On Bridging Differences, Core Knowledge board member Diane Ravitch asks two questions, one provocative, the other profound: “One, how did American education fall so effortlessly into the control of Know Nothings from the world of business, law, and politics? and, Two, how can we—that is, the American public—begin to talk again about schools that prepare students not only to take tests but to be engaged and thoughtful citizens, to participate in and enjoy the arts, and to have the interest and capacity to read a book that was not assigned by a teacher?”
Great questions.
Education reform feels as if it’s at a bit of a tipping point right now. Six years of NCLB and not a lot to show for it. Even accountability hawks acknowledge that an aggressive focus on testing is narrowing curriculum to an unhealthy degree. One of our deepest thinkers about education has thrown down quite the intellectual gauntlet. Who will pick it up?
