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Sunday, July 17, 2011

Schools Matter: What school is all about

Schools Matter: What school is all about

What school is all about

Sent to the Los Angeles Times, July 17, 2011

In addition to influencing the medical literature (LA Times, July 16), J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter has a great deal to say about current educational policy.

In "Harry Potter: The Order of the Phoenix" (2007), villain Dolores Umbridge ("You know, I really hate children.") informs Hogwarts students that their course on Defense Against the Dark Arts will be "carefully structured" and all theoretical, with no actual use of the spells. When students complain, Umbridge says " … a theoretical