Author. Educator. Father. World Traveler. EdwardFBerger.com is where I share my insights into the world of education.
The second edition of Vital Lies will be available soon as a free download!
Those who are celebrating do not intend to represent our communities. In the primary elections, big money from outside – called Dark Money – succeeded in blocking community interests. Take the future of our public schools for example. By positioning themselves for a win in the general election, they can put in place a plan to destroy our community schools, elected school boards, and the…
For many years, I have blogged about the damage the so-called reform/Libertarian movement has done to America and to America as One Nation. A nation that prospered as WE developed strong communities, one public education system, common values, and true representative government. Our Nation is endangered by the starvation and planned destruction of neighborhood community schools – public comprehensive schools – and the privatization of…
We have over 20 years of data about charter schools (partial schools) and how they have benefited or damaged public education and children. Originally, the purpose of charter schools was to free educators with new insights and give them the support they needed to create education programs that would improve our public schools. Many effective educators believed they could demonstrate ways to break out of…
For many years, I have written about the charter school movement. As you know, I label the majority of these schools “Partial Schools,” because they deprive students of a comprehensive, interdisciplinary curriculum. They discount the need for teacher certification and experience, and they duplicate many services and programs the taxpayers are already providing. What happened that created a chaos of charter schools? The Koch-ALEC machine…
IS EDUCATION REALLY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS TO All CHILDREN? If so, where are the follow-up studies of those dropped on their heads by the schools? We don’t have information – at least not in any district or charter schools I know of – about the kids pushed out of schools. We like to call them “dropouts,” but they really are “push outs.” For whatever reason,…
There are questions we don’t ask because…? Maybe we never thought about the possibilities and couldn’t form the question. Or, maybe we thought about the possibilities and decided that what we imagined couldn’t happen – even if the changes wrought would make a significant contribution. This is a true story, my story as a young educator who explored that space between Thinking About The Possibilities,…
To get the most out of this blog, view Ted Talks 2011 – Knowledge Is Power. #1: Sir Ken Robinson; and #5: Salman Kahn, and the Kahn Academy. I selected these two excellent presentations for many reasons, but the most important reveal is when Bill Gates comes on stage with Salman Kahn. His reaction and comments – those of a major player in the reform…
Let’s start evaluating the qualifications and accomplishments of the self-appointed education reformers. On my list of those to be Tested, Bill Gates and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The Walton’s and the Walton Foundation, Eli Broad and the Broad Foundation, Michelle Rhee and the Students First organization, also Bloomberg, Parents First, etc., … you can add other reformers – deformers – to this list…
What do we do to change the effectiveness of our schools? In loco parentis we guarantee every child the same care and opportunities that we good parents provide for our children. What does that mean? Take Bill Gates as an example of the dichotomy between what he does for his children while ignoring the basic human needs of other children – especially when the other…
Another community meeting. Our state politician stands in front of two-hundred concerned and ready- to-help citizens. The meeting was called by concerned parents and teachers; people who believe that open, honest discussion and examination of facts will help save our public schools. The meeting progresses and all of the information given by the organizers about the state’s economy and our ability to save our public…