An incisive essay posted on Valerie Strauss’s blog explains how we can use George Orwell’s classic 1984 to understand corporate-style school reform today.
The essay, written by North Carolina teacher Chris Gilbert, demonstrates that Orwell perfectly understood how lies, repeated often, tend to be accepted as truthful. Corporate reformers say the same things over and over again, expecting that in time their echo chamber will win out. Or, as Orwell puts it, “Myths which are believed in tend to become true.”
Gilbert gives as an example the familiar reformer claim that poverty doesn’t cause poor school performance, but “failing” schools and “bad” teachers do. We have heard this in one form or another from Bill Gates, Michael Bloomberg, Michelle Rhee, and Arne Duncan. He offers this example:
“In a recent interview with TIME, Bush was asked, “What’s the role of poverty in education?” He responded, “I would reverse the question: education impacts poverty, not the other way around.”
Implicit in Gilbert’s essay is another point: Fiction can teach us as much about the present as non-fiction, sometimes even more. It is always amazing to young people–and to readers of all ages–to discover how a work written 65 years ago speaks loud and clear to us today. One could make the same points in “informational text,” but not with the same power as in a novel like 1984. That is the definition of a classic. It speaks to us across ages and continents, across time and space. It is as alive today as when it was written.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
That’s okay, reading novels will soon be “deprecated” …
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Reading Orwell’s complete works should be close to the top of everyone’s agenda these days. I assure you the rheephormers have already done so. Orwell intended his works to be cautionary; the rheephormers have taken it as a how-to guide.
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Which is, in effect, the sole reason to diminish the presence of literature in schools, replaced with such thought-provoking texts like how-to manuals and government brochures.
Question Authority | Start a Movement
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The NYTimes, the “paper of record” has been using the term “failing schools” for as long as I can remember. I’m not one to believe in conspiracies but the use of this refrain by major media outlets and politicians makes one wonder.
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Diane, I enjoy commenting on your blogs because they are topics of interest. I would like to comment on the statement about poverty. I do believe the opposite is also true. Poverty leads to poor quality schools and poor performance and increase high fish behaviors. The opposite is also true, poor school performance leads to low paying jobs with less security leading to poverty. Poverty is a vicious cycle in some communities that are socially isolated. Poverty does cause poor school performance if you were up all night with Asthma, if you are chronically exposed to both outdoor and in-door pollution. How can one learn if one cannot breathe, or did not sleep, or is hungry or in pain? How can one learn when there is family discord and instability? We need to address those barriers to learning.
I think we need to dig deep, collaborate and decide on the goals of education for each developmental stage, as well as focus on preparing students for a stressful, multi-cultural society filled with social injustices, inequities in access, dominant culture’s social bullying, and productive employment. In addition, we have to prepare students to be good people and think about their civic responsibilities. These soft skills become more important in the workplace than history.
As you can see, I am very passionate about this topic. Thanks for letting my voice be heard. :).
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As someone who has worked in elementary schools for 17 years, it is perfectly clear that the number one factor in a school’s success or failure is the administration of that school. I have worked in 11 different schools (my job involves multiple schools each year), and all but 1 had principals who did a bad job, especially in the most important aspect of their jobs- instructional leadership.
How has educational administration been left out of the discussion?
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Are you a teacher Mr. Gardner?
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I addressed this same issue in a blog written last year. It frustrates me that so many in the “Core Camp” refuse to even listen to themselves speak. I guess that is the beauty of the Core, however. There is no reason to really stretch here, let us just keep promulgating the same eduspeak over and over until everyone is a Stepford Wife. http://restoreoklahomapubliceducation.blogspot.com/2012/05/common-core-stepford-wives.html?m=0
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“In a recent interview with TIME, Bush was asked, “What’s the role of poverty in education?” He responded, “I would reverse the question: education impacts poverty, not the other way around.”
I smell a bit of social Darwinism in this statement.
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