Has anyone mentioned accelerated Christian education, using the PACE learning system?

I was shocked to see that it's still alive and well, now called "school of tomorrow."

Kids are put in a large room with one teacher and one or two aides. Each child sits in a cube and works on workbooks at their own "pace," the child corrects their own work and takes a test at the end of each learning packet. You aren't allowed to speak, move around the room or look outside of your cube. If you need to ask a question, you have to put a flag in a hole drilled into the top of your cube, then eventually the only teacher in the room might come and tell you to figure it out for yourself, eventually you don't ask questions.

55 out of 60 minutes are spent in the room. Kids can earn extra time out of the room as a reward. Beyond the PACE workbooks, kids are required to memorize entire chapters of the Bible and recite them - this basically consumes all other free time away from school. The school I went to also required extensive speed-reading on machines, with tests to see how much was comprehended.

The learning packets, at least when I attended in 1977-79, were a joke, and were written very poorly. Their website says this:

[i:9c5dc97e73]The curriculum is built on a theistic philosophic foundation. Students learn to see life from God's point of view. Their personal relationship with God and their personal responsibilities to family, church, and community are of primary concern.[/i:9c5dc97e73]

I vaguely remember using odd words to replace normal words. All the learning was based on the goals you set for yourself.

I came to this site because a family friend became involved in Landmark. After reading about their methods, it hit me that this is what happened to me and that's probably why it was bothering me.

I remember that I eventually just gave over to it because I kept getting in so much trouble for questioning anything. I was considered a head-strong kid that needed more discipline - after I decided to go along with it, everyone was nice to me. As sick as it sounds, I remember feeling superior to them because I "knew" how things really were and I was just going along with it as some kind of inside joke to myself. Of course the joke was on me.

I went back to public school in 10th grade but nothing meant anything to me anymore, I had lost all interest in any type of formal education.

Thats really sad...and i find that expecially sad because education is so important.....That is aufull that your were subject to such horrible treatment and even more so that you lost your love for learning thats almost a death to the spirit

However you have the opertunity to retrain yourself and become a very learned individual. Learning is supposed to be fun and one's curosity should lead you into great adventures

history is like story telling, but the cool part is that it is true (acuracy may vary however)

science is amazing because it shows us how our world works and makes things that are mysterious become understandable
I always say that without science we are doomed to rely on superstition to understand our world

litature is really cool cause it is a time capsule into the deep thoughts and culture of the writers time from a partispants point of view

socail studies and other humanities is my faverate because it helps us understand ourselves and humanity as a whole and predict how humanity and even people will change through the passage of time

grammar although hated by most students is a very important tool in writen and spoken comunication which will (if used correctly) help you comunicate your ideas, thought and knowlege correctly...grammar is like the showy feathers of a peacock.....no one will know how smart you are unless you articulate correctly

the arts are very important to flexable thinking...through art we learn to problem-solve and lose fear of performance and learn to play again

forgien languages are the doors of opertunity to explore other cultures unhinered by language barriers

math although ..i personaly suck at it is essentual to operating in a complex world and algerbra helps people think abstactly

and so education is vital but can also be very enjoyable
get into a hobby of learning something new each day

you will find leaning fun

Jojo

Hi there, i am GentleStormi,


i am a survivor of the Lester Roloff Rebekah Home for Girls in Corpus Christi Texas.
This and his other unlicensed homes that have branched out across the US and even across the Mexico Border...have all circulated around the use of ACE to educate.
i went thru teh ACE, and i can tell you now at age 41, it is an irresponsible way to educate kids. It fails in teaching young people to think, it teaches robot memory and did not for me, nor otherrs i have spoken with, promote the mind to think and grow. it just inputs data that is meaningless outside of thinking, and expects the student to "spit it out" for an "A" on thier test...not a good way to teach children to think and discern...!! it is the kind of education cults would love to use, as it helps cults to control what people [b:e30b4d6887][i:e30b4d6887]do[/i:e30b4d6887][/b:e30b4d6887] think...

here is a link concernnig the Rebekah Home for Girls , the articles name is: Remember the Christian Alamo, by Pamela Coloff, printed in December 2001 issue of the Texas Monthly article.

[www.tfn.org]






---------------------
Hi, i am a Survivor of the Roloffs Rebekah Home for Girls from Corpus Christi Texas.
Lester Roloff was an extreme right wing fundamentalist, who had a very severe narcissistic personality disorder and exhibited grandiosity on a large scale,

He began many juvenile facilties across the United States of America. Fighting State government oversight, to keep State oversight out of his locked up facilities where we girls were being shattered behind closed doors. (they were not "homes" nor "churches", they were locked down facilities detention facilities for socieity's throw away abused kids)

There was a constant stream of mindcontrol in the place, one of the most henious of which were the Night time tapes we had to listen to when asleep at nights. They would play them between 3 am and 4am, and it was not your regular 'sermon' tapes. But what i refer to as "Roloffs Scripts" he read to us in our sleep.

along with the mindnumbing chanting of scriptures, for hour at a time.
We girls were not guilty of anything other than being from homes that had abused us and in need of some good counseling.

These homes by Lester Roloff were mindcontrolling cults.. i know , i was there when i was 15 and i am now 41, and still trying to find my mind and know my own self, and have the true God mend the shatters of my spirit back together.

Thank you for having this wonderful forum here!

I have a group for Roloff Sisters Survivors,
here is the link to the group at yahoo:

[groups.yahoo.com]

i have the Roloff Survivors Site webpage up and running at:

[roloffsurvivorssupport.bravehost.com]

it is constantly being updated
we have a guestbook and it is open to sign.

thanks

Patricia Alexander
Roloff Rebekah Cult Survivor to Overcomer
1977-78

dolphynseabee@gmail.com

How awful! After reading the link, I feel just sick - I am so sorry for what you've been through.

Hi,
Thank you for reading that link to the news article! i am grateful that you did and that you seem to understand...

sincerly
Patricia A.
Roloff Rebekah Cult Survivor to Overcomer
1977-78

[roloffsurvivorssupport.bravehost.com]

[groups.yahoo.com]

lanajae,

I can understand some of what you are talking about, since I was also involved in the ACE program for 6 years and in fact, graduated from an ACE school.

It is a great deal different from the traditional school systems, but it didn't have the same affect on me that it did on you. If anything, my great desire to learn was fueled by the mistakes I saw in that system. When I went to college, I worked extremely hard and maintained a high GPA.

I have good and bad memories from high school, like I'm sure most people do. I choose to focus on the good ones, and be sure I have learned from the bad ones.

It seems quite clear to me just from reading your post that you have not suffered academically from the situation. Your writing is clear, coherent, and grammatically correct. Surely you must have been able to glean something good out of a bad system.

God bless, and look to the future...

Quote
joythruchrist
lanajae,

I can understand some of what you are talking about, since I was also involved in the ACE program for 6 years and in fact, graduated from an ACE school.

It is a great deal different from the traditional school systems, but it didn't have the same affect on me that it did on you. If anything, my great desire to learn was fueled by the mistakes I saw in that system. When I went to college, I worked extremely hard and maintained a high GPA.

I have good and bad memories from high school, like I'm sure most people do. I choose to focus on the good ones, and be sure I have learned from the bad ones.

It seems quite clear to me just from reading your post that you have not suffered academically from the situation. Your writing is clear, coherent, and grammatically correct. Surely you must have been able to glean something good out of a bad system.

God bless, and look to the future...

Thank you for writing. Fortunately, prior to attending that school, I had been in a traditional school, so for me, it was more like taking a two year break. I did not learn in the ACE system, I memorized.

Did you attend a Christian college or university? Some of the seniors were not able to get into colleges - I can't remember why, it was something about the credits and I think that Liberty University was one of only a few schools that accepted ACE kids without question.

Were the children in your school physically punished by the headmaster? Ours carried a canoe paddle with holes drilled in it (to get more air during the swing). He did not hit me, he lifted it once and I told him to go right ahead, and child protective services would be visiting him (so you can probably understand why I was considered head-strong there).

I'm really happy to hear how well you've done. I'm not blaming ACE entirely for my situation, but it did take me many years to regain the desire to learn, and I know that is the area where I suffered while attending an ACE school. It's great to have a positive attitude, but I think it's more important as individuals to get the word out on a flawed and illiterate system such as ACE.

lanajae,
You know, now that I think back, I too was in a much better school prior to my time in an ACE school. This probably prepared me better as well. I doubt that I learned anything much in ACE either.

I didn't attend a Christian college; it was a community college in my area. (Florida). They didn't seem to have any problem regarding my transcripts. But again, it was just a community college.

There was "corporal punishment" in my school, but I don't remember getting any myself except for a ruler on the hand. I'm sorry, I'm sure you didn't mean for your story to be funny, but I had to laugh when you said you challenged the headmaster by threatening to call the law! That took courage!

I certainly wouldn't want you to think that I'm taking a pollyanna approach to my experience there. I am in agreement with you that it is a very flawed system, though I have no idea whether there have been improvements through the years. I actually haven't checked into it; I guess I put it all behind me.

Though it is a flawed system, maybe your experiences had even more to do with the people in your particular school. Take people that are already abusive , add a flawed educational system... Well, we all know what happens.

I agree that we should speak out on things we believe in. Maybe now that two of us have, others will follow.

I attended a ACE school in the 1980's. It was a private, secluded facility run by members of an Apostolic congregation in southern Alberta.

I remember vividly the cubicles, not being allowed to talk or otherwise communicate with your neighbor. Everything was regimented. Even at a grade 3 level we were required to memorize extensive portions of scripture & quote them from memory in morning chapel. The headmaster would randomly select a student to stand and quote their assigned passage. If you were not prepared you certainly suffered the consequences.

Physical punishment was used frequently, even on children as young as 6. Girls wore skirts/dresses. Makeup & other 'trappings' were frowned upon.
The teachers themselves were not liscensed, but lay members of a local congregation.

I am suprised to learn that this philosophy is still being used within Christian circles.

Quote
joythruchrist
lanajae,
You know, now that I think back, I too was in a much better school prior to my time in an ACE school. This probably prepared me better as well. I doubt that I learned anything much in ACE either.

I didn't attend a Christian college; it was a community college in my area. (Florida). They didn't seem to have any problem regarding my transcripts. But again, it was just a community college.

There was "corporal punishment" in my school, but I don't remember getting any myself except for a ruler on the hand. I'm sorry, I'm sure you didn't mean for your story to be funny, but I had to laugh when you said you challenged the headmaster by threatening to call the law! That took courage!

I certainly wouldn't want you to think that I'm taking a pollyanna approach to my experience there. I am in agreement with you that it is a very flawed system, though I have no idea whether there have been improvements through the years. I actually haven't checked into it; I guess I put it all behind me.

Though it is a flawed system, maybe your experiences had even more to do with the people in your particular school. Take people that are already abusive , add a flawed educational system... Well, we all know what happens.

I agree that we should speak out on things we believe in. Maybe now that two of us have, others will follow.

Oh, I didn't mean anything towards you at all - sorry it came out that way. I am really glad you wrote, it's nice to hear from someone!

The teachers at my school were okay, actually there was only one "real" teacher for the 7-12 grade group and another for the K-6 group, which was in a different section, the other employees were just aides. The headmaster was crazy IMO - but he was rarely in the actual room.

I laugh too when I think back to having the nerve to say something like that.

What bothered me the most, and the reason for my post, was that my husband and I have a friend who got involved in Landmark Education. I really couldn't figure out why I was so upset (except for the obvious), but then I realized it was probably because of the ACE schooling. Thinking back, the kids who had attended it for several years (or at least prior to becoming a full-fledged teenager), were so indoctrinated, and seemed to me to be robot-like. I think the isolation, memorization homework, and the way ACE was designed is similar to how some of these LGATs work. Like you, I had put it all behind me, but reading the LGAT stories drudged up some old memories.

About a year ago I looked up what I could find on ACE through the internet and it seems to be more of a home schooling thing in the US now. It's based out of Texas and called The School of Tomorrow now.

Canada has several ACE schools and people there have charged the ACE system with being anti-semitic. They found this in PACE workbooks:

[i:a6558d26b3]Ghitter found ACE materials that argued “all kinds of Buddhists and Muslims are evil.”

An ACE workbook said the Jews had “followed their father, the devil,” then asked students to answer the following question: “The Jewish leaders were children of their father, the devil (true or false)?”

The ACE curriculum dismissed evolution and espoused “creation science.” Science booklets instructed, “Not all sickness is caused by demons, but some sickness is.”[/i:a6558d26b3]

I remember some similar statements, and I'm ashamed that I was a part of that, even though it wasn't by choice. The demons/sickness is one I remember clearly - I know that most mental health illnesses were considered demonic in ACE science.

I'm happy to hear that you didn't have any trouble getting into college.

Thanks again for posting here and I hope that this might bring in others, or may discourage some parents from considering this type of education for their children (or at least look into it further).