Parents Told How To Fight Outcome-Based Schooling

Peg Luksik, co-founder of the National Parents’ Commission, told a group of parents concerned with the effects of outcome-based education to define their issues, set standards and stick to both.

“When you look like you have changed your mind, you will confuse the membership,” Luksik said on Saturday. “If you can’t hold to your standards, how can you expect politicians to? You have to set your standards and stand still. They will move to fit your agenda.”

Most of the 30 or so people who attended the all-day conference were members of the Washington Parents’ Coalition for Academic Excellence. The group’s mission is to research and lobby against education reform - specifically outcome-based education.

The conference at the Old Country Buffet at Franklin Park Mall was sponsored by the coalition.

Issues included dealing with the media as a special-interest group and endorsing politicians.

The coalition, made up of members from every Spokane County school district as well as others throughout Eastern Washington, targets the public as well as lawmakers.

“We want to have some input about the substance and direction of students’ education,” said Jeanette Faulkner, director of public relations for the parent coalition group. “We want an input in what is taught and how it is taught.”

Faulkner said the group believes outcome-based education encourages less than 100 percent effort by students and, therefore, lowers test scores.

Luksik, who hails from Johnstown, Pa., and ran for governor there in 1994, also spoke to a group of about 135 people Friday night.

, DataTimes