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1) Educational Freedom for a Democratic Society
A Critique of National Educational Goals, Standards, and Curriculum
Edited by Ron Miller
This is a bold and provocative book about the most important educational
issue of our time. It is essential reading for everyone involved in
educational policy and administration, and it is certainly vital reading
for anyone concerned about the future direction of education in the
United States.
On Sale for This Week Only! Find Out More and Order Online At:
http://www.edrev.org/edfrfordeso.html
2)
72 Hours Left to Register for AERO Conference @ Low Spring Rates!
The title says it all. There are only 4 days left to register at our
current low rates. Less than 80 days until the 5th annual AERO
conference. Join hundreds of educators, students, parents, individuals,
and administrators from around North America for this incredible
gathering.
Find out more and register at
www.AEROConference.com
Highlights of 5th Annual AERO Conference:
The 5th Annual AERO Conference: "Moving From Ideas to Practice"
This year's AERO conference will take place June 26th - 29th at Russell
Sage College in Troy, NY. In addition to our theme, you'll find many new
and exciting elements at the conference as well as many of the familiar
highlights that make the event what it is. Our keynote speakers this
year are Deborah Meier, Matt Hern, Donna Barker, Mary Leue,
Lindsey Rogowski & Wesley Clark, and Khalif Williams. Detailed
information about the speakers can be found online at:
http://www.aeroconference.com/speakers.htm
Highlights include a beautiful opening ceremony featuring Global Village
Photographer Connie Frisbee Houde, International School & Organization
Fair & Exhibition featuring dozens and dozens of some of the most
interesting and unique alternative schools and organization worldwide
(yours can be included!), Low Registration Costs, Free Child Care!, Open
Workshop Space (attendee led workshop time), HUGE Bookstore with over
125 titles!, "How to Grow a School" AERO's Start a School 101 3-Part
Workshop Series, Morning & Afternoon Tea & Networking Time, Keynote
Speaker-Led Workshops, Featured Workshops with Pat Montgomery
(founder of Clonlara Home Based Education Program), Chris
Mercogliano (author of In Defense of Childhood, Teaching the
Restless), Charles Eisenstein (author of The Ascent of
Humanity), Tim Seldin (president of The Montessori
Foundation and International Montessori Council), Ron Miller
(author What Are Schools For? and Free Schools, Free People) and many
more!, Book Signings, Talent Show & Open Mic, Dancing, Lots of Student
Participation, and so much more!
3) NCLB Administrative Tinkering Fails to
Address Flawed "Test-and-Punish" Policies Initiated by Nation At Risk
Misdiagnosis; 25-Year Testing Fixation Has Not Improved Ed. Quality or
Equity
FairTest
National Center for Fair & Open Testing
for further information contact:
Jesse Mermell/Monty Neill (617) 864-4810
or Robert Schaeffer (239) 395-6773 for immediate release, Tuesday, April
22, 2008 after Sec. Spellings’ Detroit speech
Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings should mark the 25th
anniversary of A Nation at Risk by seeking an overhaul of the "No Child
Left Behind" (NCLB) law, which stemmed from the report's misdiagnosis of
educational problems. Instead, the administrative changes she proposed
today fail to address the deep flaws in NCLB, according to the National
Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest).
"A Nation at Risk launched the country’s high-stakes testing movement,"
explained FairTest Executive Director Jesse Mermell. "The resulting
test-and-punish policies have not led to significant improvements in the
quality of public education. That’s particularly true for the minority,
low-income, disabled and immigrant students society has left behind."
"The major problem in U.S. schools was not the 'rising tide of
mediocrity' blamed by A Nation at Risk," added FairTest Deputy Director
Dr. Monty Neill. "Then and now a yawning gap in educational opportunity
dragged down academic achievement."
"National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data demonstrate the
failure of NCLB, the latest phase of the over-testing trend," Dr. Neill
continued. "Since it became law, progress has slowed or stopped entirely
in both reading and math. That's because repetitive drilling for tests
undermines high-quality learning."
"It’s time for a different approach," FairTest’s Mermell concluded.
"Government must mandate fewer standardized tests. Instead, we should
help teachers use high-quality assessment tools to diagnose student
needs and improve learning. Schools need better support, not
counter-productive sanctions."
The Forum on Educational Accountability (FEA), chaired by FairTest, has
offered detailed recommendations for overhauling NCLB. FEA’s proposals
are based on the Joint Organizational Statement on NCLB, signed by more
than 140 national education, civil rights, religious, disability, civic
and labor groups.
Proposals for overhauling NCLB are online at
www.fairtest.org and
www.edaccountability.org
4)
Errata and Responses to the Antioch Story
One of our readers, an Antioch graduate, pointed out that it was wrong
to say that Antioch University might be closing. It is Antioch College
that night be closing. The various university divisions such as Antioch
Seattle and Antioch New England Graduate School are doing quite well and
will remain open.
Also, our magazine editor, Ron Miller, reminded us not to underestimate
the Antioch Alumni who have raised more than a million dollars in an
attempt to keep the college open.
5) Democracy At Risk Forum
On Wednesday, April 23 I attended the news conference of the Forum for
Education and Democracy at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.
The title was “Democracy at Risk.” The Forum is a think tank of
progressive thinkers in public education. I am personally familiar with
some of its members, such as Debbie Meier, who will be a keynote speaker
at our annual conference in June. She was a pioneer in the movement for
small schools and empowerment of teachers in New York City and Boston. A
key convener was Linda Darling Hammond, formerly at Columbia Teacher’s
College and now based at Stanford. She is also a key education advisor
of Barack Obama.
I arrived early for the 8:30 event and was able to speak to Darling-Hamond
and express our concerns about The No Child Left Behind Act and how it
was negatively impacting us as alternative educators as well as
education in general. She said that Obama was well aware of the
situation and, if he is elected, to expect drastic changes within his
first year. It is our wish that the initiative be scrapped altogether.
Perhaps the most influential attendee was Representative George Miller,
Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. One dubious
distinction that he has is as one of the four original authors of No
Child Left Behind. It was pointed out however, that despite the
destructive effect that the act has had in forcing schools to “teach to
the test” and eliminate activities that addressed the whole child, it
did make visible previously neglected minority children. On the other
hand, it was also pointed out that, even by their own testing standards,
that students in the United States have retrogressed in relation to
students in other countries since the act came into effect, and the gap
between whites and minority students had grown greater.
John Merrow of PBS fame was the moderator of the event. He promised that
the audience would be able to ask questions of the panelists but let
things go on a little long, and fielded few audience questions. Although
I had some pointed ones for most of the panelists, I never got to ask
any. Debbie Meier had said to me before the start that she hoped I would
have some challenging ones. She knew that I would, especially since the
three hour philosophical debate that we had at a restaurant when we were
both speakers at a seminar in Moscow, Russia last September. John Merrow
does know me and perhaps he decided to avoid trouble by not taking my
questions.
One of the points I would have raised is their absence of discussion
about private alternative schools and homeschooling, although this was
mentioned by Milton Goldberg, one of the first speakers. He talked about
doing research by going around the country speaking to students,
teachers, parents and administrators from public and private schools. I
believe that one of the most important sources for change in the public
school system comes from outside the system, by independent alternative
schools and homeschoolers. Many of these would take public money if they
didn’t think it would destroy them. Yes the best public democratic
schools have recently been forced to close down by conservative boards
or have been under attack. And homeschoolers fear public funding for the
same reason. One public program for homeschoolers in Oregon has recently
been rescued from the chopping block, but for how long? Another
democratic public alternative in Oregon, Blue Mountain School, has
thrived for ten years. Based on Sudbury Valley, a democratic school in
Massachusetts, its graduates have had a tremendous success record.
But local reactionaries who feared the school’s approach of democratic
process and empowerment of students were able to elect four school board
members. According to Oregon charter school laws, they were then able to
vote 4-3 to close the school, and tried to do it mid-year!
The school was able to legally stop that, but is still in a fight for
its life. After the Forum I talked to Claudio Sanchez of National Public
Radio, whom I’ve known for many years. He hadn’t heard of this
situation, and wanted to know more, perhaps to do a story about it for
NPR. So, no matter what else happens, if such a story is able to help
save Blue Mountain this trip will have been well worth it.
I had lots of other questions. For example, the report is called
“Democracy at Risk,” a throwback to the “National at Risk” report of 25
years ago. But they did not talk specifically about empowering students
and using true democratic process, as independent democratic schools do
all over the world. What better way to imbue students with democratic
values than to enable them to experience democracy in their schools?
Also, there was a lot of reference to educational research. But that
research is systematically ignored, going all way back to the famous
Eight Year Study. I believe the reason is that the established education
system functions more as a religion with traditional practices based
more on ritual and faith. It doesn’t seem amenable to research. How will
they deal with that?
One somewhat frightening idea is extending the system to preschool.
Homeschoolers also fear this. What if the system runs preschool the same
way as our current system? Might this not extinguish natural curiosity
and children’s natural learning ability at an earlier age? Let them try
to become effective for older children before extending low a lower age!
Anyway, I never got to ask these questions, but it was an interesting
trip and will be a successful one if we are able to help save Blue
Mountain School.
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