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Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Poor Children Need a Hand Up, Not Hospice - Bridging Differences - Education Week

Poor Children Need a Hand Up, Not Hospice - Bridging Differences - Education Week:

Poor Children Need a Hand Up, Not Hospice

Michael Petrilli writes to Deborah Meier once again today. Deborah will respond to this post on Friday.
Dear Deborah,
Your last post was amazing—one of the most coherent, cogent articulations of a reform alternative that I've ever read.
I was particularly moved by this passage:
We need quiet places and noisy places, places full of books and computers and others full of paint and clay. We need adults with the freedom to make spontaneous decisions—shifting the conversation in response to one of those "wonderful moments" and deviating from any designed curriculum. Teachers need the time to mull over what they have learned from student work (written as well as observed) and collegial time to expand their repertoires. We need feedback from trusted and competent colleagues. We need time for families and teachers to engage in serious