Happy Birthday!: A Conversation About Education With César E. Chávez
Happy Birthday César Chávez! Often education “reformers” toss around civil rights as a justification for their “reforms.” See for example Reframing the Refrain: Choice as a Civil Rights Issue. If he were still alive today, how would César Chávez have weighed in on the school “reform” movement? I pose several questions about hot topics in education reform— then I have responded with well-known César Chávez quotes. In a few cases I have combined quotes and noted them as such.
Eli Broad, Michelle Rhee, etc.
Q: What do you think about Eli Broad’s “disruptive” and “unreseasonable” approach to education reform?
A: If you really want to make a friend, go to someone’s house and eat with him… the people who give you their food give you their heart.
Also see: The Broad Foundation and Broadies: Kings of “Disruptive” and “Unreasonable” Trickle-Down Reform
Charters and Vouchers
Q: How about charter and voucher approaches that help the few at the expense of the many?
A: We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community… Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own.
Also see: Charter Schools and Vouchers
Mexican American Studies
Q: What is your opinion on the banning of Mexican American studies in the state of Arizona?
A: Preservation of one’s own culture does not require contempt or disrespect for other cultures.
High-Stakes Testing and Accountability
Q: Is education policy too focused on high-stakes testing and accountability?
A: The fight is never about grapes or lettuce. It is always about people….Real education should consist of drawing
