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Thanks for signing on. I’m Bob Carkhuff, and this is Freedomblog.com.

The theme for today is Back Into the Boiling Cauldron.

For thinking people, this means that we are retrogressing back to class and cultural conflict.

Chester Village Charter School is a school “on edge.” It is “on edge” for dramatic gains in its first year of the “Relating to Read” program. It is also “on edge” for being closed because a multitude of forces do not want to be exposed by their “shortcomings.” Here is its story in cryptic form: It has a long history of failure prior to 2006. In 2006, it designed a “Relating to Read” program. Without funds for training, teachers were oriented to basic principles as follows: Relate empathically to the learners before, during, and after every recitation:“You feel happy/sad/angry because you did well/did okay/did poorly .” Represent operationally the “basic interrogatives” of reading and writing during every recitation: Who is involved? What are they doing? Why are they doing it? When are they doing it? Where are they doing it? How are they doing it? How well are they doing it? Relating and Representing are two of “The New 3Rs” that empower students to learn “The Old 3Rs.” They did: 75% improvement in “Advanced and Proficient Performance” in Reading and Math. 67% reduction in “Below Basic Performance” in Reading and Math. So why is Chester Village Charter School “on edge?” Because it is about to be closed by the totalitarian forces of the bureaucracies: The governor wants it closed. The state senators want it closed. The secretary of public education want it closed. The district superintendent wants it closed. It is noteworthy that all of these bureaucratic entities have, themselves, failed at everything they have done in education: All agencies of the City of Chester are in receivership. All public schools are in default. No schools in Pennsylvania have approached achieving the record gains of Chester Village Charter School. Did I mention kids? KIDS! No one else has mentioned “KIDS!” Only the kids of Chester Village Charter School want it open. Only the parents of Chester Village Charter School kids want it open. Only the teachers of Chester Village Charter School kids want it open. The totalitarian bureaucracy wants it closed!

Having been the birthplace of human relating, the United States became the exemplar of cultural relating, both within her borders and beyond with other nations.

Internally, the U.S.A. attempted to relate collaboratively with all of her citizens—emigrants and migrants—and provide them with the full American experience. This effort culminated in the Civil Rights and Human Rights Movements of the second half of the 20th century.

Externally, the U.S.A. attempted to relate to all the peoples of the world—friends as well as enemies. Witness, the collaborative Marshall and MacArthur plans fostering recovery and growth in Europe and Asia.

Existentially, we have retreated from these lofty collaborative goals. Culturally, we moved up the mountain from independence to collaboration. We viewed interdependent cultural relating at the peak of the mountain. And we have retreated back to independence and competitiveness.

Today, we are preparing our children for a world that no longer exists. With the federal legislation, No Child Left Behind, we are drilling our learners in conditioned responding systems for industrial jobs that have already been outsourced to far away places.

Today, we have driven both classes and cultures into conflict. The upper class fears losing tax advantages and luxuries with impositions of regulation upon its businesses.

The middle class fears losing their jobs and comforts to the lower class.

The lower class fears losing their jobs and survival to Third World contractors and First World immigrants.

With full knowledge that poverty is a function of failure to hold full-time jobs, the Multi-National Corporations have deliberately abandoned the inner-cities and their predominantly black populations.

Compounding all others, the candidates who would represent us in the Big White House are dedicating their efforts only to further class and cultural conflict:

• The leading Republican candidates are graduates of Friedman’s School of Supply-Side Economics and seek only tax and regulatory relief for wealthy businesses and their investors (think “Trickle Down Theory”).
• The leading Democratic candidates were trained at The Alinsky Academy of Continuous Class Conflict and seek only to foment cultural struggle (think “Level Down Theory”).

Wow! Are these the ingredients of a “Boiling Cauldron” or what?

Signing off for Freedomblog, this is Bob Carkhuff.

Remember, We the People, that we must aim again for “The Melting Pot” that our ancestors created. Think about it!

We invite your comments. Send to Bob at Freedomblog.com.

“May the road rise to meet you,
And the wind be at your back.”