We Really Do Need Education

By Jeff Simpson

In 1979 Pink Floyd, unknowingly wrote the Republican mantra that unfortunately seems timeless:

We don't need no education

We don't need no thought control

No dark sarcasm in the classroom

Teachers leave them kids alone

In the latest WISGOP attempt to "work the refs" Rep. Dave Murphy (R - Doesnt read Bills he votes on), who unfortunately for the people of Wisconsin is chairman of the Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities, has decided that a course on the American Presidency (based on a students sharing of the syllabus) is not nice enough to The Donald. 

The course, taught by UW Professor Ken Mayer, had the bad fortune of having former Miss Wisconsin Mckenna Collins taking the class. 

Collins, was so outraged by the syllabus that she took her grievances straight to The Dean, the Chancellor, Dr. Mayer - D. None of the above.   Collins, now that her pageant career is over, is working on becoming a Fox News talking head of reality TV "star", ran right to noted scholar (heavy sarcasm) Tucker Carlson. 

With the massive exodus of advertisers, Tucker was looking for any friend.....

Hey, teachers, leave them kids alone

All in all it's just another brick in the wall

All in all you're just another brick in the wall

What was on the syllabus?  Ms. Collins, posted it on her Facebook(since removed) :

Ms. Collins then said: 

“[Mayer] makes every effort to instill in college students an illegitimate distrust and hate for the President of the United States before the course has even started,” Collins said in her Facebook post regarding the syllabus.
Collins also explained the syllabus made her feel intimidated, stating her belief that Mayer “made a mistake” when crafting the syllabus. She found his language to be “biased, unprofessional and anti-academic.”

The problem is even the UW College Republicans said she was crazy:

Many of our executive board members have taken classes taught by Professor Mayer, and have found him to be an intellectually engaging professor that treats conservatives fairly. In the past, Professor Mayer has openly criticized how the University of Wisconsin – Madison handled President Obama’s visit to campus due to its political nature and ties to the Obama campaign. 

Obviously no one on the UW College Republican Board, has visions of joining The Kleefishs Go Hunting or The Real World. 

Now Ms. Collins replaced the complaint with her victory picture: 

We don't need no education

We don't need no thought control

No dark sarcasm in the classroom

Teachers leave those kids alone

Yes this UW College Student, who the right held up as a true victim of the liberal elite, quoted Martin Luther King, Jr. in regards too her getting her feelings hurt about what a Professor said about the Trump &residency.   The quote, paraphrased from a speech that MLK,Jr. gave after Bloody Sunday , where civil rights protesters were attacked and beaten on the bridge. 

That in no way whatsoever, even comes close to equating to a right wing privileged student being upset because her feelings were hurt when someone criticized the admitted Pussy Grabber.   

That is the true meaning of shame and shows how she is not here to be a serious academic student.   Maybe her next tour of "Table Talk" should be focused on learning some actual history!

Want to know what is really happening?  Check out this tweet thread from Georgetown Professor Don Moynihan:

Its January in Wisconsin which means that a GOP state official is attacking a professor for his syllabus. 1/https://t.co/H3kKq5dHR7

— Don Moynihan (@donmoyn) January 24, 2019

Hey teachers, leave those kids alone

All in all you're just another brick in the wall

All in…

Scott Walker Dumbs Down Wisconsin

To understand this story you have to understand two things that are relevant to it.  Number one, we  all know that Scott Walker dropped/was kicked out of Marquette and basically went right into politics. Number two, we also know that Scott Walker cut $1.6 Billion from public education in Wisconsin.  

Scott Walker who has a history of devaluing education, is at it again.   Scott Walker recently announced a new online degree initiative.  

A new self-paced, competency-based program for finishing a college degree online, and ostensibly making college more affordable and accessible, was announced Tuesday by Gov. Scott Walker and two top University of Wisconsin System officials.

The new UW Flexible Degree is touted as a transformation of higher education in Wisconsin, and an economic engine to drive up the state's per capita income by producing more college graduates trained for higher-paying jobs.

The new path to a degree will allow adults to start classes anytime, work at their own pace and earn credit for what they already have learned in school or on the job once they prove college-level competencies, UW officials said.

Sitting in class, learning from highly trained and educated professors, and being able to work and learn from your classmates is yesterdays education model.  Today's(thanks to Scott Walker) is one where you can sit at your computer,  google as you go, and skipping classes by taking minimum competency standardized tests.   (FYI:  Most companies who reimburse for college credit, will not honor online college classes).  

Now as capper likes to tell us, there is always more.   Scott Walker justifies it because of his laziness, incompetence and ignorance, letting everyone know that he was incapable of finishing his degree while thousands of hard working Wisconsites have already done the same.  

The governor said he could relate to adults seeking to finish a college degree. He left Marquette University his senior year to take a job with the American Red Cross and hasn't finished his degree.

"I kept thinking I'd go back, got married, had one kid, had another kid, next thing you know . . . you're worrying more about paying for your kids' college education than you are for your own," Walker said.

 Finally, how do we know that this is headed for a complete failure?  Steve nASS/Mike Mikalsen endorse it.

 

Rep. Steve Nass (R-Whitewater), chairman of the Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee, supports the new online model, according to Mike Mikalsen, an aide to nASS..

"It's something, frankly, the rest of public universities and the private universities have been doing already," Mikalsen said.

O yes one more thing that is typical to the Scott Walker style of government, Let's quickly pass something then figure it out later.

Mikalsen said the lawmaker was still waiting to see more details about the plan, such as how hard it will be to pass the online competency tests.

"We're all interested to see how that's going to work," he said.