Re: drive-thru education (not)

Molly Freeman (mollyfreeman who-is-at telis.org)
Tue, 01 Dec 1998 14:10:07 -0800

Congratulations Louise on your articulate response to the recent hostile remarks
regarding the changing boundaries or reduced social distance between education
and commerce. Insofar as the naysayers of change are defending the current
heirarchical system of education they may find themselves bedfellows with a
"hidden curriculum" that is more wasteful of human energies and talents than the
corporate sector they accuse. In fact, it seems to me as I read Cultural
Psychology by Michael Cole that there was considerable evidence for not
supporting the current system and for engaging students in 'real activity.'

Again, congratulations for your courage and well stated remarks.

Molly Freeman

Louise Yarnall wrote:

> I would appreciate some specific citations on "School to Work." I have
> researched plenty of people and companies interested in providing options
> to public schooling, and I have yet to find anyone who touts "efficiency,
> productivity and profit" as their primary motivation. I also have yet to
> find anyone who suggests that the primary goal of education should be to
> shut down the arts and humanities and replace it with technology and
> vocational training. Where are you finding these people? Provide some
> specifics.
>
> My view on the transformation occurring in education today is that there is
> widespread popular dissatisfaction with school as usual, and so there's
> much interest in looking at alternatives. This movement is occurring on
> many fronts, from individual to family to corporate to national. I don't
> see any one hand behind it, but I see a confluence of many forces. My
> question is: Why is this transformation drawing such heated rejection from
> education faculty, and why is their rejection mischaracterizing it so
> completely?
>
> Louise
>
> >>"efficiency, productivity, and profit for meeeee.
> >>No one will get education for freeeeeee".
> >>
> >Anyone interested in education needs to get prepared for the huge impact
> >the School to Work movement is going to have on this field.
> >
> >The federal government is putting billions into the hands of governors (the
> >sidestep state departments of education that way), to get them, along with
> >their corporate cronies, to change the way education takes place in this
> >country. They want to make sure that it is made clear that public schools
> >work for employers not parents or the students themselves. Anything that
> >is not useful vocationally is not to be taught.
> Louise Yarnall
> Freelance writer & Research assistant
> UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Science
> * Work: 310/794-9137
> * Pager: 818/474-5536
> * Home Office: 818/342-6760
> * Home Fax: 818/342-0751
> * E-Mail: lyarnall who-is-at ucla.edu