The Essential School Sucks, #24 of 50
Theme Three: What It Means To Be Educated
We move from self-directed learning to its outcome: critical thinking.
Today I&#39;ll discuss one of the MOST IMPORTANT aspects of it: our persistent uncritical thoughts and feelings.
(November, 2016) What is wrong with John Oliver? What&#39;s wrong with Donald Trump? What&#39;s wrong the anti-Trump anti-reality protestors? What was wrong with me the other day when I suddenly felt impelled to hatch a conspiracy theory about Trump&#39;s election being part of a &quot;larger plan&quot; with little evidence? What&#39;s wrong with an alarming number of the interactions in School Sucks Facebook group lately?
Political thinking is often quick thinking.
Thinking quickly is an evolution-driven feature that was once necessary for our survival. But in a vastly more complex world than the one our species grew up in, this mode of thought is often dangerous and destructive. Look around.
Sometimes some people, even libertarians, use mental shortcuts to arrive at faulty conclusions, and then engage in a process of rationalization for those conclusions.
In short, we&#39;ll explore observations of the left and pro-Trump right over the last year with the valuable lessons from Daniel Kahneman&#39;s book Thinking, Fast and Slow. The goal is utilize examples of thinking errors to avoid making them ourselves, often without even noticing.  
Get ALL episodes in this series: HERE (https://www.patreon.com/posts/speed-and-full-69222453)
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24. Thinking, Fast and Slow

The Essential School Sucks, #23 of 50
Theme Three: What It Means To Be Educated
Kerry McDonald is a home-educating mother of four, who holds an M.Ed. from Harvard University, where she studied education administration, planning, and social policy. She is a writer for Natural Mother Magazine, the Foundation for Economic Education, Forbes, and Intellectual Takeout. She is a founding member of AlternativesToSchool.com, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Alliance for Self-Directed Education. Her blog podcast is LiberatED.
She joins me today to discuss
- her professional/academic education background
- how she learned about and embraced self-directed learning
- her current online projects
- how education works in her home (and beyond), for each of her 4 children
- promoting self-directed education
- Benefits of Self-Directed Learning
- her article "Cultivating An Unenclosed Childhood" 
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Originally Released July 19th, 2017 As “[PODCAST #504] Unenclosed Children and Self-Directed Learning – With Kerry McDonald"

23. Unenclosed Children

The Essential School Sucks, #22 of 50
Theme Three: What It Means To Be Educated
Scott Hambrick returns for a discussion on "how people learn and how  we help them do that," as he aspires to be a more effective home-educator,  Starting Strength coach, and leader at Online Great Books (https://onlinegreatbooks.com/ogb-memberships/?cookieUUID=b0752603-b84f-4b68-8330-3bf3fc074d2c).
We begin our discussion with an exploration of the common learning theories practiced in public school and higher education, along with a cost/benefit analysis of each: behaviorism, cognitivism, and (social) constructivism. We also touch on connectivism and mindset theory.
In future conversation(s) we'll cover additional behaviors and practices that can greatly enhance both the learning and thing processes, including The 20-Hour Rule, the Six Thinking Hats, the Trivium Method, attributes of self-directed learning and strategies for critical thinking in everyday life.
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Originally Released July 9th, 2019 As “[PODCAST #619] Filling the Trough - With Scott Hambrick"

22. Filling the Trough

The Essential School Sucks, #21 of 50
Theme Three: What It Means To Be Educated
Today's show is intended as a resource for listeners looking to share the ideas of alternative education and self directed learning with their friends and family, or with anyone wants to learn more about these subjects.
Blake Boles builds exciting alternatives to traditional school for self-directed young people. He runs the company Unschool Adventures and is the author of The Art of Self-Directed Learning, Better Than College, and College Without High School.
Blake and I discuss the path to more self directed learning
How to define the current school problem
Why Schooling is not the same as education
John Taylor Gatto's definition of real education
The attributes of an educated person
Self-Determination Theory and self directed learning
Promising developments in educational alternatives
How more people can gain access to alternative education
How parents improve their children's educational experience even if they can't take them out of public school
"An education is the capacity to author your own life instead of merely accepting the one handed to you." - Blake
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Originally Released March 25th, 2018 As “[PODCAST] #551: What It Means To Be Educated – Blake Boles"

21. What It Means To Be Educated

The Essential School Sucks, #20 of 50
Theme Two: Leaving Institutional Schooling and Finding Educational Alternatives
In the previous episode you heard my first podcast with Zak from 2016. Today we&#39;ll fast-forward five years for updates on life and career advice in times of increasing uncertainty and instability.
Favorite School Sucks neighbor Zak Slayback returns to offer some key 2021 updates to his past advice for young people at the beginning of their careers. Our previous conversation on this topic, called How High School Students Can Get Ahead In Their Careers [PODCAST #583], covered:
Why young people need to start personal websites while in high school, and how this website can work as a portfolio, showcase of personality, a canvas and as insurance
How to contact an existing expert in the area you want to go into, getting a better idea of how to get started
Methods of signaling and building a portfolio
growing your network of people who are a few steps ahead of you
We&#39;ll make some adjustment to previous advice, and discuss what advice still stands and why. We&#39;ll also look at the big picture of politics, society, tech, and the hellstorm that&#39;s certainly on its way. Sorry.
Additions include:
- seriously ask yourself why you need to be on social media
- how deep are your options? how fragile is your situation?
- what consulting opportunities exist for you?
Zak Slayback is an entrepreneur who writes, speaks and takes action on issues of education, innovation, and philosophy. He is an Ivy League dropout and a founding team member of Praxis (https://discoverpraxis.com/schoolsuckspodcast/) - an organization that creates apprenticeships for college-age people that lead directly to full-time jobs.
Learn more about Zak at ZakSlayback.com.
Zak is also one of the presenters in The Ideas Into Action Summit (https://sspuniversity.com/ideasintoaction/)
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20. Don't Be Anyone's Useful Idiot

The Essential School Sucks, #19 of 50
Theme Two: Leaving Institutional Schooling and Finding Educational Alternatives
Zak Slayback is an entrepreneur who writes, speaks and takes action on issues of education, innovation, and philosophy. He is an Ivy League dropout and a founding team member of Praxis (https://discoverpraxis.com/schoolsuckspodcast/) - an organization that creates apprenticeships for college-age people that lead directly to full-time jobs.
Learn more about Zak at ZakSlayback.com.
Discussion:
* the power and opportunity of apprenticeships
* What's the difference between school and education?
* career guidance (or lack thereof) in high school
* The truth about college admissions
* The Ivy League liability
* deschooling
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Originally Released October 10th, 2016 as "[PODCAST] #454: Building A Credential Better Than the College Degree, With Zak Slayback"

19. Succeeding Without Schooling

The Essential School Sucks, #18 of 50
Theme Two: Leaving Institutional Schooling and Finding Educational Alternatives
Today, an Essential School Sucks compilation of two conversations with natural learning legends: Sandra Dodd and Pam Laricchia.
PART ONE: Sandra Dodd is a world-renown unschooling and natural learning advocate, and the mother of three adult unschooled children. Her website SandraDodd.com is one of the most comprehensive unschooling resources on the internet. She joins me for a fast-paced but fairly comprehensive discussion on unschooling and choice and her unschooling experiences, influences and philosophy.
Unschoolers and Reading
Sandra share the stories of her three children learning to read, and how there might not always be clear incremental steps.
A Mindset For Unschooling
&quot;read a little, try a little, wait a while, watch&quot; - patience
what are we watching for?
addressing problems a discomforts
appreciation of choice and projecting optimism
power-with, instead of power-over relationships, partnership
beware of blindly &quot;supportive&quot; unschooling communities
Full Show With Sandra: Sandra Dodd – On Unschooling and Choice [PODCAST #585] (https://schoolsucksproject.com/sandra-dodd-on-unschooling-and-choice-podcast-585/)
PART TWO: Pam Laricchia is the creator of the blog livingjoyfully.ca - an amazing, well-organized resource for people exploring how to live and learn without school. She is also the author of several books on unschooling, including The Unschooling Journey: A Field Guide. Pam began unschooling with her three children back in 2002 and she has continued her enthusiastic exploration through blogging, podcasting and presenting at conferences.
FOR PEOPLE EXPLORING OR STARTING UNSCHOOLING
What are the important foundations of unschooling?
Making the Transition to Unschooling - rule dropping vs. rule relaxing
How to nurture Curiosity, Being Open to Our Child&#39;s Wonder
How to foster an engaged mind, main three characteristics of real and effective learning (from the article Curious and Engaged)
Pam&#39;s 3 Characteristics of Real and Effective Learning
engagement: exploring and playing with an idea, topic, or skill
motivation: staying engaged in their exploration, even through challenges
thinking: creativity and analysis, and is key to the bigger picture understanding of how the idea, topic, or skill fits into their world
CHALLENGES/CONCERNS ABOUT UNSCHOOLING
the process of deschooling
How to develop and maintain the patience and proper mindset for unschooling
Mediating conflicting needs, between parent and child/children
Plus A Listener question - Thanks Jahaira!
&quot;The main idea that comes to mind is the topic of TRUST. As a parent, you want your children to have everything they need to thrive, and it&#39;s scary to leave it to &quot;chance&quot;. It&#39;s scary to fully TRUST that they will learn what they need to learn of their own volition and of their own desire...&quot;
Full Show With Pam: The

18. Learning Without Schooling

The Essential School Sucks, #17 of 50
Theme Two: Leaving Institutional Schooling and Finding Educational Alternatives
Pat Farenga is a leading unschooling advocate, and the father of three adult unschooled children. He worked closely with unschooling pioneer John Holt on the Growing Without Schooling Magazine, and in the mid-1980s he took over as publisher of GWS and the president of Holt Associates. Today Pat runs the website JohnHoltGWS.com, which archives all the issues of the magazine, plus a variety of unschooling books and resources. He joins me to discuss the history of unschooling (the idea and the movement), his experiences as an unschooling parent, his relationship with John Holt and the language we use to convey our ideas.
Pat&#39;s Personal History of Unschooling
He and his wife raised three girls, and while embracing the unschooling philosophy, they left the door into and out school open for them. The embrace was a very gradual process, from idealism about teaching to John Holt&#39;s impact on his ideas about learning. The importance of avoiding the creation of an adversarial relationship with school in the minds of children.
A Mindset For Unschooling
slowing down, living consciously
The Legend of Zelda teaches reading
appreciation of choice
trying school
The Language of Unschooling
We discuss the words we use in relation to branding and outreach.
My discomforting revelation about the low volume of searches for unschooling and deschooling.
John Holt&#39;s issue with the words &quot;education&quot; and &quot;educator&quot;
The interesting etymology of the word &quot;Education&quot; and how the meaning was changed
The Professional Rejection of John Holt&#39;s Ideas
Holt: learning is not the result of teaching; it&#39;s the result of the activity of the learners; teaching can be helpful, but the prerequisite is the intrinsic motivation of the learner
Gatto: &quot;professional interest is served by making what is easy to do seem hard&quot;
Escape From Childhood (1974)- advocacy needs and rights of children and the ephebiphobic (fear of young people) response 
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One-Time

17. Growing Without Schooling

The Essential School Sucks, #16 of 50
Theme Two: Leaving Institutional Schooling and Finding Educational Alternatives
From (#SchoolSucksAcrossAmerica - DAY SIX - OCT 20 - Harrisburg, PA)
Tony Myers and I ask and answer questions with Circle School students and staff.
From the The Circle School website:
A pioneer in integral education, The Circle School’s program balances freedom and responsibility in a self-directed, democratic community. Students are free to choose their own activities, while sharing with staff responsibility for the day-to-day management of all aspects of the school.
Several participants will address these two questions:
- What is the most exciting or satisfying thing you've taught yourself this year?
- What is the biggest challenge for you?
Related Show:
[PODCAST] #526: Sparks Academy (Founder Interview and Student Discussion) (https://schoolsucksproject.com/podcast-526-sparks-academy-founder-interview-student-discussion/)
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Originally Released October 27, 2017 As "[PODCAST] #520: Circle School Roundtable (With Tony Myers and Over 20 Young Self-Educators)"

16. Here Is What's Possible Beyond Public School

The Essential School Sucks, #15 of 50
Theme Two: Leaving Institutional Schooling and Finding Educational Alternatives
Diane Murphy taught in public schools for 30 years before she retired early to build BigFish, an innovative self-directed learning community in Dover, NH. I had the pleasure of speaking with Diane at the FreeCoast Festival and of hearing her presentation on BigFish (https://www.bigfishnh.org/). We sat down to discuss her past experience, current efforts and passion for self-directed learning and integrating teens into the real world.
Discussion:
- Diane&#39;s path out of public school
- properties of natural learning
- physical costs of school
- A new model for a self-directed learning center
- Cooperation and competition can work together
- Community networking for real-world education and training
- How teens move from a school to a self-directed learning community
- Outcomes for self-directed learners
- Building online portfolios
- How public school teachers are kept in line
A Follow-Up Show With Diane:
A Year of Adjustment – With Diane Murphy of BigFish [PODCAST #705] (https://schoolsucksproject.com/a-year-of-adjustment-with-diane-murphy-of-bigfish-podcast-705/)
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Originally Released September 18, 2017 As &quot;[PODCAST #513] Building Self Dire

15. Building Self-Directed Learning Communities

The Essential School Sucks, #14 of 50
Theme Two: Leaving Institutional Schooling and Finding Educational Alternatives
(but also for everyone else)
Matt Beaudreau returns to map out a hero&#39;s journey for teens. We&#39;ll also discuss how students are guided through this process at Acton Academy, and how homeschooling and unschooling parents can help nurture this process in their own children.
Plus much more on
* goals, systems, habits and routines
* self-knowledge and challenge
* resisting cultural/political/peer &quot;brainwashing&quot;
Matt is an in-demand and provocative education speaker and consultant, and a personal development coach to people all around the world. He is also the founder of the Acton Academy in Placer, CA; Acton is a program of self-directed learning with over 100 locations around the world.
About Acton Academy Placer
Acton Academy Placer is an Educational Resource Center for students grades K-12 in Northern California. The Center provides a collaborative environment for students to develop an entrepreneurial mindset, engage in daily Socratic discussions, drive their own academic paths, and create opportunities for themselves around their individuals skills and passions.
Links to Matt:
MattBeaudreau.com
www.ActonAcademy.org
https://www.instagram.com/mattbeaudreau
https://www.facebook.com/mattbeaudreau
https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-beaudreau-071a5b99/
The Ideas In Action Summit (https://sspuniversity.com/ideasintoaction/)
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14. The Hero's Journey For Teens

The Essential School Sucks, #13 of 50
Theme Two: Leaving Institutional Schooling and Finding Educational Alternatives
Kerry McDonald returns to discuss the growing Micro-School movement. What is a Micro-School and why should we be talking about them? (and why am I excited about a school?)
We&#39;ll also cover blended learning, the question of screen time for children, and a thriving micro-school network in Arizona Kerry recently profiled in Forbes Magazine. That article is called How Micro-School Networks Expand Learning Options (https://fee.org/articles/how-micro-school-networks-expand-learning-options/)
Kerry McDonald is a Senior Education Fellow at FEE and author of Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom. She is also an adjunct scholar at The Cato Institute and a regular Forbes contributor. Kerry has a B.A. in economics from Bowdoin College and an M.Ed. in education policy from Harvard University. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts with her husband and four children. You can check out her podcast LibertaED  here (https://info.fee.org/liberated).
Kerry&#39;s Book:
Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom (https://amzn.to/3xoY5uq)
And please bookmark and use this link for your Amazon shopping: Shop With Us
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School Sucks was one of the longest running liberty-minded podcasts on the web, and the only one completely devoted to the issue of education (versus public school and college). 
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Originally Released November 27, 2019 As &quot;The Micro

13. The Micro School Movement

The Essential School Sucks, #12 of 50
Theme Two: Leaving Institutional Schooling and Finding Educational Alternatives
Connor Boyack is a home-educating parent and the founder of the Libertas Institute. He joins me to discuss his book Passion-Driven Education, which is definitely a nice companion piece for the School Sucks Podcast.
Discussed:
* School is a tool for social transformation; education is a tool for self-transformation
* Addressing Concerns: Structure, "assessment," and protection in the homeschool environment
* Is the process of critical inquiry more important than the actual information gained?
* Minimally Invasive Education
* "hackschooling"
* A Star Wars story about child motivation
The Books:
Passion-Driven Education (https://amzn.to/3mvTl1p)
The Tuttle Twins Set by Connor Boyack: The Law, The Golden Rule, Miraculous Pencil, Education Vacation (https://amzn.to/3ztTERP)
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School Sucks was one of the longest running liberty-minded podcasts on the web, and the only one completely devoted to the issue of education (versus public school and college). 
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Originally Released January 31, 2017 As "[PODCAST] #473: Passion-Driven Education (With Connor Boyack)"

12. Purpose and Passion-Driven Education

The Essential School Sucks, #11 of 50
Theme Two: Leaving Institutional Schooling and Finding Educational Alternatives
Lenore Skenazy (http://www.freerangekids.com/)  was one of the first people to sound the alarm on the dangers of safety. Now, two decades into the "century of the safe" - where safety is the trump card in almost every policy argument - we must recognize that letting go of overprotectiveness is an important step towards treating young people with more dignity.
2013: Lenore joins me to discuss the Free Range Kids movement, and strategies for reaching out to helicopter parents. We also explore the trends that have led to the panic, paranoia and over-protective nature of so many parents today.
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School Sucks was one of the longest running liberty-minded podcasts on the web, and the only one completely devoted to the issue of education (versus public school and college). 
Your support keeps the show alive, which keeps us at the top of the options for education podcasts and leads to new people discovering our work. Please help us continue to spread this important message further!
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Originally Released January 20, 2013 As "Lenore Skenazy - Free Range Kids [PODCAST #190]"

11. Setting Children Free (In An Age of Mass Panic)

The Essential School Sucks, #10 of 50
Theme One: The Real Problems With Public School
This show concludes our first section of shows on the problem of institutional schooling. We're told the primary purpose of K-12 is get into a good college. So in this installment we'll use a single news story about corruption to create a comprehensive argument against the content, culture, and cost of higher indoctrination.(for most people)
Scott Hambrick and I discuss the so-called biggest scandal in the history of higher education! But what will the public ultimately learn from the Operation Varsity Blues revelations? And what will change?
Scott is a home educating parent, entrepreneur, strength coach and the creator (Reader In Chief) of OnlineGreatBooks.com (https://onlinegreatbooks.com/ogb-memberships/?cookieUUID=b0752603-b84f-4b68-8330-3bf3fc074d2c). 
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Please Support School Sucks
School Sucks was one of the longest running liberty-minded podcasts on the web, and the only one completely devoted to the issue of education (versus public school and college). 
Your support keeps the show alive, which keeps us at the top of the options for education podcasts and leads to new people discovering our work. Please help us continue to spread this important message further!
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Originally Released March 15, 2019 As "COLLEGE SCAM! – Mainstream America Learns A New Phrase [PODCAST #603]"
https://schoolsucksproject.com/wp-content/uploads/603-1024x512.png

10. When Mainstream America Learned College Is A Scam

The Essential School Sucks, #9 of 50
Theme One: The Real Problems With Public School
This final show - thoroughly remastered - about the problems of K-12 public schooling, is primarily focused on the recent dark history, Outcome-Based Education, how it was applied to the children of the 90s, and how it has been &quot;perfected&quot; since then.
Original Notes: Today&#39;s show is a followup to the previous conversation with Dave Smith - a deeper level of exploration of the history of school, covering a longer period of time, and showing the progression of control over the public mind.
(Edited Audio from Brett on Free Man Beyond the Wall)
Pete&#39;s question: what you believe is the biggest conspiracy behind turning the schools into the indoctrination centers they are today?
It&#39;s hard to pick just one.
A STORY OF INCREASING LEVERAGE OF SCIENTIFIC MANAGERS (AND BOILED FROGS)
1840s-1930s
- Mandatory public education in America began as part of a quest for a perfect society with the Puritans in Massachusetts who were seeking a religious utopia
- Prussian system replaces the predictability of slavery in a labor force, and to standardize immigrants to that predictability - social and industrial harmony
- The dramatic shift from family and community-based approach to an industrial, collectivist approach - there&#39;s no going back
- This quest was soon taken up by Progressives and democratic socialists who were seeking a secular utopia
&quot;So a precedent is set, collectivism is ratcheted up at every stage
and with every turn of the screw, the system becomes more accepted. It become harder and harder to imagine society without it and all that it does becomes...fine, and once it&#39;s fine it becomes invisible.&quot;
1930s-1970s
- Louis Alber, head of National Recovery Act New York 1933: “Russia and Germany are attempting to compel a new order by means typical of their nationalism – compulsion. The United States will do it by moral (per)suasion. Of course we expect some opposition, but the principles of the New Deal must be carried to the youth of the nation. We expect to accomplish by education what dictators in Europe are seeking to do by compulsion and force.”
- Teacher training (1967-1974)run by a nexus private foundations, academia, corporations, think tanks and govt agencies, coordinated through the US Office of Education (three examples below)
+ Designing Education for the Future, by Education Department says
education is a means to achieve economic and social goals of a national character
+ Behavior Science Teacher Education Project (1968 Michigan State University) predicts &quot;chemical experimentation&quot; on children?
+ Bloom&#39;s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives as &quot;a tool to classify the ways that individuals are to act , think or feel as the result of some unit of instruction&quot;
1980s-Present
- Outcomes-Based Education and the remediation of improper thoughts
- Peg Luksik &quot;Who Controls Our Children&quot;
- stude

9. Who Controls Our Children?

The Essential School Sucks, #8 of 50
Theme One: The Real Problems With Public School
March 27, 2018 - This past weekend hundreds of thousands of ill-informed teenagers participated in a nationwide accidental fundraiser for the NRA called #MarchForOurLives.
Thaddeus Russell returns to examine the bigger picture. We'll discuss the fetish-ization of children by both the left and the right. Other themes include politics as a performance on a stage, dangers of absolutist thinking, Manichaeism (the age-old religious idea of fighting the battle against the darkness on the side of the light, and the comfort and illusion of moral superiority that idea brings), why this phenomenon does NOT require "crisis actors," and the harnessing of teenage angst towards political ends. 
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Originally Released March 27, 2018 As "[PODCAST] #552: #ENOUGH – With Thaddeus Russell"

8. The Anti-Gun Play

The Essential School Sucks, #7 of 50
Theme One: The Real Problems With Public School
How will the draconian "safety" measures from the past pandemic (or maybe a future pandemic) affect school children? These measures are new vectors for punishment and surveillance, and they will certainly remain in place beyond any health crisis.
Jay, The Honest Teacher returns almost exactly one year after  our last conversation. I asked him to offer some up close and personal  accounts (from students and from his observations) about how  institutional schooling has become even more of a dystopian nightmare.
Unfortunately now more than ever, school continues to make good on  its promise to mold children into "good" citizens. But is there a silver  lining? Jay says yes.
The Honest Teacher:
 On Minds (https://www.minds.com/thehonestteacher/)
 On Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/thehonestteachers/)
 On Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/thehonestteacher/)
Our Previous Conversations:
 The Honest Teacher Speaks (Part 2 of 2) [PODCAST #644] (https://schoolsucksproject.com/the-honest-teacher-speaks-part-2-of-2-podcast-644/)
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Originally Released February 15, 2021 As "[PODCAST #701] 2021: Now School Sucks For Everyone"

7. The Schools of the Plague. The Plague of the Schools.

The Essential School Sucks, #6 of 50
Theme One: The Real Problems With Public School
The story of mass public schooling: a shocking intrusion takes place, and then it becomes normalized, and then it becomes invisible, until another shocking intrusion takes place. And so on...
Dave Smith and I discuss a brief history of this intrusion into family and community life, and then we assess the condition of public school and college, as they were, heading into the pandemic (where they definitely didn't get any better).
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School Sucks was one of the longest running liberty-minded podcasts on the web, and the only one completely devoted to the issue of education (versus public school and college). 
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Originally Released February 10, 2020 As "[PODCAST #641] Brett On Part of the Problem With Dave Smith"

6. The State of the Schools. The Schools of The State.

The Essential School Sucks, #5 of 50
Theme One: The Real Problems With Public School
Dr. Peter Gray was a research professor of psychology at Boston College, and author of  Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life (https://amzn.to/3sJOtcu). Peter serves on the Organizing team for the Alliance of Self-Directed-Education. He also runs a blog on Psychology Today called Freedom to Learn, where he regularly explains and promotes self-directed education from a variety of angles.
Today Peter and I discuss creativity and critical thinking - two skills we agree are left underdeveloped (or even damaged) by public school and college. 
On critical thinking, Peter has referenced studies and surveys that reveal about 50% of employers are dissatisfied with entry-level, college graduate employees (PayScale Inc.) and that college does little to improve higher level thinking (Academically Adrift: Limited Learning On College Campuses - 2011). 
On creativity, Peter wrote a piece called As Children’s Freedom Has Declined, So Has Their Creativity. Peter informs us that there are actually quantitative studies, including the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, that show a marked decline in children&#39;s creative capacity since the 1980s. We discuss the causes of this decline in detail.
We finish with a friendly disagreement (then agreement) on the educational merits of video games.
In part one we discussed the biological foundations of self-education. LISTEN HERE (https://www.patreon.com/posts/podcast-542-gray-16951940)
In part three we&#39;ll talk about  Peter&#39;s vision for self-directed education in the future. LISTEN HERE (https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/schoolsucks/episodes/2018-02-16T07_45_51-08_00)
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School Sucks was one of the longest running liberty-minded podcasts on the web, and the only one completely devoted to the issue of education (versus public school and college). 
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