Jay, you are certainly right about Botstein. He is regularly seated
opposite Buckley in "Firing Line" debates, which exactly maintains the
hegemonic articulation of alternatives.
As for Illich, his ideological orientation was PATRISTIC (as in "the
Fathers of the Church," 1st-3rd centuries); can't get more "conservative"
than that, can you? David Gabbard makes interesting uses of Illich in
writing that I think is included in a new edited book due out any time now
from LEA.
One thing I find curious is Botstein's blaming ed schools as places where
content is disregarded and all time is spent on classroom management.
Our students, the schools, the public, and Checker Finn blame us for not
being concerned with classroom management. Go figure.
Tony Whitson twhitson who-is-at udel.edu