A Nation of Frogs

This article came across my email today. The author hit it right on the head, and I couldn't not pass it on:

A Nation of Frogs


I am increasingly perplexed about how the people of our country can stand aside while gas prices go to record heights, a questionable war goes on longer than the second world way, and the planet heats up to record temperatures. It reminds me of the classic way that a frog can be boiled to death without complaint, by very slowly increasing the temperature.

My field is alternative education and here we see the same thing: How can millions and millions of parents hear their children say that they hate school without concluding that something is wrong with their schools? Wake up! Children are natural learners. If they say they hate school, something is very wrong with their schools.

How did things get this way? Perhaps it was the education system itself. Far from the original intent of building our democracy, it is a system without a shred of democracy, a system that is totally authoritarian, and with No Child Left Behind, is forcing good teachers our of education and making children hate school even more.

There is an exception to this. It is the small but growing movement of democratic schools, schools in which children have rights, dignity and choices. It is in the unschooling movement of homeschooling. These approaches start with the paradigm that children are natural learners and follow that where it leads.

To find out more about these movements go to www.educationrevolution.org
www.AEROconference.com

Jerry Mintz (jerryaero@aol.com)
Director
Alternative Education Resource Organization