Episode 79: Dumbing Us Down - Part 6 - Chapter 5 & Bonus Chapter
Chapter 5 is such a fun conclusion to our book club! We discuss Gatto's take on church history, economics, and, of course, the public school. We share some of our favorites quotes as well as our take aways from the book. In our Coop Q & A, we answer the question: Should my child take state testing?
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Show Notes
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Scoop on the Coop
Mandi and kids have been enjoying the science and engineering videos of Mark Rober. Jessica picked up her California Unit Study with the kids on a Sunday to prepare for our field trip to Mission San Diego.
Chapter 5: The Congregational Principal
The final chapter of Dumbing Us Down was mostly a lesson in Economics. Gatto discusses free markets and centralization. He then finishes with what he deems to be the two “official” ways to look at the state of education.
Economics
Gatto begins by sharing some history of Colonial New England, the first Puritan Church and its evolution. Gatto introduces two big terms:
Congregational Principle: emphasizes the right and responsibility of each properly organized congregation to determine its own affairs, without having to submit these decisions to the judgement of any higher human authority…(and as such, it eliminated bishops and presbyteries)
Dialectical Thinking: refers to the ability to view issues from multiple perspectives and to arrive at the most economical and reasonable reconciliation of seemingly contradictory information and postures.
He continues discussing:
Centralization vs Localization
Monopoly vs Free Market Model
Classical Economics - focuses on economic freedom and free competition
Gatto believes looking deeply into what had worked economically in Colonial New England could be a solution to our school problem.
Two “Official” Ways to view the State of Education
It’s an engineering problem - there’s a right and wrong way, not individual possibilities
We’re searching for a villain, always putting blame somewhere else: teachers, curriculum, politicians, etc.
Solutions
Bad Solutions
Parade of profit seekers: analysts, consultants, researchers, academic houses, testing corporations, teachers’ colleges, state departments of education, etc - “all parasitic growths of the government monopoly over the school concept.” pg 85
Easy way out - the dark side of the American dream
Advertisers pray on those looking for a quick fix
“School reform to most of us in an engineer reaching for the right wrench or Perry Mason finding the clue he needs to nail the bad guy.” pg 86
These don’t work because education shouldn’t be one size fits all - Gatto says the Congregationalists would’ve recognized this right away.
Gatto’s Possible Solution
Gatto says, “turn your back on national solutions and toward communities of families as successful laboratories.” pg 89
Know Thyself
Good fences make good neighbors
Recognize, respect, understand, appreciate, and learn from each other’s differences
Encourage and underwrite experimentation; trust children and families to know what’s best for themselves - pg 90
Sounds like Charter Schools and Homeschooling to me
“Teaching should be decertified” - pg 90 (from an award winning public school teacher!!!)
Encourage competition and the free market model
“The American solution to the great school nightmare” - pg 91
Afterword & Concluding Thoughts
Overall, Gatto uses his previous speeches and papers to build a case against the government schooling monopoly. He poses several ways the typical solutions are not enough - that we need radical change. In the final chapter, he offers an economic solution to the problem - decentralization of education.
Who we would recommend this book to?
The “Should I Homeschool” crowd looking for that little push into homeschooling
Current homeschoolers, particularly in all of our tendency to “school at home”
Coop Q & A
Question: Do you do testing? Should homeschoolers be testing?
Answer: Yes, we do testing because we are a part of a public school, an independent study charter school that requires its students to take state testing to receive funding.
If we didn’t homeschool through a public school?
Jessica - no, I absolutely would not seek out testing at least through Middle School. I’m not sure yet what I would do for High School
Mandi -
Should all homeschoolers? No. It should be a choice each family gets to make for themselves!
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