i’m revisiting this
because of a conversation my husband had
with a coworker
whose wife was a teacher.
my husband was amazed because
his coworker’s wife had never even heard of homeschooling.
she actually thought it was a joke.
i challenge every teacher
or teacher-to-be
to read
the underground history of american education
by john taylor gatto.
while we’re at it,
i might as well also challenge every person who has gone to school
from kindergarten to college
to read gatto’s
dumbing us down.
these books may not change minds,
but they will certainly allow minds a peek outside of the proverbial box.
i read these when i was thinking about the options
for my, then, 3-year old, first-born toddler
and look where it got me!:
having fun in this daily, joyful struggle
instead of being a shuttle-bus driver
to and from “school”.
Arwen said,
November 6, 2009 @ 9:37 pm
I definitely want to read that. I am very interesrted in the history of our educational system and how we got to the point we are. I read something recently that pointed out that it wasn’t too long ago that it was the norm to educate your own kids and public schools were only really used by the needy.
ummSanaa said,
November 9, 2009 @ 2:38 pm
it’s been a while since i read gatto — definitely time for a re-read — but i do remember reading that institutionalized school was not the norm in the beginning of america’s history. parents taught their children at home. literacy rates were much higher then as well, interestingly enough. when the government decided institutionalized schooling was the way to go, there was MUCH resistance. the military was sent out to bring children to school. enjoy the read. share the knowledge. thanks for the comment.