Classical education, despite the fact that most people who use the term appear to know exactly what they mean, is a wide, messy category. A recent Emma Green piece in the New Yorker captures much of that, from the original concept of Dorothy Sayers to the
Nice piece, Peter, but you gave short shrift to the role "Classical Education" plays in perpetuating a white, Eurocentric, heteronormative defense of so-called exceptionalism.
Thanks for this and especially the references to the Emma Green piece and a reminder of the origins of classical education. I think the threat of christian nationalism is real, especially since almost half of Congressional Republicans subscribe to its positions. The separation of church and state is an under addressed foundaional tenet of our republic and this is the latest attempt to knock down the wall. I've been in education long enough [and in Massachusetts] to remember when the original ESEA legislation required involvement of Catholic/religious schools in our work. My educational non-profit created a network that included ALL types of schools in the Commonwealth, so this wasn't a problem for us. I'll note that we later published the book by Ray Budde that introduced the concept of charter schools into the conversation. Though perverted by the profit-makers, I'm still a fan of the original idea and do believe giving parents choice [hopefully informed] is a good idea if adequately regulated. I do wish the supporters of public education, like Peter and Diane Ravitch, would acknowledge the failure of the accountability/test driven reform regime as well as some of the shortcomings of much of pubic education, which is seen by many as not serving their kids by, especially in urban areas, and advocate for more experimentation/innovation. The pandemic shook things up but the typcial response has been to return to the status quo that preceded it. I fear a continuing outflow of students and teachers as a result.
Nice piece, Peter, but you gave short shrift to the role "Classical Education" plays in perpetuating a white, Eurocentric, heteronormative defense of so-called exceptionalism.
Thanks for this and especially the references to the Emma Green piece and a reminder of the origins of classical education. I think the threat of christian nationalism is real, especially since almost half of Congressional Republicans subscribe to its positions. The separation of church and state is an under addressed foundaional tenet of our republic and this is the latest attempt to knock down the wall. I've been in education long enough [and in Massachusetts] to remember when the original ESEA legislation required involvement of Catholic/religious schools in our work. My educational non-profit created a network that included ALL types of schools in the Commonwealth, so this wasn't a problem for us. I'll note that we later published the book by Ray Budde that introduced the concept of charter schools into the conversation. Though perverted by the profit-makers, I'm still a fan of the original idea and do believe giving parents choice [hopefully informed] is a good idea if adequately regulated. I do wish the supporters of public education, like Peter and Diane Ravitch, would acknowledge the failure of the accountability/test driven reform regime as well as some of the shortcomings of much of pubic education, which is seen by many as not serving their kids by, especially in urban areas, and advocate for more experimentation/innovation. The pandemic shook things up but the typcial response has been to return to the status quo that preceded it. I fear a continuing outflow of students and teachers as a result.