Great example of what Jed Esty calls the “paralyzing contradictions of American declinism.”
“Thought leaders” bemoan degradation of education, then propose doing more of the things (privatization, EdTech, means-testing, dual credit, core curricula) we started doing during the alleged decline!
“total rethinks of education” is how we got here. Maybe we need less rethinking it and more doing it.
Making up a need, convincing people of it, then selling them whatever is supposed to fill it, is, what, 90% of the history of American capitalism?
Sure, but in the most prosperous iterations of capitalism exceptions have been made for education, because of how imperative it is to long-term growth & stability.
May 15, 2025 00:53Indeed.
Imagining education as outside capitalism (or not captured by it) is a chore. And there's a lot of incentive to deny that imperative.
