Race to Nowhere Trailer

Valedictorian gives schools a swift kick in the pants! You go girl!

July 27, 2010

Valedictorian Speaks Out Against Schooling in Graduation Speech

Author Note: Over the past four days, this post has received 110K+ hits and over 300+ comments. If you are interested in the unschooling/edupunks movement, please follow us via RSS,Email, or Twitter.

Last month, Erica Goldson graduated as valedictorian of Coxsackie-Athens High School. Instead of using her graduation speech to celebrate the triumph of her victory, the school, and the teachers that made it happen, she channeled her inner Ivan Illich and de-constructed the logic of a valedictorian and the whole educational system.

Erica originally posted her full speech on Sign of the Times, and without need for editing or cutting, here's the speech in its entirety:

Here I stand 

There is a story of a young, but earnest Zen student who approached his teacher, and asked the Master, "If I work very hard and diligently, how long will it take for me to find Zen? The Master thought about this, then replied, "Ten years . ." The student then said, "But what if I work very, very hard and really apply myself to learn fast -- How long then?" Replied the Master, "Well, twenty years." "But, if I really, really work at it, how long then?" asked the student. "Thirty years," replied the Master. "But, I do not understand," said the disappointed student. "At each time that I say I will work harder, you say it will take me longer. Why do you say that?" Replied the Master, "When you have one eye on the goal, you only have one eye on the path." 

This is the dilemma I've faced within the American education system. We are so focused on a goal, whether it be passing a test, or graduating as first in the class. However, in this way, we do not really learn. We do whatever it takes to achieve our original objective. 

Some of you may be thinking, "Well, if you pass a test, or become valedictorian, didn't you learn something? Well, yes, you learned something, but not all that you could have. Perhaps, you only learned how to memorize names, places, and dates to later on forget in order to clear your mind for the next test. School is not all that it can be. Right now, it is a place for most people to determine that their goal is to get out as soon as possible. 

I am now accomplishing that goal. I am graduating. I should look at this as a positive experience, especially being at the top of my class. However, in retrospect, I cannot say that I am any more intelligent than my peers. I can attest that I am only the best at doing what I am told and working the system. Yet, here I stand, and I am supposed to be proud that I have completed this period of indoctrination. I will leave in the fall to go on to the next phase expected of me, in order to receive a paper document that certifies that I am capable of work. But I contest that I am a human being, a thinker, an adventurer - not a worker. A worker is someone who is trapped within repetition - a slave of the system set up before him.But now, I have successfully shown that I was the best slave. I did what I was told to the extreme. While others sat in class and doodled to later become great artists, I sat in class to take notes and become a great test-taker. While others would come to class without their homework done because they were reading about an interest of theirs, I never missed an assignment. While others were creating music and writing lyrics, I decided to do extra credit, even though I never needed it. So, I wonder, why did I even want this position? Sure, I earned it, but what will come of it? When I leave educational institutionalism, will I be successful or forever lost? I have no clue about what I want to do with my life; I have no interests because I saw every subject of study as work, and I excelled at every subject just for the purpose of excelling, not learning. And quite frankly, now I'm scared. 

John Taylor Gatto, a retired school teacher and activist critical of compulsory schooling, asserts, "We could encourage the best qualities of youthfulness - curiosity, adventure, resilience, the capacity for surprising insight simply by being more flexible about time, texts, and tests, by introducing kids into truly competent adults, and by giving each student what autonomy he or she needs in order to take a risk every now and then. But we don't do that." Between these cinderblock walls, we are all expected to be the same. We are trained to ace every standardized test, and those who deviate and see light through a different lens are worthless to the scheme of public education, and therefore viewed with contempt. 

H. L. Mencken wrote in The American Mercury for April 1924 that the aim of public education is not "to fill the young of the species with knowledge and awaken their intelligence. ... Nothing could be further from the truth. The aim ... is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to put down dissent and originality. That is its aim in the United States." 

To illustrate this idea, doesn't it perturb you to learn about the idea of "critical thinking." Is there really such a thing as "uncritically thinking?" To think is to process information in order to form an opinion. But if we are not critical when processing this information, are we really thinking? Or are we mindlessly accepting other opinions as truth? 

This was happening to me, and if it wasn't for the rare occurrence of an avant-garde tenth grade English teacher, Donna Bryan, who allowed me to open my mind and ask questions before accepting textbook doctrine, I would have been doomed. I am now enlightened, but my mind still feels disabled. I must retrain myself and constantly remember how insane this ostensibly sane place really is. 

And now here I am in a world guided by fear, a world suppressing the uniqueness that lies inside each of us, a world where we can either acquiesce to the inhuman nonsense of corporatism and materialism or insist on change. We are not enlivened by an educational system that clandestinely sets us up for jobs that could be automated, for work that need not be done, for enslavement without fervency for meaningful achievement. We have no choices in life when money is our motivational force. Our motivational force ought to be passion, but this is lost from the moment we step into a system that trains us, rather than inspires us. 

We are more than robotic bookshelves, conditioned to blurt out facts we were taught in school. We are all very special, every human on this planet is so special, so aren't we all deserving of something better, of using our minds for innovation, rather than memorization, for creativity, rather than futile activity, for rumination rather than stagnation? We are not here to get a degree, to then get a job, so we can consume industry-approved placation after placation. There is more, and more still. 

The saddest part is that the majority of students don't have the opportunity to reflect as I did. The majority of students are put through the same brainwashing techniques in order to create a complacent labor force working in the interests of large corporations and secretive government, and worst of all, they are completely unaware of it. I will never be able to turn back these 18 years. I can't run away to another country with an education system meant to enlighten rather than condition. This part of my life is over, and I want to make sure that no other child will have his or her potential suppressed by powers meant to exploit and control. We are human beings. We are thinkers, dreamers, explorers, artists, writers, engineers. We are anything we want to be - but only if we have an educational system that supports us rather than holds us down. A tree can grow, but only if its roots are given a healthy foundation. 

For those of you out there that must continue to sit in desks and yield to the authoritarian ideologies of instructors, do not be disheartened. You still have the opportunity to stand up, ask questions, be critical, and create your own perspective. Demand a setting that will provide you with intellectual capabilities that allow you to expand your mind instead of directing it. Demand that you be interested in class. Demand that the excuse, "You have to learn this for the test" is not good enough for you.Education is an excellent tool, if used properly, but focus more on learning rather than getting good grades. 

For those of you that work within the system that I am condemning, I do not mean to insult; I intend to motivate. You have the power to change the incompetencies of this system. I know that you did not become a teacher or administrator to see your students bored. You cannot accept the authority of the governing bodies that tell you what to teach, how to teach it, and that you will be punished if you do not comply. Our potential is at stake. 

For those of you that are now leaving this establishment, I say, do not forget what went on in these classrooms. Do not abandon those that come after you. We are the new future and we are not going to let tradition stand. We will break down the walls of corruption to let a garden of knowledge grow throughout America. Once educated properly, we will have the power to do anything, and best of all, we will only use that power for good, for we will be cultivated and wise. We will not accept anything at face value. We will ask questions, and we will demand truth. 

So, here I stand. I am not standing here as valedictorian by myself. I was molded by my environment, by all of my peers who are sitting here watching me. I couldn't have accomplished this without all of you. It was all of you who truly made me the person I am today. It was all of you who were my competition, yet my backbone. In that way, we are all valedictorians. 

I am now supposed to say farewell to this institution, those who maintain it, and those who stand with me and behind me, but I hope this farewell is more of a "see you later" when we are all working together to rear a pedagogic movement. But first, let's go get those pieces of paper that tell us that we're smart enough to do so!

Update 8/7/10 - It was only a matter of time until a Youtube video of Erica's speech emerged. I'll warn you now, her delivery isn't as well put together as her speech. 

"Don't anybody move, I've dropped my brain."

I can relate to that line from a movie. I feel like sometimes I have dropped my brain and I cannot figure out where it is. In the laundry? In the pile of dishes in the sink? Did I accidentally make a smoothie with it? Maybe my purse, perhaps one of the kids thought it was a cool ball and left it outside to bake in the sun. Like lost glasses always found on top of your head, I find my brain tucked safely away. Then I begin to think the worst, am I getting Alzheimer? Words come out wrong. Can't think of peoples names. I feared I was becoming feeble in the mind so I downloaded a memory game one day on my phone. I sat down and could not do it. "Ahhhh!", I screamed within. "It is true.", I whispered to myself. Wanting to cry I put the game down and finished my chores and cared for the kids. That night in bed with the house quiet I tried it again, BAM! I got it. The next morning, Bam, I got it! Then it was clear to me. I was and am very distracted during the day. Laundry, dishes, cleaning pee off the bathroom floor, flushing away awful sights, making smoothies, lunches, dinners, driving here and there, telling the kids their chores, making sure they do their chores, reading to them while cooking, doing projects, homeschooling on 3 different levels, and all the while taking time to let the dogs in and out. Somehow I get it all done, not perfectly, not neatly, but complete and it takes a toll on my mind. I am foggy and scrambled most days.

I am a very internal person. Not a quick thinker in debate. I mull over ideas for days and then come back with my opinion. Society wants me to think NOW! I can't. I am busy, very busy. Once those little feet hit the floor their mouths open wanting food shoved in and millions of "I want" comes out. There is no room left to tell you my neighbors name or where my brain is. "It was here this morning." I say and let's leave it at that. Pancakes anyone?

Schools Out (for most kids)

As public schools kids near the end of another school year we are going to continue on our merry way. The joy of homeschooling is to go at your own pace and take your time. Although, our society would like me to speed up and make the children miserable. I say phooey! I refuse to bend to their ideals and substitute   it with my own!

This year we threw out all formal math and I bought an unconventional math book that was actually written in the 70's. I have had to tweak it a bit to work for us, we don't have phone booths or sidewalks. The kids now look forward to doing The I Hate Mathematics Book! They unknowingly, with joy in their hearts, discovered volume, topology, permutations, and other "math." This is what learning about! Zane has completed one whole workbook of letters and Jonah finished on whole workbook of new words and sentences, both from the Explode the Code series. Both have already started new books. James has started guitar and recently piano. James guitar teacher says he is one of his best students! He has learned many chords and is now learning many songs. Many he has taught himself from listening to his records. Jonah has been working hard on digging a hole all winter and spring. Kept pretty fit through the season changes, not to mention unknowingly learning physics! Jonah has started drumming lessons. The kid has a natural beat in his blood. Although he has a resistance of being told how to do something. He gets that stubbornness from me. The kid is my rebel twin. Zane is taking piano lessons and completely idolizes Elton John. He has to watch him or listen to him nightly. He is quite witty and very much a 2 sided Gemini!

We will not push as we do in the fall, but we will continue on with our "education" called life.
We will have fun and enjoy the ride.

You think you want to homeschool......

You either remember your own school days, watched a friends child get sucked into the slush called "school", or you have children that are either in the system and you want them out. Either way you most likely have a child "in need" of education. I say in need because all of us, deep down inside, think we our children "need schooling" in the traditional sense. I am here to say, from experience,  they don't. The children need experiences, someone to talk to, a life to live. Learning comes naturally for the most part. There are times when you need to discuss and work through certain areas, but much of what children learn is from doing. Did you learn your color with a chart. No you heard mom say, "Look at these green peas, they are so yummy." Even if you hated peas you knew that was green. You heard, "My shoes are under the bed. Go get them." You did not need a worksheet to teach you under and over. Yet schools all across the country think this is how you learn under, over, colors, size, etc... What three year old doesn't know the difference between a fat man and a skinny woman? A wise older lady once told me, "They don't go to college wearing diapers, RELAX!" She was right. Does it matter when they learn a skill? Doctors and teachers like to scare you into thinking they do, they have to be on the chart, any where off the chart is BAD. (did you hear the big booming dooming drums?)  At this point you have either agreed enough to go on, or you are thinking I am looney and are laughing through the ride, either way you are wondering when I am getting to my point.....

The first thing you want to do is to join several, and I mean several, homeschool groups online. No matter the age of your child, do this first. You can get a feel for what kind of people are in these groups and what matches your style. There are unschooling Nazi types, Earth Wind Fire types, loving relaxed Christians, Nazi strict Christians, snobby groups, secular, cranky, happy, hippie, yuppie, and everything in between. Some groups are so clique-ish that no matter how nice you are they will not let you in without some discomfort. Others are warm and friendly and welcome all. Take time to visit the playgroups and weed through the groups until you find one you really like and the moms you really love! Check Gmail, Yahoo, and other social groups for homeschool groups in your area.

Next you need to ask every question that pops into your head to the moms in these groups. Ask about EVERYTHING. Someone knows something. Want to know about bugs? Diapers? Chickens? Fruit? Math? Curriculum? Ask. Learn from our mistakes.

After you have found a groups to talk to and you have asked questions, you will now have a list of curriculum and books recommended by the homeschooling moms and dads. Start your research. What style are you? Waldorf/Steiner? Charlotte Mason? Montessori? Traditional (public school model)? Classical? Unschool? Christian? Catholic? Jewish? Secular? Eclectic? Workbooks? Hands-on? Teach with unit learning? Block learning? The reading approach? Sonlight and others offer this approach. Virtual learning? as in K-12, Time4Learning, etc...

You can easily spend hundreds of dollars on worthless material. Take your time. Also, don't be afraid to throw out something if it's not working. Sell it or donate it, but do not use it if it brings on tears!

After you have done all this you will need to think about other things as well. Field Trips, at-home activites, music lessons, dance, co-op classes, social gatherings, etc...

Most homeschoolers do not meet on Saturday and Sunday. These are family times. Monday through Friday are homeschooler times. This does not mean that YOU have to abide by any rules here. If you find some families that want to meet on the weekends, do it. If you want to use the weekend to educate, then do it. The true joy about homeschooling is there is not a check-in and check-out board. Education and learning is always "on-call." I have heard countless stories about mom's looking up elephants on the internet at 10pm. Never ever forget that EVERYTHING is a teachable moment.

The last thing you need to do before you begin is telling the state, family, and school (if you are taking them out., not if they have never started). If you are in Ks, this is easy. Contact the Topeka Board of Education and fill out their form. Print it before submitting if you are pulling your child out of school. Family? I cannot tell you how they will react. Some are OK, and some are not. Some families help, and some will turn you in to the state. If you have the second kind, keep records! And remember, everything is a teachable moment. Washing dishes is "home economics" as with grocery shopping, and cooking.
Document the children on field trips, social gatherings, and reading a book with pictures. This way you have proof for those not so nice family members.

If you are homeschooling in Ks you are considered a private school. You will need to pick a principal! Choose a school name and fill out the rest of the document. It's that easy. No one will call you. No one will check up on you.

As for pulling out of school, I have heard nightmares, mine being one of them, and I have heard of easy withdrawals where the teachers were even considerate. This is another variable issue and best to cover your self with a printed paper showing you have signed with the school board and are legit.

If you are in another state, look into the rules for that state. Some require testing and other bogus paperwork.

I hope this helps. Remember to breathe and reflect on the sage advice from your elders once more, "They don't go to college with diapers on, RELAX!"

To school or not to school; that is the question......

What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.  ~George Bernard Shaw


I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.  ~Mark Twain


Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.  ~Albert Einstein



Education aims to give you a boost up the ladder of knowledge.  Too often, it just gives you a cramp on one of its rungs.  ~Martin H. Fischer


I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.  ~Winston Churchill


These quotes sum up my sentiments exactly. I have no use for boxed life. School, food, or religion.  To school or not to school; that is the question. So much time goes into schooling. I have desperately taught my children the ABC's and the 123's. I have read book after book. We did experiments, studied ancient history, grumbled over math, shed tears over writing. I attempted to raise their awareness to spiritual matters, hand work, and the arts. I slaved over lesson plans, grids, and read up on subjects I had no prior knowledge of. I begged, pleaded, and threatened the pupils to learn. I was the one left in the middle of the road holding the bag of emptiness. I was the one feeling defeated and they were repelled and no longer wanted to learn. Not only that the teaching was done in vain because they did not retain an ounce. Lost. All lost. Where did it go? Why did they not retain it? Simple fact is this; they were not ready to learn it. Simple as that. An old Buddhist saying says, "When the student is ready the teacher appears." If the child/student is not ready and willing and wanting then you are fighting and endless battle. I have decided to stop the war and let peace reign. Nay, shall I conduct school as usual. I will begin anew. I will stop the insanity that so many believe is the way. I have seen the light. The darkness of traditional teaching swept away. I will begin my new adventure; Unschooling! 
Aye, tis the way of an un-conventionalist! 

Beginning Anew!

As public school kids across the country embark on yet another droll existence in "the system" my children will take new steps into a new year filled with new life and excitement. There will be no tests, no grade cards, and best of all no school lunches!

Nope, on cold windy days we can stay home wrapped in soft billowy blankets, drink hot tea and read books to each other and nibble warm buttery toast next to the hearth. Warm sunny days we can head out doors to picnic in the sun and talk about all the little things that pop into our heads.

When academics drags us down, we will take a break and paint, draw, make play dough, do science experiments, play board games, and do puzzles.

When being "at school" gets under our skin, we will escape to various museums, events, and nature reserves to learn more by being there.

As the public school kids begin to sit in their seats and "learn" my children will be up and out of their seats moving, talking, and experiencing life!

I am looking forward to the 2009-2010 school year!

With that said I have a small library of books lined up for this years reading aloud time. Or as we call it D.E.A.R Time (Drop Everything And Read).

We have started the year off by reading an abridged King Author and the Knights of the Roundtable, it was not as exciting as unabridged might be, but this book was already in the library.

Now we are reading The Never Ending Story by Ende (American translation). The kids like this one, but one chapter is all they can sit through thus far. I am sure later when the flying dog appears they will want to sit through longer stints.

Here are the other books I pulled from my library that we have not yet and will do so this school year.

Stanley, Flat Again! by Brown

The BFG by Dahl

Matilda by Dahl

Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Dahl

The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs by Birney

The Secret of the Old Clock by Drew

A Christmas Carol and Other Holiday Tales (unabridged) by Dickens

The War of the Worlds by Wells

I also have our science and history to read. Not to mention bedtime stories, and helping Jonah learn to read. James reading to Zane while I work with Jonah, and all the other ends and outs of "school."

Let's get to work!