)
These are not appropriate for a platform document.misuse of platform (6)
These planks have minor punctuation or grammatical errors.needs copyedit (8)
These problems were fixed before the 2008 platform was published.no longer relevant (3)
"Black helicopters" and paranoid conspiracy have no place in our party.paranoid (15)
Parts of these do nothing useful.pointless (61)
These proposals would make our kids stupider.reduces education quality (3)
These planks are internally redundant or repeat other parts of the platform.redundant (41)
These planks should propose a more general solution.too specific (6)
These planks are unclear or unfocused.vague (19)
Puffy prose, hackneyed phrases, and obscure words create pinheaded, unfocused, and inaccessible platforms. Platforms must be simple and direct.wordy (47)

Recent comments