Is School Reform Needed or Not?
Robert Pondiscio of Democracy Prep writes again to Deborah Meier today.
Dear Deb,
My time here grows short. When I first agreed to blog with you here at Bridging Differences, we talked about a brief residency, November and December. The calendar has turned to April, baseball is back, the Mets are already in last place, and spring is at hand, even if it is 36 degrees and sleeting here in Harlem as I type these words. I hope I have not overstayed my welcome.
As I wind down, let's review the bidding, differences bridged and unbridged, since you first invited me to exchange ideas with you here last fall.
We've covered a lot of ground so far: testing, school choice, civic education, school tone and culture, educating for self-sufficiency and upward mobility, and my push for a knowledge-rich core curriculum and "pretty good schools." We've also discussed some of the ways in whichbusiness and education simply don't understand each other.
So Deb, what bridges have we built? We agree that we like small schools and schools of choice. We broadly agree on educating children "for democracy and liberty," even if we don't always agree on what that looks like inside or outside of school.
We agree about "immersing kids in a community that finds the world a fascinating place" even if I failed to persuade you of the need not merely for common standards but a common curriculum. I'm not giving up on that one. I have an article on teaching reading in the current issue of City Journal that I hope you will read and consider with a fresh set of eyes. In particular, I'd like you to consider my plea for patience in adopting and implementing curriculum. If there's one thing of