c:\doc\web\98\02\wiscobe.txt Date sent: Fri, 30 Jan 1998 18:58:17 -0500 To: joaneb001@aol.com From: marjorie/gene malone (by way of Fred Battey ) Subject: Wisc.-OBE-Report Please post on E-Loop-Message-Wisconsin Front Lines-OBE Battle-gene Wisconsin-Front Lines (OBE) Report - Wisconsin is a Goals 2OOO/OBE systems state-accepted funds -Governor Tommy Thompson (R) has been the leader(?) in the adoption of the above and a /first governor to begin the School to Work phase of the National Plan -Governor Thompson denies in public he is for a national school system and politics for local control -all while pushing the national agenda. I have talked to him personally/and others about this-he continues to be in public denial -Gov. Thompson pushed the ideas of America 2OOO under President Bush -Gov. Thompson has turned over much of the national plan reform to his Republican Lt. Gov. Scott McCallum-who is now in charge of establishing state-wide (national) standards-in forums around the state. He and the Governor never use the language of implementation like OBE, Strategic Plan and so forth. They wanted to strike the term OBE from the State Department of Public Instruction (appointed-with an elected Supt.)regulations manual so anti-OBE people would not have a target. OBE use verbally is extinct now in Wisconsin as it is called PBE or Standards or Academic Excellence and so on. -Governor Thompson and the collaborating OBE media in the state-favor Charter schools (which are to be measured in the end by national standards) and the foil of school choice (for public schools only-which they rarely say. This would mean you would have the choice of sending your child to any "rotten" OBE school within the system-only the name of the school or number, obviously would be different. - Presently-as stated-the state of Wisconsin has been directed to have discussion sessions on some "new" standards that appear like all other states. We are to have our "input" read agreement.I've read them-they are the usual vague cliches like all students must "understand " this or that-no specifics. Reading is not defined or apparently important-"phonic-CLUES" will be given-I presume when the entire year of guess reading (whole language) fails. It reads like a scientific management manual for the socialist planning bureaucracies without life, culture, values, purpose and so on. -Gov. Thompson is beginning to use executive orders to catch up on wasted time to implement the national plan. Milwaukee, by the Governor's state of the union speech, is to shape up in 2 years or the entire city schoolsystem will become one large charter school directed by the state process. Other /most Wisconsin urban areas like Racine, Kenosha have been some 3 years been incrementally consumed by the Plan, already. -I believe Wisconsin OBE/managers like Gov. Thompson and the Elected State Supt. of Public Instruction (bought and paid for by the teachers' union) are leaning toward the Virginia Plan-while denying it-saying we are doing our own. The state media/radio have been giving acceptance to the "better-academic plan"-Virginia's. -There has been no discussion on the national takeover ofthe public schools in legislative debate in our state Capitol at Madison. The orders/money come from the national education department to the supporting/devious Governor for implementation to the bureaucracy called the DPI headed by the elected State Supt. bought by OBE forces then directed down to local Superintendents with their unknowing/uncaring elected school boards to implement quietly, slowly -counting on public ignorance of the Constitution and obvious public apathy and sprinkled with official/media deceit (collaboration) when necessary. If there is public protest, ignore it, ridicule it, deny their concerns, and try to wear them out or buy them out by committee rewards-no force necessary for this total revolution in thinking. -We have a front group in Wisconsin-highly supported by the OBE media, highly financed and Republican doing the public relations for Governor Thompson while gathering signatures for phonics and better (Va.Standards) as a base for public support. They have worked ,even, through the Lt. Governor's office. They do not talk about OBE/and have never admitted their collaboration with our OBE Governor Thompson. They have never called for the end of the process . It is called P.R.E.S.S.-This paragraph is my opinion based on following their newsletters, talks, actions for some 2-3 years. They would deny what I just said-but... I presume all states, communities, groups have those who want to destroy the opposition to the National Plan for lack of information, power, something to do... -Governor Thompson, in my opinion, is unseemly ambitious, with the usual, present lust for power over truth and the principles of freedom -certainly in the education war-quietly- but steadily advancing crushing any ideas/folks who have a better idea-freedom/knowledge/the Constitution/the Children. My feeling is that moderate/aConstitutionalist Republicans, like himself, will want to out-do the socialist democrats for the sake of the children to have a systems (they call it accountable) process so that their data will attract votes. The data, obviously, will be mediocre and bogus if the experiment in data/education in socialist countries is considered. -In occupied (systems/OBE/STW/Goals 2OOO) Wisconsin the parents, grassroots, homeschoolers oppose the pieces of the process strongly and are very concerned when they see the whole picture by someone who has the plan studied and relays it to them. When it became clear Wisconsin was joining Michigan, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania (and all other states) in this peculiar plan, I formed a group opposing it called Freedom 2OOO/USA Box ll24 Kenosha, Wisc. 534l4l ph/fax -l-4l4-658-475l to fight back in our home city