I would, indeed, jump all over subjective rankings as part of a biased system. The straight A’s a student makes, whether from a rich school or a poor school, simply does not measure learning. There’s a hundred years of research on grades and grading, zero research that grades and rankings increase learning, and lots…

Well, you put it well enough. Education is correct to provide because it reduces human suffering, objectively. That seems reasonable. But justifying a policy because it “provides value back to society” seems subjective and also could justify any number of oppressive policies.

What is demonstrably untrue?

See, I think the purpose of funding public schools is the same purpose as the funding of healthcare. It’s just the right thing to do. We don’t fund healthcare so that people can live longer and contribute to the economy, and that shouldn’t be the reason to fund education.

There are many paths to reading comprehension and math. The “pushups” path is successful for some and unsuccessful for others. The ones for whom it doesn’t work deserve alternative approaches with demonstrable success. Right now, the “pushups” way is the predominant way, and when it doesn’t work, we blame the kids for…

Just because kids have no interest in learning the things you think are important, it doesn’t mean that they don’t want to learn.

I would say that your take is worse, as it’s not only so very old, but it’s demonstrably untrue. Every year, more and more kids are successfully transitioning into college and careers after having spent their childhood and adolescence deciding for themselves what, when, and how to learn.

Really? You think this is a terrible school that allows this?

Of course, learning the basics really does matter. My point is that schools are doing a bad job of teaching the basics. And it’s precisely because of the attitude that kids shouldn’t get to decide what to study.

If only school was good at teaching kids how to do those things. It’s demonstrably not. It’s very good at stressing kids out and making them feel like failures, even when they do well.

1.) What, exactly, did I write that was “uninformed?” What, exactly, did I write that was not factual?

You really shouldn’t throw the word “uninformed” around, if you don’t know who you’re talking to. I not only was in the profession for years, but there are people with even more expertise and advanced degrees in education who agree with me, and even think I’m too charitable in my assessment of conventional education.

No, that’s not the definition, but I’m sure it doesn’t matter to you. I really should have known that this would be as constructive and intellectually stimulating as discussing evolution or homosexuality with a religious fundamentalist, so I’ll just stop the feeding here. Adios Amoeba!

The word, “pedophile,” has a definition. By that definition, there is zero evidence that it applied to Bowie. It’s simply wrong to accuse someone of wrongdoing without evidence to support the accusation.

Calling Bowie a “pedophile” is as honest, accurate, and constructive as calling a woman who’s had an abortion a “murderer.”

The way to avoid assuming what children are suited for isn’t to force them to learn as much as you think is useful (a subjective and demonstrably failed approach); it’s to listen to them, to watch them, to trust them, and work in partnership with them on the things that matter to them.

There is zero evidence that the “pushups” in school (the loads of arbitrarily chosen trivia that kids are forced to temporarily memorize and regurgitate for tests) are useful. There is as much evidence to support the assertion that it has positive effects as there is to support the assertion that Noah got all those…

Lots of teachers are doing their very best in a broken system, getting rid of grades, pushing back against standardized testing, working with their students as partners. The bad ones think the system works well as it is, and usually dismiss criticisms with lazy ad hominems.

I think being as aware of the problems they (and you) face makes you more effective. It’s important the broken system has people working in it who know it’s broken. You help counter the effects of the people who think it’s working fine. So, thanks for that, and hang in there.

I would really love to see a movie about school that addresses the primary ways it not only fails students of color (in particular), but every other student who isn’t born with a mind and personality which naturally responds in positive ways to the arbitrary academic expectations and authoritarian environment the…