The School-To-Work programs being implemented in most schools seem harmless. The problem is that they are being smothered by too many "cooks." They must be viewed in the context of the total education reform movement.

The original reason for radical change in American schools was the poor showing of American students on international tests. This prompted 3 presidents, the nation's governors, and leading corporate executives to call for a complete "reinvention" of American schools by the year 2000. The movement started innocently enough as an attempt to improve ACADEMIC performance through creativity and innovation. But as government officials started listening to endless teams of educators, sociologists, and psychologists, the reform movement reached daunting proportions. Academic improvement was no longer viewed as a primary goal. The stress shifted to ways and means of preparing students for the new kind of society and work expected in the new century. And so an army of "educrats" arose offering ways and means of achieving this.

Over 15,000 "outcomes" (later called "standards) were devised for students to meet. New emphasis was placed on what students should be able to DO as compared to KNOW. Learning became a matter of process rather than content. Students were to become "critical thinkers" and "self-directed learners." This was to be achieved through such methods as "multidisciplinary" classes, "hands-on activities," "cooperative learning," teachers as "facilitators," emphasis on "self-esteem," no memorization, homework, or grades, etc. As one scholar has written, "Process and conformity rather than knowledge and dissent" were to become the rule. The rewards? High-wage jobs in high-tech industries.

Where would the funds for such radical reforms come from? Mostly from the federal government, but just temporarily. New Acts were hastily introduced and passed by Congress incorporating most of the new ideas. These had such titles as Educating America Act(Goals 2000, subtitled 'A Strategy for Reinventing Our Schools'- 1994); Improving America's Schools Act of 1994; and School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994. Just as Goals 2000 underpins the entire reform with its ideas and funding, so will HR1617, the CAREERS Act (Consolidated and Reformed Education, Employment and Rehabilitation Systems - 1995) provide funding for the balance of this decade. And while each Act provides the reassurance that it is all "voluntary," few are the states and districts turning down the funds.

The fact that the basic school-to-work program is tied to federal funding should of itself set off some alarms. But the further fact that it is being aggressively supported by most governors and the top corporate CEOs, headed by IBM's Louis Gerstner, is cause for real concern. Big Government and Big Business are beginning to dictate the direction that American education is to take. Will schools become job-training facilities? Will students become mere "human resources" to fill the needs of the "workforce?" Will education become mere training? Will students be expected to become compliant workers? Plans are already in place not only to coordinate employment and academic skills, but to form local "workforce development boards" that will define the kinds of jobs that particular districts will concentrate on. Will students be limited in their career interests? If the sheer force of over-all academic knowledge enabled Americans to adapt from an agricultural to an industrial economy over the past century, why can't they adapt to the new technology in the coming century without radical change?

In order to grasp the extensiveness of the school-to-work reform, one need only read two documents. The first is a book by Louis Gerstner (and 3 colleagues) entitled REINVENTING EDUCATION: ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN AMERICAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS; and the other is a publication of the State Education Department entitled LEARNING STANDARDS FOR CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND OCCUPATIONAL STUDIES. Gerstner's book calls not only for the new kind of learning, but also for schools that resemble industries that are getting ready to compete in a global economy. The SED publication shows the extent to which career concerns will permeate every subject matter at every grade level. Starting with kindergarten, all students will be expected to achieve "learning standards" in the following areas: Career Development, Integrated Learning, Universal Foundation Skills, and Career Majors. Among the many subject areas to which students at the lowest elementary level will be exposed is the following: "Describe the changing roles of men and women at home and in the workplace." Career Majors include Business/Information Systems, Health Services, Engineering/Technologies, Human and Public Services, Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Arts/Humanities.

After reading these two publications, parents will be left with the following legitimate questions: Will my child be forced too early into a particular career? Will my child drop out of school once he feels the attraction of earning money? Isn't "job- shadowing" a temptation? Isn't talking about career goals in an English or Social Studies or Math class taking time away from the academic substance of those classes? How can teachers and schools keep up with everything that is being thrown at them? Isn't the idea of filling schools with make-believe shops, post- offices, and travel agencies run by students rather ludicrous?

It is clear that schools are being burdened with non-academic responsibilities of questionable value. These range from extensive social and health services to helping students decide career paths. Many schools are already experiencing a sense of chaos. The only help the public can offer is to convince legislators to shut off funding for the new fads. At the federal level there is HR1617(described above) and its counterpart S180. At the state level, it is Assembly Bill 5077. Last year grass roots groups succeeded in bottling both in committee. Funding from both will probably be limited to 5 years. After that, state and property taxes will take over. Write or call now.