Mr. Wasserman is a middle school teacher in Madison WI who yesterday refused to give his students a standardised exam in protest of the euphemistically named No Child Left Behind Act. To my eyes this horrendous legislation, much lauded by no less a personage than Captain Codpiece himself, is specifically designed to ensure that schools cannot teach students the most important things; a love of learning, the need to ask questions and to challenge "authority". Instead its object would seem to be to churn out unquestioning worker bees for a service economy.
Mr. Wasserman had planned to continue his protest throughout the exam period but, after having been threatened with being sacked, will most likely participate from today. After all Mr. Wasserman lives in America and he "can't jeopardize health insurance for [his] family".
Nonetheless perhaps his lonely protest has done some little good and others, parents and teachers alike, might actually choose to think about the factory education that this bad law requires as a result of his actions.
Mr. Wasserman had planned to continue his protest throughout the exam period but, after having been threatened with being sacked, will most likely participate from today. After all Mr. Wasserman lives in America and he "can't jeopardize health insurance for [his] family".
Nonetheless perhaps his lonely protest has done some little good and others, parents and teachers alike, might actually choose to think about the factory education that this bad law requires as a result of his actions.
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