Nate Bowling sees the current national controversy over Critical Race Theory (CRT) in simple terms. “It’s white backlash plus moral panic.” Mr. Bowling is not an uninformed observer. He is a social studies teacher and the 2016 “Teacher of the Year” for the State of Washington. He was quoted in the school administrators’ “trade paper,” … Read more
Imagine if a neighbor, coworker, or salesperson shows up at your home. You reluctantly let them in, and they instantly start criticizing your home’s decoration and cleanliness. You are well within your rights to ask that person to leave. If they refuse, you could then call in the authorities. Law, custom and manners are all … Read more
“It is an ill wind that blows no good.” The origin of this phrase is unknown, but it is accurate, even if the ill wind is the Wuhan virus. However, something good in this wind may be something called “pandemic podschooling.” Maybe. Similar ideas are labeled cooperative homeschooling, microschooling, or simply podschooling. Free Book: Return … Read more
The segment of society that was least prepared for the Coronavirus crisis was education. The whole education model – public, parochial, and private – involves bringing together children from many families into a single room. Everything from circle rugs in preschools to the large university classes in lecture halls shares this common characteristic. Free Book: … Read more
The world of American education is replete with catchphrases. Even those outside the education establishment have probably heard, “If you can read this, thank a teacher” or “Build schools now or build prisons later.” One catchphrase that got some traction at the end of the Cold War was: “It will be a great day in … Read more
A recent article by Dana Goldstein in the New York Times about the Common Core displays a common tendency among liberals. They never acknowledge that their pet programs can fail. When a “progressive” proposal fails, the left never goes back to construct an entirely new scheme. They return to their overriding goals, tweak the old … Read more
Once again, the educationists are racing to create ever more absurd ways to “teach” children. The recent controversy over the proposed California Social Studies Curriculum is one example. This proposal was so ridiculous that the word history was spelled hxrstory (pronounced her-story) to be more inclusive. Fortunately, this proposal was rejected. However, similar minds in … Read more
Modernity is defined by the Enlightenment idea that reason can be turned into a god. If an idea was rational, then it must be true. By this logic, people normally do not do irrational things and therefore are naturally good. Human misbehavior can be attributed not to individuals but defects in society. Based on these … Read more
The American educational system is always awash with proposals for “change” or “reform.” There are plenty of opportunities. Every time the legacy of John Dewey fails, the educationists rework Deweyism and call it “change” and “reform.” Only the ideas of Karl Marx have failed more often than those of John Dewey. Common Core is only … Read more
Students who are searching for objective truth should shy away from any course with the word “Studies” in its title. Centered on opinion, persuasion, and propaganda, these courses seldom include rigorous evaluation of provable facts. According to the Hoover Institution, California’s educationists1 have been handed a defeat in their attempt to impose a wildly liberal … Read more
