I read about Littky first on AJ’s blog and did a Google search, which unearthed Whole Earth Review: Teacher: Dennis Littky’s Fight for a Better School. – book reviews:
If you wont to get in trouble in o school, take your job seriously
Sounds like a quote from Gatto. But it’s from a review, which you can read here, of a book about Dennis Littky’s struggle to reform a local high school. Here’s Littky: Kids look at coaches as people who help them get better, people who work to help make the team win. But what happens when we teach? Kids think we’re against them, that we’re trying to trip them up. This has got to change.
Our kids should regard teachers as coaches who’ll help them learn to think critically. It’ll happen because we’ll make it happen. I hope you’ll join me in this quest.
But Littky had opponents:
Littky was permitting “obseenities,” as [Marilyn Nolan] called them, at Thayer, obscenities that were corrupting the children. “I’m tired of schools allowing kids to do things parents wouldn’t permit,” she said. “He’s teaching them to have new values. He’s destroying our children.”
Oooohhh! A fight! What else could it be?
I’m not sure what Littky’s thinking. Wanna clue me in? I’ve ordered the book, tho. But I very much want to go to the MET school and see what is going on, maybe interview some people, maybe even work there! Sounds like fun. Hey, maybe there’s a research project in there… 🙂
Thanks for visiting, aj. Admire your courage in taking an honest look at yourself. That ain’t easy.
What the fuck is Littky thinking ? 😉
You may already know this, but Littky’s current gig is as one of the founders of The Met Center in Providence.