Second Thoughts About Education
Considering controversial issues.
Monday, January 2, 2023
ARE MOST AMERICANS EDUCABLE OR MERELY TRAINABLE?
Thursday, December 22, 2022
THE DISCOMFORT OF THOUGHT vs THE COMFORT OF CERTAINTY
There is an essential tension between the risks of thought and the comforts of certainty. The comfortably certain sense that the glue that holds their world together is soluble when immersed in inquiry. So, whenever possible, they wipe out that threat by stifling the search and muzzling, even murdering, the thinker.
For similar considerations see www.newfoundations.com
Monday, December 19, 2022
HOW MULTICULTURAL SHOULD OUR SCHOOLS BE?
Immigrant children are flowing into our schools from all over the globe. And they bring with them a bewildering, often conflicting, variety of cultural beliefs and practices. Teachers have to deal with a new, multi-cultural America that is struggling to life in their classrooms generating multiple problems and unique opportunities.
To further examine this and similar educational issues, see articles at www.newfoundations.com
Monday, November 28, 2022
TRASHING THE VALUE OF ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS
For a more detailed examination of this and related issues See Dissecting School Benefits"
Wednesday, November 16, 2022
HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS? you've got to be kidding
Was Secretary Duncan worried about a Bush-era ruling falsely classifying thousands upon thousands of would-be teachers still in training as "highly qualified?" ("Highly qualified" teachers were required by the federal No Child Left Behind law.) No, no, no!. Arne wasn't worried about that at all. In fact, under his 'leadership,' the Education Department continued to apply the Bush administration's ridiculously weak standards. And when a federal judge ruled that this anemic policy clearly violated the No Child Left Behind "highly qualified" requirement, President Obama quickly signed a bill lowering that NCLB standard to the equivalent of breathing. This, predictably, the issue of a man with an elite private school education.
Monday, October 31, 2022
PARENTS DECIDING WHAT SCHOOLS TEACH: really?
Remember when Democrat Terry McAuliffe was competing with Republican Glenn Youngkin in the tightly contested Virginia gubernatorial race? They were facing off in a final televised debate, and were discussing school curricula and library books related to race, gender identity and sexuality when Youngkin charged that school systems were “refusing to engage with parents.” That's when McAuliffe made the mistake of countering “I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach.” That might well have cost her the election.
Sunday, October 16, 2022
MULTICULTURALISM: probing the limits
For a more detailed treatment of this subject see: http://newfoundations.net/?page_id=303