Ed Brayton is a journalist, commentator and speaker. He is the co-founder and president of 
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has an article about a program that funds tutors for underachieving students, including some tutors that use methods drawn from Scientology.
A tutoring agency in Cobb County with ties to the Church of Scientology has drawn critics along with federal dollars.Applied Scholastics pledges to offer only secular lessons. But critics who lodged four complaints last year against the nonprofit --- which uses Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard's teachings --- wrote they feared it wouldn't keep ideology out of the classroom.
State education officials began an annual inspection in February and will observe the group's tutoring this month. The review will include making sure Applied Scholastics' policies and teachings are geared toward secular instruction, officials said.
Here's the bind that Scientology is in. They want to be a religion because that means they don't have to pay taxes, but when it comes to getting funding for things like this they're better off not being a religion. My heart bleeds over this conflict.
Supporters argue the program is nonreligious and has helped students overcome learning problems. Opponents argue it's a veiled way for Scientology --- which some opponents charge is a cult --- to bring its ideas to children and their parents.Applied Scholastics uses Hubbard's "study technology," described on the group's Web site as "a system of learning how to learn." Hubbard argued that a tutor needs to work closely with students to overcome barriers to learning by breaking down complex ideas.
Critics argue that Hubbard's framework and terminology used in StudyTech mimic the practices of Scientology. People joining Scientology are assigned an "auditor" who helps them break down barriers.
A spokeswoman for St. Louis-based Applied Scholastics said the tutor does not teach Scientology, but does use Hubbard's educational practices.
"Our organization is not a religious organization," said Keri Lee. "There is no connection to any church. We use Mr. Hubbard's teachings. And we are really grateful for them."
It must work. Look what it's done for Tom Cruise.
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Comments
As long as they only tutor in subjects for which they are qualified, I have no problem with the program. Of course, there aren't that many public (or even private) schools which teach such things as walking through walls.
Posted by: (((Billy))) The Atheist | March 7, 2009 9:36 AM
If you took a look at Scientology "scriptures", you'd probably say they weren't religious. They don't look religious to me. But courts have held that the religious bit comes in because people are taught to believe what Scientology says - even when it is contrary to the evidence.
So, if you took a look at Study Tech documents on their own, you'd probably say it wasn't religious. But compare them to Scientology "scriptures" and there's virtually no difference.
You can do that here: http://www.studytech.org/scriptures.php
Dr Dave Touretsky from Carnegie Mellon University has analysed Hubbard's Study Tech and shows how it helps Scientology indoctrinate people into the cult: http://www.studytech.org/study_tech.php
eg. You are taught that any question or doubt you have must be a misunderstood word. It's not possible that Hubbard could be wrong. You are wrong. You must go back and learn it properly.
Posted by: Max Champion | March 7, 2009 9:52 AM
IMHO the scientology enterprise is so tainted by mind control techniques, both subtle and not, that I trust no scientolgist in the tutoring of my children.
They can practice whatever spirituality they want, but keep their hands off my children.
Let tax dollars go to organizations that actually have the best interests of their clients' social and educational needs at heart.
Posted by: alice | March 7, 2009 10:05 AM
Yeah Alice you're right -
WON'T ANYONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN????
Oh wait, that only applies to 'crazy' left-wing types, not crazy, creepy right-wingers... sorry.. oops am I bad? - DJ
Posted by: DingoJack | March 7, 2009 10:12 AM
The concept of Hubbard's "study tech" is in itself a farce. Hubbard flunked out of college in his second year. He purchased a doctorate from a fraudulent mail-order "school," and claimed for a while that he was "Dr. Hubbard," which he felt lent credence to his bogus pseudo-science self-help scam.
David Miscavige (Scientology's current leader), Tom Cruise, and John Travolta are all high school drop outs. How interested in "education" in the traditional sense, could any of these people be. It is as Tom Cruise said in his video: "We are the authorities on the mind." Scientology is nuts to any rational person who has not been brain washed in the cult.
The Scientology reverse pyramid scam, often with its front groups which claim they are not the church of Scientology, has the aim of replacing education, government, medicine and business, with Hubbard's world domination scheme of mind control. People! Hubbard was a science fiction writer for goodness sake, and not even the best at that.
Posted by: Roman Moss | March 7, 2009 10:19 AM
Even assuming no link to Scientology, why don't educators ask what credentials Hubbard had as an educator for them to use a program based on his "teachings".
Posted by: Joe | March 7, 2009 10:21 AM
Scientology is nothing but an organized crass, mind-controlling, scheme to make money for a small group of its leaders.
So it is a religion.
Posted by: Rob Jase | March 7, 2009 10:35 AM
From a citizens perspective, how can a government entity not vet the basis that this tutorial program is founded upon? L Ron Hubbard was not an educator or authority on this subject. L Ron Hubbard has no credentials as an educator.
It is at the state level that is the issue here. Where is this vetting process? How can those that make these laws no see what this "Applied Scholastics" is all about?
This so called "Study Tech" is the cornerstone of scientology's belief system. This same "Study Tech" is also used by another arm of scientology. That being "NARCONON".
These 2 scientology front groups, yes front group prey on the down trodden within society. It preys on those who are uninformed. On a state level this must be taken seriously. The very foundation of our society is built on our ability to teach our young people.
Would you the citizen want to play with your child's future by using the teachings of a science fiction writer? I hope not!
Posted by: Gumby | March 7, 2009 10:40 AM
Scientology would have you believe that Hubbard was more compassionate than Jesus, wiser than Gandhi, smarter than Einstein, and had as big an impact on civil rights as Martin Luther King. In reality, he was a pill-popping bigot, who thought critics of scientology should be "disposed of quietly, without mercy."
Scientology's matrix of front groups extends into education, humanitarianism, drug treatment and disaster relief. One of the accomplishments of which they've boasted, in their small role of getting in the way of other volunteers at the 9/11 disaster site, was that they helped block "the psychs" (real professionals who were there to offer trauma counseling) from getting to people.
On the street, their recruitment efforts of FREE PERSONALITY TEST or FREE STRESS TEST, never have a sign saying "Scientology." Let me make it easy, anything having to do with Scientology, or the teaching of Hubbard, is bogus and has not undergone peer review.
People in charge of public funds, inviting anti-drug speakers to their schools, or adopting a teaching method even for a volunteer tutor, let alone one you have to pay with public or private funds, needs to investigate, otherwise, they fall prey to this cult.
Posted by: Roman Moss | March 7, 2009 10:53 AM
Even if it didn't have the religious associations it seems to be really crappy pedagogy. The page provided by Max Champion clearly explains why. That reason is more than enough to choose other tutors.
Posted by: aracne | March 7, 2009 11:02 AM
As any critic will tell you, any written word supported by a Church must, necessarily, be THE WORD OF GOD. And, should anyone, anywhere, accept the slightest tidbit from the hand of a Church, their thoughts forever afterward will be KNOWN and ENFORCED! hahahahaha
Posted by: Terryeo | March 7, 2009 11:04 AM
I'm thankful for fringe religions like scientology. They provide an alerting slap upside the head to the chorus of right-wingers who want christianity to invade government.
Posted by: David | March 7, 2009 11:40 AM
Ed stated:
A more illuminating observation would be to look what it did for John Travolta's now deceased son.
I see religionists efforts more in the light of what many religions do, abuse children by either attempting to indoctrinate them to perpetuate the faith or where the adults submit to their dogma even when it risks the well-being of children.
This was what Travolta did when he disallowed his son from getting properly medicated merely because one drug treatment plan failed within the context of his son's condition where its normal for some experimentation to occur to fit the right drug to the patient.
Posted by: Michael Heath | March 7, 2009 11:50 AM
Roman Moss:
"People! Hubbard was a science fiction writer for goodness sake, and not even the best at that."
He was among the worst.
David:
"I'm thankful for fringe religions like scientology. They provide an alerting slap upside the head to the chorus of right-wingers who want christianity to invade government."
As if they wouldn't employ the same tactics if they could figure out how to do it.
Posted by: democommie | March 7, 2009 1:33 PM
An actual educator, Dr. David S. Touretzky of Carnegie Mellon University has researched Scientology's "Study Tech" known by their front group as "Applied Scholastics" and has completely dis-credited it as a legitimate learning method, unless the end result of "learning" is mind-control and Scientology indoctrination. Dr. Touretzky's report can be found at www.studytech.org
Of course, the cult of Scientology has run a program of "fair gaming" (Google "Fair Game" for more info on this nefarious practice) on Dr. Touretzky, which is what they do to harass and destroy anyone who dares to criticize them. Sounds like something a church does, huh??
Expose the Cult of Scientology!
"Scientology is a totalitarian political movement disguised as a criminal racket disguised as a cult parading as a religion hiding behind 166 front groups."
Posted by: Anon | March 7, 2009 1:40 PM
Please, results speak for themselves. Mr. Hubbard was one of the brightestpeople in his time. As an author of practically every genre, a student of philosophy and the mind, he is more than qualified to have an opinion that merits listening. Einstien failed math too. Independant thinkers tend to challenge ideals. I am also concerned about religion being taught to children. But I believe that all religion should be taught. But factually, Applied Scholastics will not teach Scientology. Our education system today is a far cry from ideal. We were better educated in reading and arithmetic a hundred years ago. It is amazing to me that we would not do something about that. Would you rather have your child on Ritalin? Mr. Hubbard's educational teachings work. They are simplistic and powerful in bringing the best out in person.
Posted by: Greg Lang | March 7, 2009 1:52 PM
Well, actually Terryeo, a critic of religion wouldn't say that, "any written word supported by a Church must, necessarily, be the THE WORD OF GOD." Quite the opposite.
I think you need a little tutoring before you're ready for Sarcasm 101. Perhaps a remedial course in Basic Logic would help too.
Posted by: plum grenville | March 7, 2009 2:12 PM
Hey Greg? Einstein never failed math. He was a middling student, but he excelled at math. However, you could be talking about some kid named Einstien, whom I never heard of, so you could be right about him failing math.
Independent thinkers probably don't have to learn how to spell things correctly, either. Amirite?
Posted by: Jonathan | March 7, 2009 2:19 PM
Urban legend, Greg.
Greg, did you take 5 seconds to think about how plausible that story was before you repeated it? I guess that was a stupid question.
The story doesn't even make a coherent point if it were true. Your argument seems to go like this:
Premise 1: Einstein flunked math.
Premise 2: Einstein was a brilliant, innovative thinker.
Conclusion: Therefore L. Ron Hubbard is a brilliant, innovative thinker.
You weren't schooled using Scientology methods by any chance, were you?
Posted by: plum grenville | March 7, 2009 2:31 PM
I'm afraid you need some extra tutoring for the vocab section on your SAT, Greg.
Posted by: plum grenville | March 7, 2009 2:47 PM
Greg: I failed Algebra in the 8th grade. Perhaps that was what you were thinking of.
Posted by: kehrsam | March 7, 2009 3:16 PM
Perhaps I was mistaken about Einstien. My point however is that some of our best minds learned on thier own, in a library or with a keen understanding of the field.
Posted by: Greg Lang | March 7, 2009 3:53 PM
A quick look at wikiquote yielded these wonderful life-affirming quotes from the visonary that is L.Ron Hubbard.
* If attacked on some vulnerable point by anyone or anything or any organization, always find or manufacture enough threat against them to cause them to sue for peace.
* A truly Suppressive Person or group has no rights of any kind and actions taken against them are not punishable.
* This is the correct procedure: Spot who is attacking us. Start investigating them promptly for felonies or worse using our own professionals, not outside agencies. Double curve our reply by saying we welcome an investigation of them. Start feeding lurid, blood sex crime actual evidence on the attackers to the press. Don't ever tamely submit to an investigation of us. Make it rough, rough on attackers all the way.
* ENEMY: SP Order. Fair game. May be deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of the Scientologist. May be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed.
* The names and connections, at this time, of the bitterly opposing enemy are: 1. Psychiatry and psychology (not medicine). 2. The heads of news media who are also directors of psychiatric front groups. 3. A few key political figures in the fields of "mental health" and education. 4. A decline of monetary stability caused by the current planning of bankers who are also directors of psychiatric front organizations [that] would make us unable to function.
Posted by: Marc Abian | March 7, 2009 4:02 PM
Posted by: Taz | March 7, 2009 4:15 PM
I admit that there's a certain "evil genius" in concocting an elaborate scam to "love bomb" people into a cult, brainwash thousands of dupes into believing the placebo effect is something other than what it is ,or that various head states wrought by mind control drills are liberating.
Forget Hubbard's bad grade in physics! What about his purchase of a mail order doctorate? He perpetually capitalizes on the stupidity of the public and especially the gullibility and vulnerability of his own followers, while pandering to their vanity. You'll have super powers, and be super humans! It's the psychs! Do you know how delusional all this sounds to a sane person outside the cult?
In his hundreds of lectures, no advanced ideas of scientific, medical, mathematical or even psychological mastery are revealed, just his own ever changing and self-contradictory claptrap, (take a more expensive, higher level course, if you really want to understand it) along with fantasies of Xenu, DC-8 replicas, volcanoes, trains on Venus etc.
Maria Montessori was a medical doctor, and an educator who found a proven, effective learning method that is still in use today. While some of the Hubbard schools like to advertise that they use some of her methods, so people know it isn't all about Hubbard brainwashery, the part of study tech that is Hubbard's is pretty much worthless, or inefficient except for indoctrination. Telling kids they can apply this dictionary method in life, and to learn anything they want.
Hubbard studied German in college and got a crappy grade in it. He never learned to read in German or any other foreign language. He couldn't even apply the damned dictionary method to learning a 2nd language, let alone learning something about science or math.
And look at the Scilons we have posting here. Morons all. Can't Scientology hire some articulate people to argue for their pathetic cult?
Posted by: Roman Moss | March 7, 2009 4:18 PM
Unfortunately Greg, Hubbard spent a lot more time writing, and scamming, managing the business affairs of his cult empire, than he did self-educating.
In botany, he e-metered one too many tomatoes to be taken seriously, although if you want to believe he freed them of pesky alien souls, well, you know how deep in the doo-doo you are. He was certainly imaginative, energetic for years, and charismatic, but the only quality he possessed that was boundless, was greed for money and power.
Like a dictator, he often didn't care whom he had to walk over, or even destroy, to get it.
He earned lots of respect from his followers, but that was not satisfying for him, because he considered all his followers to be stupid (at least in the sense of being terribly gullible); a prerequisite for believing in Scientology. By hanging around obedient minions, and communing with 20,000 of the greatest minds in the universe by zipping around out-of-body, Hubbard shielded himself from interacting with well educated minds, or leaders in the fields of science, math, psychology, or even spirituality, or religion here on Teegeeack.
Posted by: Roman Moss | March 7, 2009 4:49 PM
Premise 1: Einstein flunked math.
Premise 2: Einstein was a brilliant, innovative thinker.
Conclusion: Therefore L. Ron Hubbard is a brilliant, innovative thinker.
Wait. Are you saying that L. Ron Hubbard failed math!?!?
Posted by: Greg Laden | March 7, 2009 5:21 PM
It's funny, Ed - normally when you trigger a keyword, legions of poorly-educated opponents appear to spam your comment thread with ill-mannered attacks on you and your post. Apparently, though, posting on the keyword "Scientology" summons several anti-Elronners to support you...and one poor lone deluded fool to face the wrath and corrections of both the drive-by posters and the regulars alike.
For those of you who normally don't post here, but stopped by to join in the takedown of Scientology - I'm not objecting to your visit, I simply am amused that you seem to outnumber Scientology's own blog response squad. Maybe they should stop recruiting actors, and recruit some computer geeks instead.
Posted by: BobApril | March 7, 2009 7:19 PM
Applied Scholastics has no tie to Scientology? Read the Wikipedia page on its CEO:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bennetta_Slaughter
And on its parent umbrella group, the Association for Better Living and Education:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_for_Better_Living_and_Education
If it weren't part of Scientology, it wouldn't have been included in the IRS/Scientology lawsuit settlement agreement.
Posted by: Jim Lippard | March 7, 2009 8:17 PM
Where's the "perhaps" about it, Greg? Big boys and girls admit it when they're wrong.
Perhaps you don't know how to spell the name of the most famous scientist in the world either.
Posted by: plum grenville | March 7, 2009 8:58 PM
Greg's obviously not a Clear, otherwise he'd have perfect recall of the correct spelling of Einstein's name.
I guess there's still an attempted-abortion engram they haven't gotten rid of or something.
Posted by: Dave2 | March 7, 2009 10:30 PM
As Terryeo says, Scientology
is all things to all people, it's an educational system, it's a drug-rehab, it's a religion when taxes apply, it's a floor-wax that will clean your windows too. But there's one common denominator, all these things make money for the Church of Scientology, per L Ron's directive, "MAKE MONEY. MAKE MORE MONEY. MAKE OTHER PEOPLE PRODUCE SO AS TO MAKE MORE MONEY."
- L. Ron Hubbard, Hubbard Communications Office Policy Letter, 9 March 1972, MS OEC 384"
Here's another quote that sheds some light on Mr Hubbard's worldview,""The names and connections, at this time, of the bitterly opposing enemy are: 1. Psychiatry and psychology (not medicine). 2. The heads of news media who are also directors of psychiatric front groups. 3. A few key political figures in the fields of "mental health" and education. 4. A decline of monetary stability caused by the current planning of bankers who are also directors of psychiatric front organizations [that] would make us unable to function."
- L. Ron Hubbard, Hubbard Communications Office Policy Letter, 16 February 1969, "TARGETS, DEFENSE"
Posted by: bob dobbs | March 7, 2009 11:21 PM
BobApril, Scientology's own "blog response squad" is pretty limited these days. Scientologists use special software filters to block out "entheta" (bad vibes). Most Scientologists are limited to their official Church-approved sites, or other sites that don't contain the words Scientology and "cult" on the same page.
Hubbard taught that learning about Xenu, before a Scilon dumped over $200,000 and many years to reach OT3 (where the Xenu story is revealed), might cause the Scilon to get pneumonia, die, or in the very least lose some zombie shine. Scilons probably have another word for it but it eludes me at the moment, and most of their stuff is utter nonsense anyway.
Even though most Scilons are pretty much lobotomized by their surprisingly effective brainwashing techniques, members involved in too much internet activities have been known to start actually "thinking," or reading tidbits of the real history of L. Ron Hubbard or the organization. "Thinking" in Scientology is a no-no. It interferes with their "knowingness." They have no motto like "the truth will set you free." Their motto is "shared delusion binds us together as ronbots for a billion years, awaiting the glorious return of our chain-smoking leader."
The big taboo on "thinking" (about anything other that the complete veracity and brilliance of every one of L. Ron's words and concepts) is that it may lead to not spending huge sums of money on courses and auditing, which would cause a member to quit paying up.
They have to keep their propaganda team very small, to avoid attrition. And also, the more they expose their crazy theories to the public, about "the psychs" and other things, the more negative attention it draws to them. So, Tom Cruise has clammed up. Their midgetary dictator (David Miscavige) doesn't even seem to be appearing in public in recent months. I don't think he loves L. Ron anymore, and he's trying to get as many of his accounts closed out, while looking for a good plastic surgeon in Bolivia.
The Scientology term for a thinker, is "terrorist." Personally, I wouldn't give a crap about what they believe, if they weren't trying to take over the world, and influence people through nitwits like Cruise. Their on-the-street recruiting methods are also disgusting and deceptive. I know it seems unlikely that they will get very far in their bid to take over the world, but still, I never thought a fool like George W. Bush could become president.
Long live scientific inquiry.
Posted by: Roman Moss | March 8, 2009 12:02 AM
On a somewhat related note, l have this line of thinking more-or-less justifying removing Theology departments from universities in my country. Part of it is that publicly-funded, supposedly secular institutions shouldn't be supporting what amounts to a private initiative (religion is considered a private matter to most people here, not a public matter).
Posted by: Heraclides | March 8, 2009 5:14 AM
I like study tech. It is basically a set of tools you can use to better understand what you learn. The key point in study tech is to understand the words you study. If you don't understand them then you will not be able to fully apply what you have learned.
http://www.scientologyhandbook.org/SH1_1.HTM
http://www.scientologyhandbook.org/SH1_3.HTM
Posted by: FrankG | March 8, 2009 6:01 AM
FrankG = "Exhibit A" for teh stupid.
Posted by: democommie | March 8, 2009 7:25 AM
Yes, Study Tech: It's like using a dictionary, except you're in a cult!™
Posted by: Dave2 | March 8, 2009 3:27 PM
Jesus. Between this and the ID situation a couple years back, I'm glad I wouldn't want to be raising children in Cobb County.
Posted by: Ginger Yellow | March 9, 2009 6:25 AM
My point however is that some of our best minds learned on thier own, in a library or with a keen understanding of the field.
yeah, so?
if .01% of successful people got that way because they survived a plunge off of a 20 story building, would you be quick to follow them?
or would it make more sense to look at how the 99.99% of the rest of successful people accomplished something in a much more sane fashion?
Ever see the movie "Tommy"?
yeah, I know, it was made by and features evil rock and rollers (*horror!*). Still, I think you might larn a little sumpin-sumpin.
Posted by: Ichthyic | March 9, 2009 9:48 PM
http://www.studytech.org/2009/01/applied_scholastics_applicatio.php
You can download the application at the link above.
Posted by: Liz Ditz | March 15, 2009 5:37 PM