Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ Shock Therapy for a Dysfunctional School System

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community
There are several ways to approach this story, the gist of which is to support the actions of several foundations that are exerting pressure on school boards in Pittsburgh by withdrawing millions of dollars worth of funding. On way is to ask why, in a modern industrial society, school boards are so dependent on private charities in order to offer what is an essential public service. Another way is to speculate as to why the foundations see it necessary to take a direct hand in the running of the school system through (obviously) conditional donations rather than to leave its management in the hands of parents and elected officials. It's easy to say that the school system is dysfunctional. But when it is starved for cash and twisted out of shape by private interests, one must ask, is the proposed 'cure' really the source of the problem in the first place?

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

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Last Updated: Apr 29, 2024 12:14 p.m.

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