Smells Like. . .Another Strawman Argument
Genuine dialogue feeds the essence of a free and democratic society as well as a classroom dedicated to human agency and democratic principles. But this foundational principle veers away from its fertile possibilities and toward corrosive results when the voices driving the dialogue stop being informed and slip into predictable patterns that fail all sides of the debate.
As a New York Times columnist, David Brooks is the steward of a privilege held by few, which makes hisrecent column on Diane Ravitch's role in the current education reform debate even more troubling.
Brooks is no amateur in the education market place of ideas, having spurred the robust charter school miracle narrative that is mostly ideology and public relations. Like his hasty and inaccurate claims of "miracle," Brooks' rebuttal of Ravitch fails for a recurring reliance on the strawman argument as well as
