Comments on: Who Defines Education and Why It Matters http://blog.commoncore.org/2011/11/10/who-defines-education-and-why-it-matters/ Promoting a full core curriculum. Thu, 11 Oct 2012 03:25:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5 By: David Lentini http://blog.commoncore.org/2011/11/10/who-defines-education-and-why-it-matters/#comment-68435 David Lentini Fri, 11 Nov 2011 15:48:01 +0000 http://blog.commoncore.org/?p=1291#comment-68435 While it’s certainly true that our political leaders characterize education in terms of job preparation, even job training, the sad fact is that much of their rhetoric and ideas can be traced to the educational establishment itself. The elite academics from the major graduate schools of education, such as Columbia’s Teacher’s College, have long towed the education-as-preparation-for-work line to gain the favor of big business. Just look at the writings of the educational progressives of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and you’ll find all of the happy talk about testing, performance, and career tracking that we have today. Indeed, very little has changed over the past 100 years.

But of course the real problem is America’s devotion to the idea that virtue is measured by economic status. America has long been an anti-intellectual culture that elevates wealth over intellect, and business over education. So, is it really surprising that the words and prescriptions offered by our politicians and academic elites simply reflect the national ethic of laissez faire capitalism–”Every man (and woman) for himself and Devil take the hindmost”?

]]> By: Eric Kalenze http://blog.commoncore.org/2011/11/10/who-defines-education-and-why-it-matters/#comment-68329 Eric Kalenze Thu, 10 Nov 2011 21:22:51 +0000 http://blog.commoncore.org/?p=1291#comment-68329 David Labaree examines this very issue thoroughly in his recent book, ‘Someone Has to Fail’. Thanks for pointing to the journal article.

I agree, though, on the matter those within education’s responsibilities. We’ve historically done a pretty crummy job asserting and standing by (I’d even argue simply KNOWING) what we’re about as a group of professionals.

Such is probably a predictable by-product, though, when the field’s operating wisdom is to best serve each individual, in every way possible. So spreading out and/or customizing the mission certainly does not open it up to improving in focused ways. Thanks for your post!

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