I agree that criticism of the speech is overblown. Way overblown. Overblown to the point of being stupid. It would have been better for Republicans and conservative pundits to wait and see what Obama actually said.

Should people keep an eye on Obama in regards to education. Considering Obama’s past actions, of course they should. Through the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, Obama funded Bill Ayers’ radical school agenda.

Obama’s actions on education are even more relevant than his words on healthcare.

But the conservative right blew it big time on this one, in my opinion.

Obama and Ayers Pushed Radicalism On Schools

When Obama chaired the Chicago Anneberg Challenge he heavily funded Bill Ayers Small Schools movement among other radical education groups.

Mr. Ayers is the founder of the “small schools” movement (heavily funded by CAC), in which individual schools built around specific political themes push students to “confront issues of inequity, war, and violence.” He believes teacher education programs should serve as “sites of resistance” to an oppressive system. (His teacher-training programs were also CAC funded.) The point, says Mr. Ayers in his “Teaching Toward Freedom,” is to “teach against oppression,” against America’s history of evil and racism, thereby forcing social transformation.

Here is a part of a speech that Bill Ayers gave in Venezuela in 2006.

… We share the belief that education is the motor-force of revolution, and I’ve come to appreciate Luis as a major asset in both the Venezuelan and the international struggle—I look forward to seeing how he and all of you continue to overcome the failings of capitalist education as you seek to create something truly new and deeply humane.

…Jailed for ten days, I met several activists who were finding ways to link teaching and education with deep and fundamental social change. They were following Dewey and DuBois, King and Helen Keller who wrote: “We can’t have education without revolution. We have tried peace education for 1,900 years and it has failed. Let us try revolution and see what it will do now.”

… Teaching invites transformations, it urges revolutions small and large. La educacion es revolucion!

…This World Education Forum provides us a unique opportunity to develop and share the lessons and challenges of this profound educational project that is the Bolivarian Revolution.

Viva Mission Sucre!
Viva Presidente Chavez!
Viva La Revolucion Bolivariana!
Hasta La Victoria Siempre!