Utopia vs. 'Real Politics'
Dear Diane,
It was fun to catch even the last 10 minutes of your speech last week at AERA in New Orleans. It was too bad that half or more of the audience couldn't get in to hear you. (I finally found a secret rear door to sneak in.) And thanks for exposing to one and all that I have lived 10 years longer than I had planned. 8o is surprising, but I like it. I encourage others to aim for it.
Two experiences come to mind as I read your blog and heard you speak. It's said briefly in the title to Mike Rose's book: Why School?
In September 1969, I asked 20 5-year-olds this question while teaching at P.S. 144 in Central Harlem: "Why do you suppose your parents sent you to school instead of keeping you at home with them?" (Or something like that.) They had lots of first-round responses. "To learn to raise your hand." "To learn to line up." "To learn to talk only when the teacher tells you to." "To take turns," and so on. Finally, one child said: "To learn to read." I