The K-12 Conspiracy

John Dewey is often blamed (by me and many others) for being the cause of the long, relentless decline in American public education.  In fairness, he is only the famous face of a bigger story.

In the early years of the 20th century, as the Victorian era moved toward the wasteland of World War I, anxiety and ferment rippled across America and Europe.  Unions were rising; revolution was preached in every capital; assassinations were common.  There was genuine fear that civilization would fly apart.

Edward A. Ross, a sociologist, published an influential book in 1901: Social Control: a survey of the foundations of order, a title that tells you what was on everybody’s mind.

Ask the people who then controlled American society, and they would tell you there were far too many ignorant immigrants coming from Europe.  There were far too many unruly peasants of all kinds.  (more...)

The K-12 Conspiracy

The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America