🚀 go-pugleaf

[ Article crossposted from alt.religion.scientology ]
[ Author was Deana M. Holmes (NED for OTs Series) ]
[ Posted on Thu, 31 Jul 1997 14:34:13 GMT ]

The people proposing the charter school for the LAUSD deny that there is
any connection between them and the Church of Scientology, yet they want
to use Hubbard tech, oops, make that "educational methods" in the
schools.  

I suppose that they will be using books from Applied Scholastics,
particularly since some of Applied Scholastics' books have been approved
for use in California schools.  I did a little web searching on Applied
Scholastics and its links...

I first went to http://www.appliedscholastics.org .   I noticed that
there was the usual unknown net.awards on the page.  I also noticed the
following link on the Applied Scholastics front page:

Read the new Los Angeles Issue of Freedom! (aka
http://www.freedommag.org/english/la/issue01/page00.htm )

Clicking on that took me to an issue of Freedom mag tailored especially
for Los Angeles.  I didn't waste my time reading obvious Scientology
propaganda.  I did notice that the top of the Freedom mag webpage said
<TITLE> About Freedom Magazine - The Voice of the Church of Scientology
in Los Angeles
Premiere Edition</TITLE>

Now, WHY, oh WHY, would an allegedly SECULAR study method have links on
its web page to the CoS's Freedom mag?  Is it because, despite the
denials from those who want to use this stuff in our schools, that this
stuff is part and parcel of the Scientology way?  The plot thickens...

I decided to skip looking through the Big Win pages and to hear about how
Anne Archer (a known Scientologist) is a sponsor for Applied Scholastics.
Instead, I cut to the chase...I went to the bookstore. And lo and behold,
the bookstore link took me here:

http://www.able.org/book/book.htm

Hey, waitasec!  This isn't Applied Scholastics anymore, this is ABLE!
So, what is ABLE?  It's another of the infinite number of Scientology
shell organizations:  Association for Better Living and Education.

Clicking on ABLE books http://www.able.org/book/BOOK1.HTM gets you this:

A page with the following books on it:

(from the top)

The Way to Happiness by L. Ron Hubbard
Clear Body, Clear Mind by LRH

(and then a dividing line)

How to Use a Dictionary by LRH
Study Skills for Life by LRH
Basic Study Manual by LRH
Grammar and Communication by LRH
Learning How to Learn by LRH

I've reposted an analysis of the Basic Study Manual (BSM) already.  I
think it's worth noting that this book is on the same page as these other
Applied Scholastics titles, yet it seems to me that BSM is designed to
slot kids into the Scientology mold.

And here's the URL for Learning How to Learn, which I believe is the book
approved by the CA dept of Education:

http://www.able.org/book/html/stl2.htm
Learning How to Learn
The basics of effective study for 8 to 12-year
olds, fully illustrated. Children who read and
apply the materials in this book regain their
enthusiasm for study and their ability to apply this
knowledge in life. Get this book for a child you
want to see win at his studies!
Hardcover: $43.75

Now, as a former manager of a college bookstore, let me say that I am not
opposed to publishers making a profit on their books.  And to be
perfectly honest, $43.75 is not out of line for a textbook.  What I would
like to ask, however, is whether the people who work at Applied
Scholastics are actually being paid or if they are considered
"volunteers" and get the absolutely *skimpy* stipend given to other
"volunteers" in the Scn organization.  I have a suspicion (more than a
suspicion, in fact) that the money made by Applied Scholastics goes to
the coffers of the Church of Scientology in one way or another.  Either
Applied Scholastics is getting a break on its labor expenses by using
"volunteers" to print the books, or they may be beneficiaries of Scn's
blanket tax exemption gained from the IRS, or they may actually be
funnelling "profits" to the CoS.  Or all of these things.  I think this
is worth checking into, but it's a bit outside what I'm doing here, which
is exploring the links between Applied Scholastics and the CoS.

And finally, lest one *not* believe that Scientology is not closely and
intimately involved with Applied Scholastics, let's look at the Internic
listing for appliedscholastics.org:

Applied Scholastics International (APPLIEDSCHOLASTICS3-DOM)
   7060 Hollywood Boulevard, Suite 200
   Los Angeles, CA 90028
   US
 
   Domain Name: APPLIEDSCHOLASTICS.ORG
 
   Administrative Contact:
      CSI Domain Director  (CDD-ORG)  admin@SCIENTOLOGY.NET
      (213)960-3500
   Technical Contact, Zone Contact:
      CSI Domain Administrator  (CDA8-ORG)  hostmaster@SCIENTOLOGY.NET
      (213)960-3500
   Billing Contact:
      CSI Domain Director  (CDD-ORG)  admin@SCIENTOLOGY.NET
      (213)960-3500
 
   Record last updated on 20-Nov-96.
   Record created on 10-Apr-96.
   Database last updated on 31-Jul-97 04:16:21 EDT.
 
   Domain servers in listed order:
 
   NS1.SCIENTOLOGY.ORG          198.95.10.17
   NS2.SCIENTOLOGY.ORG          198.95.10.18
   NS1.BARRNET.NET              131.119.245.5

<end Internic listing>

I assume that if the contacts are all part of "Church of Scientology
International" and the site is being served off ns1.scientology.org, that
there is more than just a casual connection there.

Obviously, there's a lot more work that needs to be done here.  I
personally would like to get copies of the Applied Scholastics books for
review purposes.  If anyone has copies that they would be willing to lend
to me, please contact me at mirele@xmission.com.  (No, I am not going to
pay for them!)

Hope this info is useful.

Deana

Deana M. Holmes
alt.religion.scientology archivist since February 1995
NEW! 4/97 *and* 4/96 Poster Child for Clueless $cientology Litigiousness
mirele@xmission.com