Category: National Education Dialogue
-
LIBERTARIANS ARE PIRATES
Libertarians now working to control legislatures and governments find these words offensive: WE THE PEOPLE These words are the basis of our government. The government that has brought people together to build America. America does not exist to support those who feel that it is their right to profit from or destroy collective efforts like…
-
True Learning Does Not Result From Standardization
This blog addresses education vs inculcation via standardization. THE LEARNING PATH …I wanted to test the outcomes of my teaching approaches, my assumptions, and my new programs. I learned that the system did not have up-to-date tests, or the types of tests that could give me the input I needed. I feared some form of…
-
The Great Majority Of Parents Have Voted
It has been over twenty years since frustrated educators, idealists, and those wanting to destroy public education offered School Choice, and partial schools, as options for parents. These experiments have been given more than a fair test. The results of this gamble are now clear. The great majority of parents – nearly 90% – have…
-
Splintering And Shattering Our Communities
There are forces at work that are so destructive they can shatter the hopes and dreams of our citizens and splinter our communities. Our communities serve the needs of citizens via good schools, good medical facilities, good policing, good and great services in almost every area. However, there are forces of greed and power that…
-
Getting Our Heads Out Of The Morass
Edward R. Murrow once said: “I am in a financial morass from which I am unable to extricate myself.” Many States are in a political morass as a result of a planned assault on America. The question is, how do we extricate ourselves? In Arizona, one of the most corrupt states, leaders are emerging who…
-
Saving Community Schools
“We did not declare this war, but we have to win it.” Diane Ravitch 1. Define what is worth saving Parents across America are fighting for quality education. There are many options, but only one addresses the needs of the complete child: Comprehensive Education. What is that? It is a well-balanced curriculum like the curricula…
-
Charter Schools are Set-up To Fail
For many years, I have written about the charter school movement. As you know, I label the majority of these schools “Partial Schools,” because they deprive students of a comprehensive, interdisciplinary curriculum. They discount the need for teacher certification and experience, and they duplicate many services and programs the taxpayers are already providing. What happened…
-
We Need To Know … We Don’t Want To Know
IS EDUCATION REALLY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS TO All CHILDREN? If so, where are the follow-up studies of those dropped on their heads by the schools? We don’t have information – at least not in any district or charter schools I know of – about the kids pushed out of schools. We like to call them…
-
President Obama Destroyed His Educator Base
The Obama administration, and especially Arne Duncan, dealt a blow to educators, parents and educated citizens when they sided with corporations like Pearson, and those who believe a punishing blow to teachers and public community schools will improve American education. The USDOE is now an agency without credibility, driven by ideologies that are not based…
-
Opening The Door To the Space In-Between
There are questions we don’t ask because…? Maybe we never thought about the possibilities and couldn’t form the question. Or, maybe we thought about the possibilities and decided that what we imagined couldn’t happen – even if the changes wrought would make a significant contribution. This is a true story, my story as a young…