Comments on: Scolds in the Agora http://www.openlettersmonthly.com/august08-scolds-in-the-agora/ Just another WordPress weblog Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:25:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Laura Tanenbaum http://www.openlettersmonthly.com/august08-scolds-in-the-agora/comment-page-1/#comment-772 Laura Tanenbaum Sat, 23 Jan 2010 18:06:33 +0000 http://www.openlettersmonthly.com/issue/?p=1674#comment-772 Thanks for the comment, Mark. I wrote "relatively recent" because the 18th century is relatively recent as compared to the "2500 year cornerstone" that was referred to in the book. As for NCLB, it's obviously a very complex story. But the inequities in school funding, as documented by Jonathan Kozol and others, are a very real issue that have a difficult time getting traction within the framework of debates about standards and tests that NCLB has given us. Thanks for the comment, Mark. I wrote “relatively recent” because the 18th century is relatively recent as compared to the “2500 year cornerstone” that was referred to in the book.

As for NCLB, it’s obviously a very complex story. But the inequities in school funding, as documented by Jonathan Kozol and others, are a very real issue that have a difficult time getting traction within the framework of debates about standards and tests that NCLB has given us.

]]> By: Mark http://www.openlettersmonthly.com/august08-scolds-in-the-agora/comment-page-1/#comment-563 Mark Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:16:05 +0000 http://www.openlettersmonthly.com/issue/?p=1674#comment-563 Mass literacy "is a recent phenomenon"? In fact, in vast portions of the United States, mass literacy has been the case since the 18th c. And to call NCLB a way to deflect "more equitable school funding" requires a bit of conspiracy thinking. Mass literacy “is a recent phenomenon”? In fact, in vast portions of the United States, mass literacy has been the case since the 18th c. And to call NCLB a way to deflect “more equitable school funding” requires a bit of conspiracy thinking.

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