Discovering Columbus: Re-reading the Past
Most of my students have trouble with the idea that a book—especially a textbook— can lie. When I tell them that I want them to argue with, not just read, […]
Columbus’s Lingering Legacy: 500 Years is Enough
In the 1970s an Ojibway teacher flew to Italy and upon his arrival announced, “I discover and claim this land in the name of American Indians.” His action, which went […]
K-12 Curriculum Reform to Begin
As MPS tests out the viability of its newly decentralized organizational structure, plans are underway to begin the next phase of Superintendent Peterkin’s reform process: an overhaul of the MPS […]
Community Superintendents Call for High Expectations, Greater Parental Involvement
Rethinking Schools posed three questions to each df the new Community Superintendents. We then selected two replies from each superintendent, replies that we felt most clearly articulated a distinctive point […]
A Chicago Chronicle
The Chicago Public Schools have been the focus of unprecedented attention in the past few years. Dubbed “the worst schools in America” in 1987 by then-Secretary of Education (now drug […]
The Day Sondra Took Over
“If you write that big, you’re never gonna be able to get them all up there,” said Sondra, voicing her third critique of my teaching in five minutes. With that, […]
