Catching Up or Leading the Way: American Education in the Age of Globalization

Spring Institute day speaker Yong Zhao was quite provocative, interesting and well- informed as he explained his answer the questions: Are schools emphasizing the knowledge and skills that students need in a global society--or are they actually undermining their strengths by overemphasizing high-stakes testing and standardization? Are education systems in China and other countries really as superior as some people claim?He debunked some myths and calmed some fears leaving teachers to think that our school is doing fine in not tying everything we do to Illinois State Standards.

His book is available in the New Trier Library. Catching Up or Leading the Way: American Education in the Age of Globalization Call# is 370.973 Z63 It's also available on the library Kindles as an ebook.

Questions for senior discussion today:

What will you be doing in 5 years?

Has this school provided opportunities for learning

Was New Trier a happy comfortable place for you?

Lively discussion about opportunities, stress, not fitting 'the mold', etc.

Juniors: 5 Change Agents and "Black Power and the Black Power Party"
Ten Point Platform - October 1966  - What we Want and What we BelieveThe demands included freedome, full employment, reparations, decent housing, education, exemption from military service, end to police brutality, freedom for all black men in prisons/jails, and trials by peer groups from their black communities.

Would this 'radical' platform achieve something? 


Oral history: the power of the spoken word in a social movement
Readings/discussion on these excerpts from these change agents:


MLK, Jr. 1963
Stokely Carmichael, 1965
Malcolm X 1965
Lyndon B. Johnson, 1965
Fred Hampton, 1968