Thomas Alan Berg
- offical website
Freedom in
Education Act
We co-signers of the "Freedom in Education Act" believe that - in order to restore democratic principles, philosophical openness, metaphysical debate, and economic freedom of choice back into the classroom conversation - that it is absolutely necessary to reintroduce freedom of speech and lively debate back into the daily American Public School Curriculum.
"FREEDOM IN EDUCATION ACT"
Necessary Steps towards a Restoration of Freedom in Education:
- Freedom of speech/discourse/debate will be allowed back into the classroom conversation in all American schools. The daily discussions will be courteous, respectful and orderly. Students will be allowed to speak from the teacher's podium, in order to share a wide range of subject material, including their belief systems, religious ideas and other wide ranging interests. Following each "sharing" - there will be a press conference during which time the other students may ask clarifying
questions. At all times, the participants will follow "Roberts Rule of Order" to assure classroom order and proper decorum.
- Time will be allocated ( on a daily basis ) for all students to discover and develop their own talents - so they can learn how to "follow their own bliss" educationally. This "freedom-path" comes out of Joseph Campbell's educational breakthrough discovery - based on the idea - that "when you allow a student to follow their bliss, they will find your bliss". Students will then create their own semester long "Projects of Bliss"- which will express and develop their highest talents - and which will include all strands of the regular "skills based curriculum" like math, reading, writing, speaking, project building and historical perspective.
- Teachers will also be given the freedom ( and time ) to teach THEIR own passion, talents and "bliss" as well. They will be allowed to express their own opinions about politics and religion, as long as they clearly state that they are speaking ONLY their opinions. Students will then be allowed to respond in kind, with courteous, thought provoking quesions. The really "big questions" of life will be allowed BACK into the classroom conversation - like - "What is the purpose of life", "Why was I born" -
"What is the path of happiness?" - Freedom of Reading, Thought and FOCUS will be restored to the classroom environment. Students will be given time each day to forus on the books they choose, research the subjects they choose - and freely share their research with their classmates via public speaking. They will be permitted to discuss their religions, philosophies, atheistic ideas or even subjects like Quantum Physics, channelling and Area 51.
- Freedom of Economic and Political Discourse will be included each day so students may openly and freely discuss and debate what kind of economic/political/governmental systems might best serve humanity during the coming "days of change". Students will be allowed to "question the dominant paradigm" - and will be encouraged to come up with ( brain storm) ideas to create a more compassionate, fair and cooperatve new era of capitalism.
- Letter grading will cease, whenever possible and "all suggestions for improvement" will be openly agreed upon by the students, teachers and parents accordingly. All evaluations and "ratings" will be done in periodic meetings, with all parties represented equally. ( This type of subjective evalution is being tried in Canada and Australia, with great success.)
- All dictatorial methods of school management will be re-evaluated and reduced, while the "shared decision making" ideas of the Clinton era will be re-introduced. Fear based rules and punishments will be replaced with more "compassionate" regulations - agreed upon equally by students,
parents and teachers alike. All parties will cocreate a new Bill of Rights for Teachers, Parents and Students. Humiliation - and "terror" - as forms of punishment - will be replaced by "extra assignments" and other forms of "discipline and control" that are compassion-based and fair.
"How can we expect to instill democratic principles and ideals into our
students, when they are educated within a system that is based on
tyrannical, dictatorial methods of domination and control? We must cease
terrorizing our children into docile submission and let them discover the
joy of real FREEDOM. This is the only way to allow them to discover who
they really are - as opposed to what society says they should be."
The best thing about this ACT - is that IT COSTS NOTHING - and would even
please religious people in the Red States who have long sought a more open
debate between proponents of "Darwinism" and the newer idea of
"Intelligent Design."
I can tell from my own experience - that students LOVE to philosophize and
theorize - if only they're given the freedom to do so. This Bill could
certainly be a bridge between liberals and conservatives, between the
religious right and the more scientific left - and open a healthy
stimulating dialogue that will keep kids from dropping out of school
because of sheer boredom.
I really DO believe that - ( with the old capitalistic paradigm crumbling
all around us ) - that my SF students and I discovered some of the
"positive changes" that the new Government is looking for. I know for a fact,
that when children ( and teachers ) are given more freedom - they thrive!!!
They actually awaken to the "Cosmic Super Self Within."
