A Fairy Tale Reform

Once upon a time, there was much unemployment, poverty, and homelessness across the land. Leaders tried one thing after another to end these grim conditions. Nothing worked. In the midst of these bad times, however, a small group of educators, upset over what youth were learning in high schools decided to take action. Schools were dull places. Students listened to teachers lecture, read books, and took exams. Schools were supposed to prepare students for life but much of what they studied they forgot after graduating. Worse yet, what they had learned in school did not prepare them to face life’s problems, think clearly, be creative, or do their civic duties. Complaints to school officials got the same answer repeatedly: little could be done because college entrance requirements determined what courses students took in high school. So to give high schools the freedom to try new ways of schooling in a democracy, a small band of reformers convinced the best universities to waive their…