THE BECOMING RADICAL
Radical Scholarship
the becoming radical
A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness
by
Civil Rights Issue of Our Time?
While the credibility of challenges leveled at the current education reform agenda—such as commitments to Common Core or the rise of “no excuses” charter schools—is often called into question throughout social and mainstream media, I see little to no questioning of political mantras of education crisis, utopian expectations for schools, and the consistent refrain of education reform being the civi
Conditions of Teaching Are Conditions of Learning: On Students
I’m not prone to New Year’s resolutions, but I have decided that with the arbitrary designation of a new calendar year, I have a way to focus on new commitments, specifically in how I interact in the virtual world. So when I read a derogatory comment on one of my blog posts (describing my post with “stupidest” and then making a word choice error or typo), I resisted the urge to comment, but posted
JAN 02
Classroom Teaching Experience and Whose Voice Matters
For about two decades from my early 20s into my early 40s, my first (and I believed only) career was public high school English teacher. Around 2002, I moved to higher education where I am primarily a teacher educator but also maintain in part a role as a teacher/director of writing in our first year seminar program—meaning I have been a teacher now for 31 years. Throughout my time as a K-12 publi
remnant 47: “I’m not sure all these people understand”
remnant 47: “I’m not sure all these people understand”.
JAN 01
“A Question of Power”—Of Accountability and Teaching by Numbers
Almost three years ago (March 12, 2011, at OpEdNews), I posted the piece below and then adapted it as a section of Ignoring Poverty in the U.S. (IAP, 2012; see Chapter Five: The Teaching Profession as a Service Industry). Below I am posting the draft version from Ignoring (with a few added hyperlinks), and feel that the key point about the misuse of accountability—drawing on a scene from Ralph Ell
DEC 31 2013
An Open Letter to K-12 Teachers: A Call for Solidarity
In the U.S., “solidarity” and “community” are very difficult concepts. Having lived my entire life in the rural South, I’d argue ”solidarity” and “community” are nearly foreign concepts here—a very painful claim to make. But the South is an important phenomenon to examine in order to come to some understanding of what it means to be a K-12 teacher in U.S. public schools. The rural South includes m
Gary Rubinstein on TFA and CC: Plus Predictions for 2014 and 2024!
Gary Rubinstein on TFA and CC: Plus Predictions for 2014 and 2024!.
DEC 30 2013
“They ask only opportunity”: Helen Keller and Those Who Will Not See
The evolution of my fully understanding formal education began when I was very young and learning moment by moment at the feet of my mother, who taught my sister and me to play canasta (a complicated two-deck card game related to rummy) and love Dr. Seuss well before we started first grade. Of course, I thought I knew something about school after 16.5 years that culminated in my undergraduate deg
DEC 29 2013
A Reminder: “The Children Do Notice”
Most of us who teach are now in a moment of pause, between semesters, between classes. Although we are mid-academic year, we are facing a new calendar year, traditionally a time to reflect, recommit, and redirect. I offer below a repost of a piece from 2011, something I think that is enduring and important—a lesson from a student of a former student of mine, now a teacher. “The Children Do Notice”
AlterNet 2013
While I am often critical of mainstream media’s contributions to the education reform debate, I want to pause at the end of 2013 and point you to my pieces posted at AlterNet, in part to ask that you visit AlterNet often and acknowledge the wonderful work done their in terms of education. I hope as well you have found or will find my work there has contributed positively to the cause: Why Charter
Conditions of Teaching Are Conditions of Learning: On Students
Conditions of Teaching Are Conditions of Learning: On Students
Classroom Teaching Experience and Whose Voice Matters
Classroom Teaching Experience and Whose Voice Matters
DEC 30 2013
"They ask only opportunity": Helen Keller and Those Who Will Not See
"They ask only opportunity": Helen Keller and Those Who Will Not See
Truthout: Faith-Based Education Reform
Faith-Based Education Reform: Common Core as Standards-and-Testing Redux