Draft GPUS Platform Amendment Education

Section title: Education

Section subtitle: Higher Education for All Citizens Our position: Equal access to quality public education, support for college enrollment.

Greens consider education a top priority of the social and economic agenda. Greens view learning as a lifelong, life affirming process to which all people should have access. Public K-12 education in the US must undergo a paradigm change in order to build a just, sustainable, humane and democratic future. Every child deserves an education in literature, economics, philosophy, history, science, PE, and the fine and vocational arts. Students deserve schools that foster critical and independent thought, and provide the breadth and depth of experience necessary to enable a constructive, free citizen.

We oppose the dissolution of public schools and privatization of public education. A quality educational experience is guaranteed by the empowerment of organized students, teachers, parents and communities. A quarter century of corporate funding has dismantled, privatized, and militarized public education, weakened teachers' unions, and diverted resources away from public schools, resulting in a crises for public education. Education, not indoctrination, prepares children to think critically and holistically.

2010 EDUCATION PLATFORM

1. Eliminate gross inequalities in school funding and ensure equal educational access for minority, deprived, special needs, and exceptional children. Federal policy on education should act principally to ensure equal access to a quality education.

2. Increase funding for after-school and daycare programs.

3. Provide creative, noncompetitive education at every age level, the inclusion of cultural diversity in all curricula, and the use of methods that promote all learning styles.

4. Establish a diverse set of educational opportunities, including bi-lingual education, continuing education, job retraining, distance learning, mentoring and apprenticeship programs.

5. Give K-12 classroom teachers professional status and salaries commensurate with advanced education, training and responsibility. Hire assistants, and provide adequate resources.

6. Support more interaction and transparency between legislators, districts, and onsite education staff.

7. Increase students' and parents' responsibilities to control and direct their education and schools.

8. Amend the "No Child Left Behind" Act to eliminate statewide, norm-referenced standardized testing in favor of criterion-referenced testing.

9. Provide free college tuition to all qualified students at public universities and vocational schools.

10. Oppose the administration of public schools by private, for-profit entities. Oppose vouchers, or any scheme that transfers money from public schools, such as charter schools.

11. Prohibit corporate campus advertising that promotes a culture of consumption and waste. Don't share students' personal information.

12. Ban the sale of soda pop and junk food in schools. Provide healthy, balanced meals and vegetarian options. Support Farm-to-School programs that provide food from local family farms and exchange of educational opportunities

13. Expand funding and access to higher education and life-long learning.

14. Loan-exempt college graduates who choose public service occupations, and allow repay as a proportion of earnings.

15. Decrease military and corporate control of university research.

16. End the militarization of our schools, and the expensive JROTC drain on our limited resources. Stop the ASVAB testing used to mine public schools for military recruiting. Forbid military access to students' records.

17. Teach non-violent conflict resolution at all grade levels.

18. Human sexuality education is a parental and school responsibility. Support of parents will enhance parental responsibility.

19. Include a vigorous and engrossing civics curriculum in later elementary and secondary schools.

20. Expand arts and physical education opportunities.

21. Recognize the viable alternative of home-based education.

22. Forbid districts to censor scientific information, and the promotion of belief as fact .

23. Provide adequate academic and vocational education and training to prisoners.