Compulsory schooling is celebrated as a hallmark of progressive societies despite widespread recognition of its deficiencies. Efforts to improve the institution typically focus on increasing spending, refining curricula, developing high-quality teachers, and identifying the appropriate means and frequency of student testing. What the field of school reform consistently fails to acknowledge is the lack of any explicitly stated purpose of schooling and any analysis of the intrinsic superstructure of schools. By addressing these issues, a better understanding of schooling emerges, along with an appropriate course of action.
Cevin Soling is a writer, scholar, music producer and award-winning filmmaker with graduate degrees from Harvard University in English and education. He has produced and directed seven feature-length films including the first theatrically released documentary on education, The War on Kids, which shows how American public schools have become modeled after prisons as a result of a burgeoning intolerance of youth. His writings have appeared in Forbes, The Atlantic, Wired, The Daily Beast and other outlets. He was a featured guest on The Colbert Report, The Kennedy Show and The Dr. Nancy Show, and his films have been broadcast on HBO, Showtime, The BBC, PBS, MTV, The Sundance Channel, The Documentary Channel and The Learning Channel. He authored The Student Resistance Handbook, which provides students with information on tactics designed to undermine the operation of their schools.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at [ Ссылка ]
