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In reply to the discussion: A 13-Year-Old's Slavery Analogy Raises Some Uncomfortable Truths in School [View all]chervilant
(8,267 posts)Whenever I see "Sorry, but..." as an opening of a post, I am pretty sure what follows will be offensive.
As a middle school teacher, I can assure you that this student's passionate and thought-provoking analogy is a fair and effective comparison. Look at the debate she's sparked!
Our vaunted system of public education is structured to convince two-thirds to three-quarters of the Hoi Polloi--particularly those of us who are NOT predominantly Caucasian or who cannot 'pass'--that we have average or below average intellects. Can you say "self-fulfilling prophecy"? My students vary in intellectual abilities, but they are ALL in possession of a fully functioning brain. I spend the beginning of my tenure with my amazing students helping them understand that we ALL learn in different ways and at different paces, but we LEARN nevertheless. In fact, I have to help them understand that contemporary timed IQ tests measure alacrity, not ability. When we remove hierarchy from the concept of IQ, amazing things ensue.
I applaud this young student's work. I hope that she will continue to advocate for improving our nation's co-opted system of public education. If the corporatists get their way, our schools will continue to produce factory fodder and service industry drones--slaves, if you will, to the stultifying disaster capitalism that secures the Corporate Meglomaniacs' wealth and hedonism.