10 chapters across the catalog
Chicago School Fraud and Universal Behavioral Screening
Former Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett pleaded guilty to a $23 million fraud and kickback scheme. Simultaneously, a listener provided a "parent waiver" form for a new "universal behavioral emotional screening system" in schools. The hosts argue these screenings are designed to identify "risk factors" in children to justify early pharmaceutical intervention and drugging.
Arne Duncan Public Boarding Schools, After-School Programming
Education Secretary Arne Duncan proposes the idea of "public boarding schools" where the government would have certain children "24/7" to provide a safe environment. The hosts highlight Duncan's use of the word "programming" when discussing after-school activities as a Freudian slip regarding state indoctrination.
Media Mind Control Curriculum, Search No Agenda Notes
A student teacher named Annie shares her "Breaking the Media Mind Control" curriculum, which tasks students with analyzing the dehumanizing language used during the Baltimore riots. Adam Curry encourages the use of the "search.nashownotes.com" engine as a research tool for such media literacy projects.
Three teachers testified before Congress regarding the negative impacts of the Common Core curriculum, specifically criticizing the "scripted" nature of lessons. One teacher described kindergarten math requirements that include advanced vocabulary like "isosceles triangles" and "rhombuses" which she argues are developmentally inappropriate. The hosts discuss the shift toward abstract math concepts at the pre-K and kindergarten levels.
Arne Duncan and Common Core Education Standards
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has utilized "Race to the Top" grants to incentivize states to adopt Common Core standards. Critics argue that while the department claims not to control curriculum, the $350 million funded for national testing effectively dictates what is taught in classrooms. The hosts describe this as a centrally controlled "national brainwashing system" funded by private foundations like the Gates Foundation.
Common Core, Grit, and the Department of Education
The hosts analyze a Department of Education document titled "Promoting Grit, Tenacity, and Perseverance." They argue that the frequent use of the word "grit" by President Obama is part of a coordinated effort to shift educational priorities toward non-cognitive "slave training."
A "spot the elite" quiz compares the speaking styles of Education Secretary Arne Duncan and a trustee from the Brookings Institution. The hosts discuss how specific linguistic patterns and "milieu speak" identify members of the political and academic upper class.
Signature Analysis, Arne Duncan and Janet Napolitano
An analysis of the signatures of Education Secretary Arne Duncan and DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano suggests a lack of proficiency in cursive writing. Duncan's signature is described as looking like a "10-year-old's drawing," while Napolitano's is characterized as illegible. The hosts use these signatures to question the professional competence and mental state of the high-level officials.
The White House promotional series "West Wing Week" featured President Obama discussing the national budget and education strategy at Parkville Middle School in Maryland. During the presentation, Obama emphasized the need for the United States to "out-hustle" the rest of the world to secure future industries. The rhetoric is mocked for its choice of terminology, suggesting a focus on "scamming" rather than traditional economic competition.
White House H1N1 Summit, Voluntary Vaccination Program
The Obama administration held an H1N1 preparedness summit to coordinate a voluntary fall vaccination program. A message from Secretaries Sebelius, Napolitano, and Duncan urged Americans to take individual responsibility for flu prevention. The vaccine is estimated to be available for distribution by mid-October 2009.
