Dear Friends,

The intent of Vital Lies is to provide a format for local and national discussion. Vital Lies took over 10 years to research and write. It was released in eBook format in 2012 and is available globally. In January, due to intense pressure from friends, the first printing as a paperback was released. Peregrine Book Company carries the paperback locally. Both the paperback and e-book are available through Millennialbooks.com.

Jo and I developed an education research and archaeological center near Mesa Verde in Colorado. This experiential education center thrives today. In 1993, I wrote the story of our 20-year adventure: Crow Canyon: Pioneering Education And Archaeology On The Southwestern Colorado Frontier.  As a gift to all who dream of doing, Crow Canyon (2009 edition) in available as a FREE download at: www.millennialbooks.com. Go to MillennialBooks.com. Click the Special Offer of Crow Canyon: Buy Now. At checkout type CLASSIC (all caps) in the coupon box.

To gain an understanding of education, I spent a year evaluating and observing schools in 22 nations. Since that study, I have served as an education consultant and adjunct professor at colleges and universities. I have travelled from the Everglades to remote Northwest Alaska, from Zambia to Scotland, and across Europe and North America searching for answers. After 53 years as an educator, I have a few answers and many stories to tell. Vital Lies is filled with examples, recommendations, and a bit of history. I believe you will enjoy reading and viewing this information. For Arizona educators and parents, Chapter 9 in Vital Lies, deals with Arizona as a case study of how public education has been de-formed.

Breaking News!

The California Democratic Party passed this resolution on April 14, 2013:

Whereas, the political action committee, entitled Democrats for Education Reform is funded by corporations, Republican operatives and wealthy individuals dedicated to privatization and anti-educator initiatives, and not grassroots democrats or classroom educators; and

Whereas, the billionaires funding Students First and Democrats for Education Reform are supporting candidates and local programs that would dismantle a free public education for every student in California and replace it with company run charter schools, non-credentialed teachers and unproven untested so-called “reforms”;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the California Democratic Party reaffirms its commitment to free accessible public schools for all which offer a fair, substantive opportunity to learn with educators who have the right to be represented by their union, bargain collectively and have a voice in the policies which affect their schools, classrooms and their students; and work with the authors of this resolution to dispel the false reforms and support the real needs of the classroom: trained teachers, adequate funding, safe and clean facilities, diverse and stimulating curriculum and access to pre-school and higher education.

This is a critical time for comprehensive public education. Politicians and corporate raiders are in the process of dismantling the public education system. Most notably they are:  Arne Duncan, Jeb Bush, Eli Broad, Joel Klein, Walton heirs, Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch, Michelle Rhee, the Koch Brothers, Rahm Emanuel, Michael Bloomberg, President Obama, the corporations organized under ALEC (Alliance of Legislative Executive Councils), The Goldwater Institute, and a few religious groups. These are the worst offenders – the most harmful to children and the American Dream.

Ed’s Social Media Networks:

Follow me (and I will follow you) on Twitter @EdwardFBerger.

Facebook:  facebook.com/ed.berger.104

Blog: Edwardfberger.com

Recommended Authors

I want to introduce you to the lady whom I believe is the greatest educational leader of our time, Dr. Diane Ravitch.  Diane is a noted and well-respected education historian with many books and articles that help us understand the nature of the greatest and most successful public education system ever created. Her book (2011) The Death and Life of the Great American School System, is available as a download or in print. She has served as Asst. Sect. of Education and is well aware of the problems parents and teachers face today. At last count, Diane has over 3,000,000 followers, and over 750,000 who follow her WP blogs. Please take a few minutes to watch and listen to her:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARR2TaepIhM&feature=share (you can avoid the intros and scan forward to 9:20).  Diane also blogs daily about issues parents and educators must understand. www.Dianeravitch.net

I have been honored by Diane Ravitch. She calls me a “Voice for sanity in Arizona.”

Another book that I believe you will find helpful is: Milton Schwebel. Remaking America’s Three School Systems, Now Separate And Unequal. 2003. Scarecrow Press. In light of what is happening, as privateers and corporate greed take over our schools and access our education tax dollars, it is interesting to note Schwebel’s insights and solutions .

I strongly recommend: http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html. TED is a positive power for understanding and change. (Almost 16,000,000 views).

My Blog Posts

I post regularly to my blog to share ideas with parents and educators. Here is a list of blogs from the past year (2012-2013).  You can access them here: www.edwardfberger.com   and share any that touch your interests.

• IT’S THE ECONOMIC SYSTEM, STUPID!
• THE DAMAGE IDEOLOGUES DO
• THE CORPOCRACY DESTORYING THE AMERICAN DREAM
• PLEASE READ THIS EXCERPT FROM VITAL LIES
• LET PARENTS DECIDE: DISTRICT OR CHARTER?
• HOLIDAY WEEKS SPENT BEYOND WI-FI
• TRAGEDY AND THE ARMING OF EVIL BY LEGAL DEVICE
• GET RICH! YOUR GUIDE FOR DISTORTING EDUCATION TO ACCESS TAX DOLLARS $$$
• PART 1 & 2: THE DISMANTLING OF COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION: A CASE STUDY
• A PLAN OF ACTION TO SAVE A COHESIVE UNION
• A HORRIBLE MANISFESTATION OF A CULTURAL LAG
• WHAT WE DO TO OUR CHILDREN
• LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT FOR OCTOBER 17 (National movement to tell Obama to stop privatization)
• DIGITALS ARE CREATING A NEW UPPER CLASS
• THE PEACE CORPS: A VISIT TO LEARN FROM ONE VOLUNTEER
• DESTROYING A COHESIVE AMERICA
• EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP – WE LACK BASIC PRINCIPLES
• WISCONSIN – A LESSON WE MUST KEEP FROM HAPPENING EVERYWHERE
• DISTRICT OR CHARTER SCHOOL? – LET’S COMPARE
• PARENTS AND EDUCATORS NEED TO KNOW WHY CHARTER SCHOOLS FAIL KIDS
• THE DEATH OF “ONE NATION”
• AMERICA CANNOT SURVIVE WITHOUT EDUCATIONAL LEADERS WHO KNOW OUR PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS AND GET US ON THE SAME PAGE
• HIJACKING EDUCATION: FOR PROFIT, NOT FOR KIDS
• PART 1: RETHINK YOUR ROLE AS YOU ARE SHOVELING COAL INTO THE BOILER OF A SINKING SHIP
• PART 2: STAY WITH THE FACTORY SYSTEM SCHOOLS OF THE 20^TH C. AND BE OUT OF A JOB
• PART 3: TEACHERS WILL FOCUS ON EXPANDED TIME AND THE TOOOLS NECESSARY TO KNOW EACH CHILD
• GOOD SCHOOLS DO NOT BURN CHILDREN’S BRIDGES AHEAD OF THEM
• MESSAGE TO OBAMA AND THE USDOE FROM EDUCATORS AND PARENTS
• A BROKEN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IS NATIONAL SUICIDE
• PART 1: UNDERSTANDING CORPORATIONS vs. THE REST OF US
• PART 2: UNDERSTAND ING CORPORATIONS vs. THE REST OF US
• EDUCATONAL CHANGE AND DEVELOPMENT IS HAPPENING NOW FOR 21^ST C. LEARNERS
• CORPORATE VEILS HIDE GREED AND THE SUBVERSION OF OUR DEMOCRATIC PROCESS
• TEACHERS WHO PROSTITUTE THEMSELVES ON THE ALTAR OF EDUCATION
• FORCING TEACHERS TO DO WHAT THEY KNOW IS WRONG
• THE DAMAGE TESTS DO
• CORE CURRICULUM IS…?
• IF THIS IS TRUE, THEN WHY ARE WE GOING THE OTHER WAY?
• VIRTUAL SPACE: A RESOURCE FOR TEACHERS, NOT CORPORATE TAKEOVERS
• OBAMA CAN STOP THIS TRAVESTY
• BRILLIANT SOLUTIONS! SHOULDN’T WE DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEMS FIRST?
• I KNOW YOU. YOU MAKE MY HEART LAUGH
• LOOK AWAY WHILE TEACHERS ARE CRUCIFIED

• THE COMMUNITY-DOWN SYNDROME
• MORE ABOUT THE MISAPPLICATION OF DISCOUNTED ASSUMPTIONS
• THE INFORMATION AGE AND THE INTERACTIVE AGE ARE HERE NOW
• DO WE HAVE SELF-DIRECTED EDUCAORS WHO CAN DEAL WITH SELF-DIRECTED LEARNERS?
• EUCATION MAKES THE AMERICAN DREAM POSSIBLE
• THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR SPECIES
• FAILURE TO TEACH THE ESSENTIAL SKILLS…
• DISGUSTING AND WRONG
• USE TESTS TO PLACE, PUNISH, AND PLACATE
• GIVE OUR EDUCATION TAX DOLLARS TO PIRATES
• DEALING WITH THE MINDSET OF FACT-ADVERSE LEADERS
• NEW CODE WORDS MAY BE USED FOR DIRTY TRICKS
• WHAT PARENTS AND EDUCATORS NEED KNOW ABOUT CHARTER SCHOOLS
• THROWN? GET BACK ON
• ENTERING THE BATTLE