A Fairy Tale Reform

No! No! We must have a standard curriculum for the entire nation. This is the only way. The best way. The American way.

And then, from the annals of American public education reforms, we find this…. If only we were so brave and rebellious. But then, that’s not in America’s history, is it?

Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Once upon a time, there was much unemployment, poverty, and homelessness across our land. Leaders tried one thing after another to end these grim conditions. Nothing worked.

In the midst of these bad times, however, a small group of educators, upset over what our youth were learning in high schools decided to take action.

Schools were dull places. Students listened to teachers, read books, and took exams. Schools were supposed to prepare students for life but much of what they studied they forgot after graduating. Worse yet, what they had learned in school did not prepare them to face the problems of life, think clearly, be creative, or fulfill their civic duties. Complaints to school officials got the same answer repeatedly: little could be done because college entrance requirements determined what courses students took in high school.

So to give high schools the freedom to try new ways of schooling…

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