(I’ll be back Tuesday. I’m going to California for a screening of Race to Nowhere at Edutopia.)
In the Comments a few days ago, Psych Mom talked about a new film, The War On Kids, a documentary on the problems with public schools. Unfortunately, I missed the film while it was playing in New York City, but I hope to see it if it comes back. I hope you get to see it in your community. Read the New York Times review here. And watch the trailer here.
Stop Homework 
I picked up the trailer from TheMoreChild and posted it here too. Here’s some news, from that blog. The “benevolent leafy suburb” she is describing is Montgomery County, just across the line from Washington, D.C.
“In case people were thinking this “school as prison” idea is a bit far-fetched, or doesn’t apply to our benevolent leafy suburb, Silver Chips, the Blair High School newspaper, has broken a story about bathrooms being locked during lunch that has been picked up by the media.”
Here’s the Post’s Answer Sheet take on it:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/high-school/school-closes-bathrooms-becaus.html
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I can’t imagine what that school must look like, physically. Uninspiring to say the least, prison-like most likely. Does the principal venture from the front office, do you suppose? Or does bullet-proof glass surround him. If so, then Mr. Soling is correct….kids are in prison.
Scary.
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Anonymous, I’ve long been making references between large impersonal institutionalized schools and prisons. Sometimes the similarities are striking and chilling.
I think of parents who beg for a few minutes of recess. Who beg for sleep. Who beg for play. Who beg for a little family time. Are our children our future, our hope, or are they inmates, denied of basic rights? Do they have no protections, no safeguards that impose limits on work? They are the most vulnerable members of society. Isn’t it our job to protect them? I’d better be careful with that last question. A school official will counter that the bulletproof glass doors and sniffing dogs are there to protect them. Are they?
Stop and think about that. We need to watch this. We need to be vigilant.
I will say this. My daughter’s school has more freedom. I’m talking about the climate du jour.
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