All should therefore be re-emphasized in our schools. That philosophy is a far cry from the pervasive mush that elevates self-esteem above hard work, calls for critical thinking before pupils have mastered the basics, extols soft social skills over solid knowledge, and turns teachers into facilitators, social workers, and surrogate parents. These teachers raise their voice for parents, too. They also advocate the freeing of teachers from stifling controls. The bureaucratization of compulsory education is such, says Gatto, that teachers literally have to sabotage the system in order to be professionals.
Real teaching becomes a subversive activity.
According to Gary Beckner, executive director of the Association of American Educators, independent teacher associations are growing. The Supreme Court's Beck decision supposedly requiring that teachers must approve political uses of their union dues is being widely subverted. If the two link up, they could become a powerful force for constructive change. Click here to email Robert Holland.