"When Schools Don't Educate"

I am linking to a speech written by a man who received the Teacher of the Year award consecutive years from New York City and state.  His speech is entitled "When Schools Don't Educate."
http://www.naturalchild.org/guest/john_gatto.html

I encourage all who care to think, who care about children, who care about people and society in general to read it.  After reading it and also listening a while to a youtube video in which he was interviewed I have been reflecting on my own experience with the education system.  I think of how I went straight from high school to a four year liberal arts college because I thought that was the way you just did it.  I thought of how I was always a pretty good student -- A's and B's and never really struggled within the system except for my youngest years.  I thought of how I never really felt free to explore my own interests and passions until after college (even though my private college experience was better than my public school K-12 experience).  I thought of how even now I am discovering my aptitude at drawing and painting because I am doing it by my own free will and not being constricted by some set of rules.  I don't think that structure is bad but I do think the kind of superficial structure that schools often are forced to use for their students is silly.  Montessori itself is intensely structured but that structure has purpose for dignified development of each individual not just to "make runs smoothly" in an artificial sense.

I welcome anyone's thoughts on John Taylor Gatto's speech, Montessori education, public education and also education/learning in general.  I want to have a discussion about this salient issue.

Education Reform

"Often I think traditional education is designed to meet the adult's needs and not the children's needs." -Kelsey Maddox, a great friend

I just wanted to put this approximate quote that I pulled from my friend because I think it is so true.  I work in a traditional school setting and it disgusts me how little is actually done in thinking of the children's needs. There is a lot of lip service given to the idea of helping children "achieve their full potential" but it's compromised because of the inherently flawed systems and lack of vision regarding education in a holistic way (mind, body and spirit).  In other words, I think it's bullshit.  I wouldn't use that word unless I actually meant it and I mean it.

Although I am obviously very critical of these traditional education systems (which honestly end up being heaped high with bureaucracy), I also have an alternative in mind; Montessori education.

I am not unaware of the sin nature that all insufficiency stems from (even in the best circumstances) yet I see Montessori as something that optimizes a person's development and I believe it should replace the traditional education system.

Here's a short video why:

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/building-the-pink-tower

Sometime's being someone's friend...

is like capturing fireflies in a jar.

Difficult, worth it, but not something you can force - it takes a little serendipity and yields wonder when it happens.