|
The Criminalization of Youth
By William Ayers
Lawmakers and the mass media are spinning horror stories about
hordes of young "superpredators"roving our nation's streets, and are
using these tales to push draconian new laws that punish more and more
children as if they were adults. A look at the current trend, and a
plea for more rational approaches to young offenders.
The Evolution of Creationism
By Leon Lynn
The lead article of a Rethinking Schools special report about
right-wing efforts to dress up religious dogma as pseudo-science, keep
the theory of evolution out of U.S. schools, and wipe away the separation
between church and state.
Creationists Push Pseudo-Science
Text
By Leon Lynn
It looks like a science textbook, but "Of Pandas and People" is really
a creationist treatise masquerading as a legitimate discussion of scientific
theories. An examination of "Pandas" and some of the objections to it
raised by legitimate scientists and educators.
One Town's Battle Over Creationism
By Leon Lynn
The struggles over evolution and creationism in Louisville, Ohio,
where a retired teacher has called in the American Civil Liberties Union
to keep a right-wing Christian school board member from injecting his
religious beliefs into the school curriculum.
What's a Teacher to Do?
An interview with Eugenie Scott, executive director of the National
Center for Science Education, who offers some perspective on why creationism
persists and how teachers can cope with it.
Resources on Evolution
and Creationism
A collection of books, organizations and World Wide Web sites that offer
information and guidance on dealing with creationism.
Canadian Teachers Strike
By Ellen Michelson
Coverage of the issues that prompted 126,000 elementary and secondary
school teachers to walk off the job in October and November 1997.
MPS Admissions Policy Rewards
Privilege
A Rethinking Schools Editorial
Milwaukee public high schools can now set admissions standards
-- and some of the more popular schools have already drawn up restrictive
requirements that will keep all but the best students out. This disastrous
policy will create a two-tiered education system, pitting the haves
against the have-nots, unless parents, teachers, administrators, and
community residents organize to overturn it.
'You Gotta Be Hard' - A Teacher
Reflects on Kids and Gangs
By Greg Michie
In this excerpt from his recently completed manuscript "Holler
if You Hear Me," Chicago teacher Michie recalls his first encounters
with young gang members, his frustrations at dealing with the destructive
influences of gangs, and the importance of learning to look past gang
affiliations and reach out to the young people who belong to them.
Banned in Jersey, Welcomed on Broadway
By Stan Karp
When teacher Maria Sweeney's 4th-grade class in Ridgewood, NJ wrote
an original play about sweatshops that make products for Nike and Disney,
school officials deemed it"inappropriate for children" and banned its
performance at the school. Here's how the students ended up bringing
their play to a real Broadway theater for a glorious one-night stand
instead.
'We Know More Than You Think'
Excerpts from letters sent to the school principal by some of Sweeney's
students after the play was canceled.
'And Ya Don't Stop' -- Using Hip Hop in the Language
Arts Classroom
By Wayne Wah Kwai Au
How teachers can harness this powerful form of cultural communication.
Digging in the Crates: Hip Hop in Teaching --
A Resource List
A selection of hip hop music and related resources suitable for classroom
use.
'Let Your Motto Be Resistance' -- The Real Lesson
of Amistad
By Ronald Bailey
Hollywood has never let the real lessons of history get in the
way of a good story, and Steven Spielberg's film about the 1839 slave
revolt is no exception. An examination of the true story of Amistad,
and a reflection on the issue of "who owns history."
What Happened to Local Control?
By David Tyack
Excerpts from a speech by the Stanford University professor on
what he terms "a lost opportunity in American education: the power of
local control to link public schools more firmly to their communities."
Where I'm From
By Linda Christensen
How students can be encouraged to share their personal lives in
the classroom as part of a rich writing curriculum. Includes specific
notes on teaching procedure.
Protests Target Sweatshop Labor
By Phyllis Sides
A look at protests around the country on sweatshop conditions and
child labor.
A Must Buy and a Good Tale
By Herbert Kohl
Reviews of two books: "The New Press Guide to Multicultural Resources
for Young Readers," edited by Daphne Muse, and "Adopted by Indians:
A True Story," by Thomas Jefferson Mayfield.
DEPARTMENTS
No Comment! - News that needs no explanation
Shorts
Resource
Good Stuff
Ed-Web
Student Page
|
