2020
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The American Achievement System
I’ve been to a lot of staff meetings over the course of my career as a public school teacher. In nearly every meeting, there are two words that fall regularly off the lips of school leadership: achievement and on-track. What do these words mean in the context of education and how might they be detrimental…
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The Allegory of the Passenger
A passenger purchases a ticket to travel by plane. After passing through security, they arrive at the service desk near their terminal. “Hello, I purchased a ticket to fly on this plane. I understand this airplane is a new model, and this is the first week it is being used commercially. I would like to…
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“None of Your Business”: Why 2020 Is the Perfect Year to Read A Christmas Carol
In 1842, England’s Royal Commission of Inquiry into Children’s Employment released its first report on child labor. The document, comprising data and interview transcripts that were gathered from investigators who visited labor facilities across England, shed a light on the horrendous treatment of child laborers and the systemic problems that perpetuated abuse among children as…
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We Used to Be Americans
I was born into a black and white reality. Democrats were stupid for thinking what they thought. Republicans were logical for thinking what they thought. Al Gore was an idiot. George W. Bush was a hero. The Beatles were great until they started making depressing drug music. It was very easy to see things that…
Stephen Nothum 