JB: It's a huge mess with many different aspects to it and I derive no pleasure from pushing you for your answer. I think that it's also a chicken and egg thing, with those calling for privatizing public education finding much fodder for their argument. Where do NCLB [No Child Left Behind] and all the standardized testing fit into the mix?
ER: I resolved to speak about the kids and not fan the rhetoric of educational policy-making in launching Yo Miz! I'll say this: all our kids deserve equal resources, no matter what their zip code.
JB: Agreed.
ER: Education is not a race. Assessing students (and teachers) on the basis of a standardized test is insane. Children learn by doing, not by rote memorization. (Me too.) Read Deborah Meier's books if you'd like to learn how to educate kids. Watch Philip Kovacs' TEDX talk**. Check out Sir Ken Robinson's new book, Creative Schools. Kids are beautiful, naturally creative human beings who, from the nanosecond they emerge from the womb are curious, natural learners. They are not data points or widgets. Let's open our hearts, eyes and ears to them. Let's stoke their dreams. Let's give them the tools to become successful. Let's challenge them to become creative thinkers who can make thoughtful choices in our participatory democracy. Let's have fun -- in and outside the classroom. Let's model respect and compassion for them in the way that we speak to each other. There are millions of teachers already engaged in this everywhere. Let's give the teachers the respect they deserve. After all, Lao Tsu, Buddha, Jesus...weren't they all teachers? Let's remember, educating our kids is a work-in-progress. We educators keep looking for new ideas while tweaking the old ones. Give us a minute to reflect, OK? Let's stop blaming. Let's feed the fire and enthusiasm in educators and students and administrators and let's watch an explosion of the most Creative Kind begin.
Did I mention, let's have FUN!
JB: Works for me. Now that you've got Yo Miz! wrapped up, what's on your agenda? Where to, now?
ER: I'm collecting uplifting classroom stories from teachers for my next book, Yo Teach! which I plan to curate. There's more information about this on the "Yo Teach!" tab on my website. I've also got some entertain-y stuff in progress, including an audio book for Yo Miz! and some music and comedy for screen and stage.
I'm also planning to take a nap.
JB: I won't worry that you'll run out of projects anytime soon. The Yo Teach! follow-up sounds great. Anything you'd like to add before you go take your nap?
ER: Just a great big thank you to you, Joan, for giving me this wonderful forum in which to share my prattle.
JB: My pleasure. Thanks so much for talking with me, Elizabeth. Knowledge is power. Now that Yo Miz! is out, we can't stick our heads in the sand and imagine that everything is hunky-dory in our public schools. It just aint so. Good luck on your various projects. I'll be particularly eager to read Yo Teach! when you're done.
ER: Great. Please encourage any teachers you know to contribute a vignette.
JB: This isn't limited to NYC?
ER: No. I have teacher-contributors in the UK, in NJ -- all teachers - the more diverse, the merrier.
JB: Sounds great! Listen up, teachers: here's your chance to be heard. Who could pass up an invitation like that? I enjoyed talking with you, Elizabeth, although a lot of what you said was quite disturbing. It's been an education!
ER: Peace out!
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