American schools are struggling. There are achievement gaps between poor and rich neighborhoods, classes are overcrowded, and too many students are dropping out. School reform has been a hot topic for many decades, but some activists say change is coming from the wrong place.
Educational theorist and former leader of the Weather Underground Bill Ayers joined Jim and Margery on BPR to talk about the state of education in the U.S. He called for shedding the frames through which Americans view social problems
“If we commit to saying every neighborhood needs a decent fully resourced school with forward looking curriculum and teachers who are fully trained, we could get there,” he said. “We haven’t agreed that it’s a goal worth having." Ayers says that high-quality education is not as far-fetched as it may seem-- and people should view it as necessary, rather than unattainable.
“What the most privileged and wisest parents have for their children should be the baseline that we want for all of our children,” he said. “Anything less than that destroys democracy.”
According to Ayers, changes in policy will come from the ground up, not from politicians. He advocated for political organizing in addition to casting a ballot.
“Elections come and elections go,” he said. "I don’t think anybody’s going to save us. I think we will save ourselves.”
To hear the entire exchange, which includes his relationship with Barack Obama, click on the audio above
