As for your ending questions, your swimming analogy is very accurate, so reformers must be able to garner every social, academic, technological, and emotional tool life has given them.

Be ready to be tired every night.

I did some cursory work on the psychology of whistle blowers a while back. Every one of them said it was a mistake to have done their whistle blowing, but then, amazingly, every one of them said they would not hesitate to do it again if the opportunity arose. THAT is what is required so that the school moments we have don’t become Irrelevant.

Our U.S. public system from the beginning exists to create a citizenry that shares a common educational experience. From its earliest days the system focused on producing laborers with refined school sets.

The whole world of Catholic schools in the United States is a reaction to this lack of a higher purpose in education.

That being said public education is vitally important to the success of our nation. How it recaptures its soul and begins to teach students to think critically, live humanely, and lead boldly I do not know. But I would imagine in starts with a committed few. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it’s the only thing that ever has…” – Margaret Mead. It starts with being deliberate about mission.

The thesis of the book as found on the inside flap and on the website reads,

“The thesis of this book is simple: the nation’s fundamental institutions, by intent or by default, have abandoned the historical Western idea of education and thus have opened the door for a hostile takeover by corporate America. The result is an educational system, if it may be so called, that has been robbed of its essential human nature (educare) and turned into a rationalized process designed to produce profitable workers, according to industry specifications. The individual is diminished to servitude; true democracy rendered impossible.

There is no correcting the existing system. It cannot be reformed, reinvented, restructured, or salvaged. It must be utterly destroyed and new systems of learning and teachings created -systems worthy of human beings. The suggestions offered here are an attempt to begin the action.”

Post 2 follows up with an unexpected wrinkle that left me wondering about the connections to Corporate America…Let me know what you think. http://ricktanski.wordpress.com/2008/02/14/unencorporating-education-the-purpose-of-schools-part-2/

Regrading post 2, it certainly seems that corporations are being poised to take over education (think about GREEN DOT who just took over in Los Angeles). I don’t think the Gates foundation helps the matter either. His direct link to business and his notion that schools should prepare for workplace is bothersome.

Your hunch is right. We do need to crush the current system. How do we do that and feed our families? How do we build anew when the conventional thought about what school should be is clearly aligned with the corporate paradigm? Ask many parents and they will tell you that what worked for them will work for their kids. We are an island unto ourselves Rick. I fear our educational system is too large, too well funded, too embedded in the psyche of Americans for us to change. But I will press on (as you will) on classroom at a a time, one teacher at a time, one school at a time. Remembering what my first principal taught me: I am but a farmer planting seeds waiting for harvest.

My oldest son is enrolled in a Catholic school (as will my two other sons when the time comes). We love the education he is getting, because, as you say, “The whole world of Catholic schools… is a reaction to this lack of a higher purpose in education.”

As a high school administrator, many of my teacher colleagues ask about my kids being in Catholic schools. I tell them, without a care of their feelings, “I will never let me kids attend a school run by a labor union.” They wince, then walk away. But I should also add to my comment, ” I want my sons to be independent and find meaning in learning.” I like throwing zingers at union hacks.

In the end, I find that Catholic education is indeed more meaningful. But so is the Montessori schooling. I like them too. The problem with those schools is that the call for a lot of transitioning; most Montessori’s only range three years or so. The students must transition from one school to another far too much.

Keep the faith Charlie! If Catholic education could pay my bills, I’d get off this Titanic!

I want to add that you can extend your criticism to junior colleges and universities. For almost everybody higher education is only to get a better paying job. And the quasi-colleges that have sprung up – the tech centers, training centers, and online course providers for continuing education or certification in all kinds of fields. Sometimes education just looks like one big racket.

Society has an interest in turning out better workers, but to me this takes advantage of parents’ anxiety for the success of their children. For a lot of people public school is the only option. They can’t afford private schools. So they send their kids to school because schools are supposed to prepare kids for work or college. That’s the deal.

In Europe there is still a little of the sense of education should enlighten one and expand one’s horizons. I taught English over there, and some of my students’ parents told me they wanted their children to speak English to have access to more knowledge – not just to go to an American graduate school. I’m afraid the experience for American schoolchildren is only going to be more utilitarian. An education that really produces a well rounded, thinking, creative person is going to be restricted to the very rich who can afford prep schools.

Good night and good luck!

People outside the homeschooling world often don’t take my criticisms of public schooling (or my Gatto quotes) seriously. I’m a wacky radical who’s turned her back on the system afterall. It really helps to be able to point out that my thoughts are very often similar to the thoughts of people working IN the system.

My hope is that those of us who homeschool also help those in the system. That by homeschooling we’re helping to create space for a real discussion about education.