David Randall Continues his Conversation in Education Week with Harry Boyte

National Association of Scholars

Harry Boyte, whom we have criticized in Making Citizens for founding Public Achievement, invited Making Citizens author David Randall to join him and Deborah Meier in an online conversation at Education Week. We welcome the chance for discussion, and David's second contribution is now posted online—for free, but you need to register to read the article.

Here is an excerpt from his article:

Active citizenship, public work, whatever you call it, is a welcome part of public life, but it doesn't belong in our schools. Our schools and our teachers have a responsibility to be politically impartial. They should restrict the exercise of their authority to their areas of professional expertise--which by definition cannot include civic practice, since we are equally qualified to act as citizens by virtue of turning 18. A teacher who passes on expert knowledge to his students, and instills a love of that subject matter, is already acting in the public good. There isn't a better model for how to be a good citizen.

Read what others have to say about Making Citizens >

Image Credit: Wikimedia, cropped.

  • Share

Most Commented

May 18, 2023

1.

Letter: In Defense of Professor Scott Gerber

The Ohio Northern University’s senior administrators have treated Professor Scott Gerber appallingly by removing him from campus without due cause—a clear abuse of......

May 9, 2023

2.

More Title IX Mischief

The Biden Education Department's Office for Civil Rights proposes a new rule on athletic eligibility favoring sexual confusion over female athletes....

May 23, 2023

3.

Academic Freedom Isn’t Free

If higher education cannot hold itself to its founding principles, then we must....

Most Read

April 7, 2023

1.

Congress Asks Dept of Education to Enforce Foreign Gift Disclosure Laws

The National Association of Scholars strongly endorses the Representatives' work to open the books on higher education's concealed dealings with the foreign despots who see......

May 15, 2015

2.

Where Did We Get the Idea That Only White People Can Be Racist?

A look at the double standard that has arisen regarding racism, illustrated recently by the reaction to a black professor's biased comments on Twitter....

April 14, 2023

3.

Faculty Fight for Academic Freedom at Harvard

While many faculty quietly endorse views they privately disagree with, Harvard faculty band together to resist administrative overreach, overzealous students, and protect academic freedom....