The example of using a red correcting pen is not the only thing teachers are forbidden to do. Often they can’t effectively teach phonics, spelling, handwriting, traditional tried-and-true math algorithms or use other means of direct instruction. Instead, students are put in “collaborative” groups, while teachers are encouraged to step aside and let them “take charge of their own learning” (constructivism) to the point that many kids fall through the cracks. The use of psychology and the emphasis on “collaboration” to come to “consensus” in order to instill political “values and attitudes” is also copiously woven through the curriculum and part of the methodology.
Much of this started with Goals 2000 and continues to this day.