[Posted to the ACME [1] discussion list.]

As someone who went to a so-called good school in a largely white, upwardly mobile suburb of Boston, I need to say that the statement *does* match my experience: my honors classes were the lucky side of an education system that is an "artifice that makes such a pyrimidical social order seem inevitable."

Why did some of the smartest kids I know end up in what they, and everyone, termed dumb classes? I don't know -- it seemed to have a lot to do with 'do I expect to go to college' which probably came from family expectations -- but I sure as hell know school wasn't an environment encouraging people to reach their full potential.

Tracking, testing, class rank, even homework and losing points for missing assignments - the *structure* of school serves to cap students' potential, not unleash it, and the best hope you have is to get a slot on the highest track.

When students were sorted into teacher teams in middle school, these allegedly dumb kids picked up that we were in the dumb group. Maybe because I was oblivious to this (or because I was sick and homeschooled a lot of eighth grade), I was the only one from that group to push onto the honors track in high school.

What's really ironic is how laughably narrow, or shallow, this elaborate hierarchy is allowed to be. The range of what was taught from AP and honors through 1, 2, and 3 wasn't all that different-- and there sure isn't any place for genius.

A student who transferred in knew half-a-dozen languages-- he'd learn a language to read literature in the original. Our school had no place for that, but our valedictorian wouldn't have claimed the mantle of superiority he was given. And I'll never forget the day it became clear one of my friends had a much deeper understanding of literature than the AP senior English teacher.

An alternative to this system would have much less busy work, would concentrate on giving everybody a firm base, and would allow time and opportunity to pursue topics of interest much more deeply.

I was lucky enough to always have at least one excellent teacher from the fifth grade up. I think many, many teachers do great work. I respectfully request, however, that everyone in and out of education consider being outraged at a system that helps create inequality and hierarchy where none naturally exists.

- ben :: http://pwgd.org/ [2] :: http://AgaricDesign.com/ [3]

Antonio Lopez wrote:
> Terri,
>
> No, I went to a hippy alternative school, which I am thankful for. I was
> taught to question authority and even my own education. I didn't learn
> how to spell correctly but I did learn to become an independent thinker.
> After working five years in Native American schools, I have witnessed
> how completely alien the system of standards are to a way to being and
> thinking that I believe would be more beneficial and sustainable to our
> society. Sadly, I've been invited to a lot of career days at high
> schools and have found it difficult to compete with the military and
> police who show up with all their fun toys. Trying to promote civic
> journalism and media in schools these day is difficult when schools are
> required to turn the names, numbers and addresses of students over to
> the military. SInce I tend to work mainly in disadvantaged environments,
> public school these days remind me more of police states than nurturing
> environments designed promote the free and independent flow of ideas.
> There are always exceptions, however. There are great teachers, good
> school districts and terrific schools. But from what I have seen, if you
> are poor and a person of color, your chances for that kind of
> environment are minimal.
>
> On Mar 1, 2007, at 3:19 AM, Terri Buckner wrote:
>
>> Antonio Lopez wrote:
>>
>>> "School, as it was built, is an essential support system for a model
>>> of social engineering that condemns most people to be subordinate
>>> stones in a pyramid that narrows as it ascends to a terminal of
>>> control. School is an artifice that makes such a pyrimidical social
>>> order seem inevitable, even though such a premise is a fundamental
>>> betrayal of the American Revolution."
>>
>
>> Is that the way you think of your education?
>
---------------------------------------------------------------
>