Ayers stresses need for public schools to teach democracy, social skills, ABCs
http://www.purdueexponent.org/index.php/module/Section/section_id/?module=article&story_id=17932 By Ty Jepson 09/25/2009 William Ayers spoke Thursday night in Lawson Computer Science Building, and at first had to drown out the cries of protesters outside the windows. Ayers is a professor of education and senior university scholar at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Ayers' lecture, "Inequality and Education: The Challenge for Urban Schools," was part of the Cummings-Perrucci lecture series for the department of sociology. Ayers began his talk by addressing the protests occurring outside the building where the lecture was held. "I'll also have to speak above the pitchforks," he joked. "They're protesting a cartoon character, not me. I think if they were in here, they'd agree with me. "I don't find it off-putting or disturbing for people to protest." Ayers spoke of how cultures and generations came together to elect President Obama in the 2008 presidential election and used the Obama slogan, "Yes we can," as a starting point for the discussion of urban education. "Now we can say, 'Yes we can,'" he said. "But yes we can what? What about urban schools?" Ayers proposed that schools change their curriculum to one that is more active. "Schools are not just places that teach ABCs," he said. "They also teach democracy and social skills." Ayers talked about how in other countries with "regime" governments, students are taught through obedience and conformity, and said U.S. schools should be different. "Those schools also want students to learn and stay off drugs and show up on time," he said. Ayers said U.S. schools could be different from schools in countries with "regime" governments by showing that each human being should be valued. Ayers said conditions in some schools, compared to others, are "offensive in a democracy." "It sends the message to kids, 'Have the right parents,'" he said. Ayers shared personal stories about teaching and about his children, but also talked about other politicians. He said Secretary of Education and former Chicago Public Schools Superintendent Arnie Duncan is a smart man, but criticized the way dropout rates, suspensions and rates of teachers leaving, especially in the black community, skyrocketed in Chicago under Duncan's watch. Ayers also criticized John McCain's handling of education rhetoric during the presidential campaign, saying the way McCain's responses were framed, there was no room for argument because the statements were obvious. "Whenever he talked about teachers he said we need to get the lazy, incompetent teachers out of the classroom," Ayers said. "Simply by saying it, he wins." The final point Ayers made was a warning against letting education become a commodity. "The metaphor of the marketplace is a failed metaphor," he said. "Left liberals and right conservatives and everyone in between have bought the image. We have to argue that education is not a product like a refrigerator ... Resist at every turn that education is a commodity." Adriela Fernandez, assistant director of the department of international programs in agriculture, said Ayers' lecture was valuable from an educational standpoint. "I think the greatest value of his speech was that it took place," she said. Fernandez said that in academia, there needs to be a discussion. "A plurality of ideas," she said. "It made me proud to be a part of the Purdue community." Irwin Weiser, interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts, said it is important to raise questions and have debate at a university. "If all kinds of people can't come to speak, we've lost our way," he said. Weiser said Ayers was chosen to come speak last spring. "Most lectures at Purdue are arranged far in advance," he said. Weiser said he didn't anticipate the number of people voicing their opinions about Ayers around campus. "When I heard Bill Ayers was coming, I thought some of his supporters would come out," he said. "I was naive, I didn't anticipate the reaction. It was pretty clear they underestimated the level of interest." . -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Sixties-L" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/sixties-l?hl=en.
