Conference taveng::bagels

    Harris' Maxim: 	Never assume malevolence where stupidity 
    			suffices to explain another's actions.
    
    Bishops' Corollary: ...or cowardice.

    I would guess it's not so much that that group has access to
    power as that any assertive group can get things stopped.
    
    The educational system in this country has the following
    characteristics from the point of view of media:
    
    1.	There are economies of scale--producing one third-grade
    	history book for the whole country is more profitable 
    	than producing two different ones, and that is more
    	profitable than three, etc.
    
    2.	There are only a few large purchasers (e.g the State of
    	California).
    
    3.	The purchasers are very reluctant to offend minority
    	groups, and will not buy a book or course or film which
    	some vocal group objects to.
    
    4.	The Department of Education is very reluctant to offend
    	anyone (as it is a political organization).
    
    The course-designer and book publishers therefore, when they
    are being sensable, prepare only bland, "value-free" books and
    courses.
    
    Of course, when there is a clear moral judgement to be made, and
    an villian to be pointed out (as in the Holocaust), the authors
    sometimes think they can get away with non-blandness.
    
    But all it takes is some group to complain about "balance" and
    "secular humanist indoctrination" and the course/book/movie/comicbook
    is cancelled.  It's a lot easier to get things stopped than to
    start them in Washington (unless you're talking about spending
    money!).
    
    			-John Bishop

    John's point in .1 seems to be accurate wrt textbooks, but "Facing
    History" was not a textbook -- it was a self-contained program.
    It didn't need to pass the textbook hurdles (state purchases). 
    While it's true that the feds don't have to fund every worthy cause
    that comes along, it's the reasoning they used that makes this case
    so scary.
    
    Schlaffly, when interviewed on NPR, basically said that it was wrong
    to teach schoolchildren to think for themselves.  You had to hear
    it to believe it.  The Reagan/Bush administration is being very,
    very careful to not offend neo-Nazis.

    Another NPR item on this mentioned that the course got the highest
    rating (forget from whom) in the history area.  The dept. of Ed.
    elimanated the history category from some awards this year.
    Makes you wonder.
    

    These people used to draw a chuckle from me every now and then,
    but suddenly I don't find them funny anymore.  When they try to
    thwart Holocost education than that's the last straw.
    
    David

   From what I've read, the Dep't of Ed actions haven't thwarted the
    program entirely; the Dep't, however, has denied it access to the
    National Diffusion Network, which is a federally supported program
    to spread exemplary educational courses and curricula.
    
    I raise this point not to defend the Dept of Ed, which is being
    reprehensible in this and other matters under the Reagan/Bush/Wm
    Bennett (recently retired Sec. of Ed), but to note that the Holocaust
    program is being delivered in some schools and school systems around
    the country.
    
    Anyone interested in learning more about the course should contact
    the Network (Andover, MA) which is part of the NDN.
     

	One of the big bones the Falwell & Co. got for supporting Reagan
	was the	Department of Education.

	Darryl

    Last summer the TAB (Brookline, Sudbury, etc.) had an excellent
    article about the Holocaust education program and its problems with
    the Department of Education -- long before NPR and the Globe reported
    on it.  I often find the TAB reporting local issues before other
    news media.

    I thought the Department of Education was created by Jimmy
    Carter in return for his support by teachers.
    
    						Ann B.

Would someone be willing to post some of the articles here, or provide those of
us who are interested in this topic with copies?  I am vaguely aware of this
situation, and would like more information.  Thanks.

/Mike