By Simon Tang

The ensuing conflict between parents and teachers over the response of the school systems across the nation, and in Loudoun County, make evident one fact: both facilitators of our education are part of the bigger problem.

In a way, the teachers and the parents are really one in the same. To contextualize this, consider two powerful politicians: Donald Trump and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. In short, both are politicians who influence and conduct policy in 280 characters or less, both are polarizing figures within their respective political parties, both appeal to a specific base in their political party as opposed to the entire party at large. Donald Trump and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are basically the same people a few generations apart and on opposite sides of the political spectrum.
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Why does that matter in a discussion about education and school reopenings?

Because teachers and parents are essentially fulfilling the same roles in a different conflict: while parents are calling for in-person schooling for their children, the Loudoun Education Association (LEA) and its members have called for 100% distance learning. Both, however, ignore larger problems just as Donald Trump and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez do in the political sphere.

Where is student input in any of the positions that parents and teachers have taken?

Parents are concerned about their children’s education, but what about the kids themselves? Where do they find themselves in trying to answer this challenging question? And what about the concerns for teachers’ children?
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This negligence works both ways.

​ 

 In a statement released on Monday, July 6, the LEA said, "As the voice of employees, LEA conducted an all staff survey and provided the results to LCPS Administration and the School Board in early June. Unfortunately, vital employee input was not incorporated into the development of LCPS’ presented plans."

"As the voice of employees... Unfortunately, vital employee input..." It sounds like LEA’s concern for students is minimal.

While the educators’ concerns are important, if "academic growth, physical safety, and emotional well-being of our students" is most important, doesn't it make sense to consider the students’ own concerns?

What is incredulous is that neither parents nor educators seem to understand the fact that their conflict does not help students, but neither did their “partnership” in pre-coronavirus times. Both parties subverted students' autonomy and their ability to become learners together. Now they are just doing it apart.
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 In the background of racial injustice, the killing of George Floyd, the shooting of Breonna Taylor, the sexual assault of Vanessa Guillen, it is important for us, as a society, to come together to ask and answer the questions surrounding racial violence. These events are not isolated; they are part of a larger problem in this country. In the same way, the challenges we face in education – of helping students become the agents of their own education, of addressing racial inequity within schools, of services for students who need special accommodations – are not isolated problems. They are part of a larger failure.

Now, I am challenging you to realize that today’s social and political ills are connected with flaws in our education from yesterday. The problem is a lot bigger than a simple comparison of Donald Trump and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or the names of those fallen in the cause for social justice.
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In a political climate such as this, is it not important that the next generation receives the highest quality education? The students of today will be the policymakers of tomorrow; serious changes to our political system and status quo must start with how we educate students. 
​ 

​Educators and parents playing the role of politicians in our homes and in our schools does little to empower students; they are the same as politicians focused on reelection in the fall. Just as politicians are seemingly interested in challenging the racial status-quo in this country, educators and parents are seemingly interested in the welfare of students.  But how much is self-serving, posturing, and virtue signaling?

For this – our education system – to work, students must be the driving force of their own education. Students must be empowered to think and act of their own free will. What we have now are options – and no solutions – just as in the real world where there are options but no clear solutions to our social ills.

I realize that this writing does not provide an in-depth answer about the question of race in the United States, nor about the many questions about schools, but my conclusion is this: the only solution to the social and educational problems we face today is to convert students to life-long learners, and it starts with changing the minds of parents and educators in our homes and our learning environments. They must recognize that students should be included in the solutions, not ruled over and compelled.
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Wayne Gretzky once said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.” The only solution now is to take a shot.
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By Jonathan Walthour
Jonathan Walthour is a 2018 graduate of  George Mason University and 2014 graduate of Heritage High School. He is a business systems analyst who enjoys spending time with friends, trading on foreign exchange markets, and has been getting more involved in the Black Lives Matter movement. 

Jonathan wrote this short essay and shared the videos (scroll down) to help others get a more personal, less media-centered view of the BLM protests in Washington DC. 
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The date was June 2, 2020, and the time was around 5:00pm. A few friends and I got out of the car on Vermont Avenue and walked toward Pennsylvania Avenue, The White House. We eagerly moved toward the energized protesters. I noticed a family of five (father, mother, and four young children) with cleaning supplies trying to scrub profane anti-Trump graffiti off a nearby wall. No one said anything as we walked by, but I thought to myself: “Why bring little children to this type of atmosphere where there’s going to be a riot?”

As we continued to walk, the roaring chants grow louder, and the electric atmosphere rose as well. I did not know whether to feel scared or excited; little did I know what I was about to see. As we finally turned the corner on Pennsylvania Avenue and merged into the crowd, I could not believe my eyes – Thousands upon thousands of peaceful protesters chanting the names of those brutally slain by police. There were people handing out snacks, water, sanitizer, posters, gloves, masks, eye drops – you name it; it was most likely there. The most shocking revelation was the number of demonstrators who were NOT African American marching alongside us. As a black man, it gave me hope to see people were advocating for a problem that was not necessarily “theirs” but who realized the OVERALL problem and made it theirs.

By David Rion

David Rion is the Director of College Guidance at The Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Connecticut. He previously served as the Director of College Counseling at Sonoma Academy in Santa Rosa, CA. and worked in the admissions offices of Brandeis University, Boston University, Pomona College, and Occidental College. Mr. Rion holds a BA in Politics from Pomona College and an MEd in Higher Education from Harvard University.

Mr. Rion originally shared this article in a private group for college admissions counselors. He has given permission for it to be shared here. 

It’s great to see the march towards test-optional continue, particularly with the College Board announcement yesterday that online SATs won’t happen. To those colleges still holding onto testing for the class of 2021…

You will see a test score. On your computers it’ll say 1410.

What you won’t see is the anguish of some, who didn’t hear their March test center was cancelled, so drove to the school that morning and were confused and frustrated. Or the compounding frustration of those students when they found out that in other states, kids took the test.

Your reader sheet will show a 670 reading, 740 math. It’ll look normal.

What you won’t see is the hour online trying to switch registration to June, wondering if the test prep class that led up to the March test should be repeated. The time on college confidential trying to figure out if jettisoning the subject tests you’d planned for June will hurt at the dream school.

Sure, you’re getting fewer AP scores and subject test scores, but you’ll see that 1410.

What you won’t see is the decision to add the June ACT, in hopes of getting a test, any test. You won’t see the kick in the gut when the June SAT is cancelled. “Sure, lots of colleges are going test optional, but not my dream school. I should’ve taken the SAT last November. I blew it.” You won’t see the daily hope of “they haven’t cancelled the June ACT, maybe it’ll be on!” And have that hope gradually transform into “No way they can hold the ACT in June right? But the website says it’s on, so I’ll keep studying I guess.” “The college counselor telling me there’s almost no way the June test will happen, but my parents say it’s not cancelled yet, so I’ll keep studying.”

You’ll be able to sort applicant spreadsheets by the SAT, to run mid 50% reports, and you’ll see your reading process go as normal.

What you won’t see is the student of color in the Bay Area whose world was torn apart in late May/early June. Who protested, organized, and fought for social justice. Who finally came up for air three weeks later to realize that there were no seats left in a 3 hour radius for August, September, or October.
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You’ll see that 1410, and you’ll think “Well, we did it, we held our ground and were right in the end. The students could test.”

You won’t see the student scoring 200 points lower than she does on practice tests. Four hours in a mask is throwing her off her game, and the student behind her keeps coughing. She needs to use the restroom but doesn’t want to touch all the doors it would require to get there. It’s all so distracting. And sadly this was the only test before ED that she could find.

You won’t see the student behind her who is coughing. He’s had a cough for two days, a mild fever for one. He feels guilty for being at this test, but it’s his one shot, and it’s his dream school. So he takes the test, and hopes it’s just a regular flu.

Turns out it was coronavirus, he gives it to 8 other students in the room, who are asymptomatic, so continue to see their grandparents, continue to go to school, and restaurants, and it’s only weeks later when contact tracing brings it back to this coughing student that morning. He got that 1410 for you. Are we sure it was worth it?

Apologies if that’s a bit melodramatic, but this spring has been hell for these students, and fall may be worse, when it comes to testing stress. As I write this, I’m seeing Facebook posts that there are big problems with fee waivers working on this first day of full fall registration. In other years, it would work to just give up for now, and try again in a few days. This year, with so few seats, not getting it resolved tonight might mean one less test a student can take. For the fee waiver kids. That’s on the College Board, not colleges, but that fact that students are still desperate to get a seat, anytime, anywhere, is on the colleges.

To test-optional colleges- I applaud you. But know that in many cases, that’s not going to be enough to make this fair. My hope is that you all become experts on which regions filled up, and on how superscoring can move testing up with each test. You simply can’t look at a 1400 and say that student is stronger than one with a 1350 (I mean, you never really could…) without knowing how many times they took the exam, when they took the exam, how many times they would’ve liked to take the exam, what it’s like taking the exam in a pandemic, in a mask, in more stress than any young person should see. In going test optional, you will still use scores for many students, and you need to use them with more care than ever before.
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Please talk to students and college counselors who are living this slow moving testing train wreck every day. It doesn’t have to be this way, but you hold all the cards here.

by Ryan Tibbens

​I love to read and learn, but I don't have much free time. 

Optimistically, I have a 45-minute one-way commute.  I have a lovely wife and two children under the age of three.  I teach high school English.  I run a small private tutoring operation.  I keep a large garden, a cat, and two dogs. 

My reading life consists of "How to Keep [something] Alive" articles, current events, students' essays, children's books, and street signs.  When I'm lucky, I find time to read a Facebook argument or a handful of Twitter posts.  When I'm super lucky, I get to read an honest exposition as I'm falling asleep in bed. 

In the summer of 2017, I first subscribed to Audible in hopes of stimulating my brain and improving the quality of my 90-115 minutes in the car each day.  It worked.  Below, you will find a running list of my Audible listens. They are listed (mostly) in the order I finished them.  Short reviews are provided; some works deserve their own short articles, which when ready, will be linked. 

If you intend to purchase one of these texts via Amazon, please click the links here -- you pay nothing extra, but your purchase supports the ClassCast Podcast and Read.Think.Write.Speak. We receive a small percentage even if you buy a different format (hardback/softback/Audible/Kindle/etc.) than the one linked. Finally, we highly recommend the Audible audiobook service.  By clicking the links above and signing up, you receive a free one-month subscription, including two full books and two Audible originals, all of which you keep even if you cancel at the end of your trial.  PLEASE use the links!


109) Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson -- .............................. -- In Progress
108) The War on Normal People by Andrew Yang -- ...................... -- A+
107) Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error by Kathryn Schulz -- ............ -- A
106) Civil Disobedience and Other Writings by Henry David Thoreau -- ................. -- A

105) Born a Crime by Trevor Noah -- ............. --  A
104) The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff & Jonathan Haidt -- ............... -- A+
103) Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond -- ................................ -- B+
102) The Mis-Education of the Negro by Carter Goodwin Woodson -- ............................... -- B-
101) Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie -- .............................. --   B

100) Human Errors: A Panorama of Our Glitches, from Pointless Bones to Broken Genes  by  Nathan H. Lents  -- ...................... --   A
99) Folks, This Ain't Normal: A Farmer's Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World   by  Joel Salatin -- ....................  --    A+
98) Animal Liberation by Peter Singer -- ...................... --   A
97) Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Watatsuki Houston -- .................. -- B-
96) No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the US Surveillance State by Glenn Greenwald -- .......................... --   A

95) A Mind of Her Own by Paula McClain -- Historical fiction about Marie Curie.... -- B
94) Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover -- ................................. -- A+
93) Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don't Know by Malcolm Gladwell -- ........................ --     A
92) Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom by Kerry McDonald -- .............................  --    A
91) Napoleon Hill's Outwitting the Devil: The Secret to Freedom and Success by Napoleon Hill (and Sharon Lechter) --  ...........................  --   C+


90) I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara -- I'm not much of a 'true crime' fan, so I didn't expect much from this book.  However, it was highly recommended by several friends and fellow teachers; it was also written by the wife of comedian, actor, and Broad Run High School graduate Patton Oswalt shortly before her death. I gave it a shot, and I'm glad I did.  My only real complaint about the book is that it is incomplete -- it presents a portions of the book, plus draft material, plus excerpts from other articles and essays, plus some material written or heavily edited by McNamara's friends and research team -- all because she died before it was complete.  If we excuse this unavoidable flaw, the book is excellent.  The writing is crisp and engaging, and the story itself is unbelievable.  McNamara dives deep into one of the worst, and least known, serial killers and rapists in American history; she tells it all in a way that is both suspenseful and informative.  I only wish she could have lived, both for her family and to see her obsession come to fruition.  Even if you don't normally love true crime books, this is worth your time and attention.  --     A-
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​89) Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum -- If you have ever attended or worked in a school (or anywhere else) with diverse racial and ethnic demographics, then the title should grab your attention.  It grabbed mine.  While the book does contain some excellent research and perspectives, it rarely offers anything truly new or unique.  This book might function well as assigned reading in a college course, but adults who choose this text will likely already be familiar with many of the concepts and issues addressed.  Personally, I felt like the book was at least twice as long as it should have been, and the new prologue goes on forever without making any clear connections to the purpose of the rest of the book (aside from general discussion of race in society).  If you haven't read much about race and racism through anthropological, sociological, and psychological lenses, then this will be an informative, if somewhat boring, read.  If you already have some reading and knowledge on the subject, then this might not be fulfilling.  -- C+

88) Casino Royale by Ian Fleming (Book 1 of original 007 series) -- I'm a long-time lover of Bond films, but I had never read any of the books, so when 'Casino Royale' went on sale, I jumped at the chance.  Just like the movie, the gambling scenes go on (perhaps) a bit too long, but the writing is good, surprisingly good. Fleming's attention to detail both build suspense and create realism.  Despite loving the movies, I really didn't expect much from the book and was pleasantly surprised.  I now hope to read more of the series in the future.     --    A

87) Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote -- Full confession: the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's is my all-time favorite "chick flick," though its use of a male protagonist might technically remove it from that genre.  I've read that Capote disliked the film and thought Audrey Hepburn was the wrong actress for the part, which seems insane to anyone who has seen the film.  However, now that I've read the book, I understand his concerns.  The book is a bit more realistic than the film, less flighty, less whimsical, and even a bit dark at times.  Holly Golightly is still charming and spontaneous, but there seems to be more vanity, more selfishness and shallow behavior; well, maybe not more, but the negatives are certainly more obvious and bothersome in the book.  Despite the differences, I liked the book quite a bit, and its short length and character-driven story make it a good pleasure-read at the beach or on a rainy day.  I might still like the movie better, but the book is excellent as well, for slightly different reasons.  --   A- 

86) Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World--and Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling  -- ........................... --  A+

85) Hacking Darwin by Jamie Metzl  -- ........................... --  A
84) The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien  -- ........................... --  A+
83) Lying by Sam Harris  -- ........................... --  B
82) How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About... by Michael Pollan  -- ........................... --  A
81) I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life by Ed Yong  -- ........................... --  A+

80) Free Will by Sam Harris  -- ........................... --  A-
79) Candide by Voltaire  -- ........................... --  A-
78) The Art of the Deal by Donald Trump (listened several months ago and accidentally missed it lower on this list) -- ........................... --  B+
77) Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama -- ........................... --  A
76) Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance  -- ........................... --  A+

75) The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell -- ........................... --  B+
74) Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts by Annie Duke  -- ........................... --  B+
73) The Teacher Wars: A History of America's Most Embattled Profession by Dana Goldstein  -- ........................... --  A-
72) Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell  -- ........................... --  A
71) Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut  -- ........................... --  A+

70) The Testament of Mary by Colm Toibin -- ........................... --  C-
69) Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl  -- ........................... --  A
68) On the Duty of Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau -- ........................... --  A
67) Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom -- ........................... --  A
66) Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo -- ........................... --  C

65) Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II by Douglas A. Blackmon  -- ........................... --  A
64) The Greatest: Muhammad Ali by Walter Dean Myers -- ........................... --  B+
63) The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde  -- ........................... --  A+
62) Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger  -- ........................... --  A
61) On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder -- ........................... --  B+

60) Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll -- ........................... --  B+
59) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl  -- ........................... --  A-
58) Anthem by Ayn Rand   -- ........................... --  C+
57) The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway -- ........................... --  A+
56) A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle -- ........................... --  B+

55) The Phenomenon: Pressure, the Yips, and the Pitch That Changed My Life by Rick Ankiel -- ........................... --  B+
54) The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan  -- ........................... --  A+
53) The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Color Blindness by Michelle Alexander  -- ........................... --  A+
52) Bill Bryson's Appliance of Science by Bill Bryson  -- ........................... --  B+
51) The Circle by Dave Eggers  -- ........................... --  A-

50) You Need a Budget: The Proven System for Breaking... by Jesse Mecham  -- ........................... --  B
49) What Do You Care What Other People Think?: Further Adventures of a Curious Character by Richard P. Feynman & Ralph Leighton  -- ........................... --  C+
48) Gilgamesh: A New English Version by Stephen Mitchell  -- ........................... --  C+
47) Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team by Steve Sheinkin  -- ........................... --  A
46) The Art of War by Sun Tzu  -- ........................... --  C+

45) TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking by Chris Anderson  -- ........................... --  A
44) A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore  -- ........................... --  C+
43) Apocrypha Now by Mark Russell & Shannon Wheeler  -- ........................... --  A-
42) The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan  -- ........................... --  A
41) The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels  -- ........................... --  B

40) The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad  -- ........................... --  B+
39) King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa by Adam Hochschild  -- ........................... --  A
38) God Is Disappointed in You by Mark Russell & Shannon Wheeler  -- ........................... --  A+
37) Widow Basquiat: A Memoir by Jennifer Clement  -- ........................... --  A
36) Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari -- ........................... --  A-

35) The Stranger by Albert Camus  -- ........................... --  A-
34) The Last American Man by Elizabeth Gilbert -- ........................... --  A
33) The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli  -- ........................... --  C
32) The World According to Mr. Rogers by Fred Rogers  -- ........................... --  A-
31) Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari -- ........................... --  A+

30) Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, translated by Sam Torode -- ........................... --  B+
29) The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston  -- ........................... --  B-
28) Money Management Skills by The Great Courses, Michael Finke  -- ........................... --  B+
27) In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan  -- ........................... --  A+
26) Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, translated by Stephen Mitchell  -- ........................... --  A

25) When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi  -- ........................... --  A-
24) Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande  -- ........................... --  A
23) The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch  -- ........................... --  A-
22) The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff  -- ........................... --  A
21) I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World (Young Readers Edition) by Malala Yousafzai & Patricia McCormick  -- ........................... --  A

20) What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets by Michael J. Sandel  -- ........................... --  B-
19) Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary by Walter Dean Myers  -- ........................... --  B+
18) Brave New World by Aldous Huxley  -- ........................... --   B+
17) Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin  -- ........................... --   B
16) Meditations by Marcus Aurelius  -- ........................... --  A+

15) On Power by Robert A. Caro  -- ........................... --  C+
14) Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk  -- ........................... --  B-
13) 1984 by George Orwell   -- ........................... --   A
12) One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey  -- ................... --  A
11) Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? by Michael J. Sandel  -- .............. --  A+

10) The Origins of Virtue: Human Instincts and the Evolution of Human Cooperation by Matt Ridley -- This book serves as some kind of extension or re-telling of the development of morality within human evolutionary psychology as told by Robert Wright in The Moral Animal (below).  As a fair disclosure, I loved The Moral Animal, and I've read several other books by Matt Ridley. The Moral Animal is more literary somehow, perhaps due to the use of Charles Darwin's letters and life as a case study of human morality. Still, some reviewers were not as positive about Wright's work as me. Enter Matt Ridley.  What this book lacks in literary stylings, it makes up for in thorough research and more clear explanations of the modes of evolutionary psychology. If you have a sincere interest in the subject, I recommend reading both books.  If you prefer the literary, go with Wright.  If you prefer a more direct expository approach, go with Ridley.  I recommend this book --      A. 

9) All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque -- This is one of the greatest war novels (and anti-war novels) of all time.  Taking the perspective of a young German soldier in World War I, Remarque shows war for what it is -- sad and scary and confusing and terrible.  Hemingway and a slew of other authors changed how the world thought of war after WWI, but perhaps none did it better than Remarque. Hemingway said, "They wrote in the old days that it is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country. But in modern war there is nothing sweet nor fitting in your dying. You will die like a dog for no good reason."  Remarque breathes life into that same concept. Teachers might pair this with Johnny Got His Gun, Born On The Fourth Of July, The Things They Carried, War, or Tribe (and a dozen others).  Highly recommend --         A+. 


8) Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk -- Probably the crowning achievement of Palahniuk's ever-expanding catalog, Fight Club offers immense insight into a spiritual erosion that has become so common in modern society that we often don't even notice it.  Consumer culture, discomfort with masculinity, and finding meaning all share the stage.  The movie is fantastic, one of my all-time favorites, and this book deserves the same respect (plus, with some dialogue changes and a different ending).  I highly recommend --      A+. 

7) Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut -- Vonnegut's best-known work, this modern classic is equal parts science fiction and anti-war novel.  The writing is crisp and direct, the morals are generally good, and the innovative plot structure deserves analysis and respect.  That being said, this was my third or fourth time reading the book, and for some reason, I think I like it less with each additional reading.  So it goes.  This book is great, and if you've never read it, you should.  Strongly recommended --   A-. 

6) The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves by Matt Ridley -- While it may not be the most entertaining read, this book is an argument for progress and a defense of it. An antidote to the usual doom-and-gloom that dominates academia and major media news outlets, Ridley's central thesis is that quality of life is, and has been, improving for nearly everyone on the planet for decades.  One of his many sub-claims is that our progress is largely the result of capitalism, which will make the book more controversial to some, particularly political liberals and progressives.  However, Ridley is very much in agreement with mainstream history, most economists, and accepted scientific theory, so while we might ~feel~ like we disagree with him, it is difficult to do so while thinking clearly.  Even if you prefer the doom-and-gloom caution so common elsewhere, The Rational Optimist is a book deserving of your attention to provide balance and critical thought in otherwise dogmatically pessimistic conversations.  I highly recommend.         A-. 

5) The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac -- A couple of my friends from high school LOVE this book and have recommended it to me since we were around 16. I read On The Road at least four times between high school and college, so I can't fully explain my hesitance about The Dharma Bums.  The book does start slowly with far too much (fictional) name dropping and introduction, but once the characters make it to the mountains, the story and message become more clear.  It's not On The Road, but it is quite good and in some ways might be more thoughtful. I recommend it -- B. 

4) The Martian by Andy Weir -- I'm not a huge science fiction fan, but this is a very good book and a GREAT audiobook.  Something about the writing style and the reader's style came together to bring this book to life.  The movie is quite good too, and if I was reading the book (as opposed to listening), I'd say they're even in value; however, the audiobook does something special.  I strongly, strongly recommend the audiobook to anyone who likes science, science fiction, adventure, or character-driven dramas.  Excellent.      A+. 

3) The Evolution of God by Robert Wright -- One part history, one part theology, one part psycho-analytic criticism of traditional western religious texts, this book offers a crash course in religious teachings, Middle Eastern and Roman history, and cultural evolution.  When I cross-checked some passages with my favorite priest, he agreed with ~nearly~ everything and even suggested that most of it was 'old news,' at least to him and those with similar educations.  I doubt most Jews, Christians, and Muslims would see it that way.  If you have an interest in religion, history, and/or cultural evolution, I highly recommend.  If not, then I still think it's worth checking out, but maybe borrow it from the library and wade in cautiously.   A-. 

2) The Road by Cormac McCarthy -- This harrowing tale of a father and son surviving in a post-apocalyptic world is both beautiful and terrifying.  I'm glad I waited to read it until after having children; my inability to stop thinking about my son during particular passages made the book one of my more intense literary experiences.  And if you have seen the movie, promptly forget it and check out the book -- much, much better.      A modern classic, I highly recommend it --    A+. 

1) The Moral Animal: Why We Are the Way We Are: The New Science of Evolutionary Psychology by Robert Wright -- An intriguing look at human evolutionary psychology and the evolution of morality, this book is both well written and well researched; it also provides an intimate, basic biography of Charles Darwin. For those with curiosity about, but limited background knowledge of, evolutionary psychology, this is a great place to begin.    Highly recommended -- A.

Alexander Pope once wrote that "To err is human; to forgive, divine."  

John Dewey later remarked that "Failure is instructive. The person who really thinks learns quite as much from his failures as from his successes." 

We've spent much of our year in AP Lang learning about close reading, critical thinking, analytical and persuasive writing, and how to speak respectfully yet critically of justice, morals, bias, racism, and more. Now, it is time for us to learn about our errors, our mistakes -- how and why we make them, how to be aware of their existence, and how to learn from them. Each of the books listed below represents a "synthesis" essay (book) about human mistakes and how we think.  They are also common reading assignments in entry-level college communications, rhetoric, and culture classes (and came highly recommended by a few of Mr. Tibbens' former students now studying at prestigious universities across the country). ​

ASSIGNMENT:
​Students should look up each book.  Read some reviews.  Ask around.  Rank book choices from most-to-least desirable.  Do not purchase, borrow, or otherwise obtain a book until after in-class sign-ups and group assignments. Mr. Tibbens will do his best to honor students' book requests/priorities, but some adjustments may be required in order to have functional, balanced groups. ~Sign up the book you actually want to read, not just one that your friends are also choosing.~ 

Once the assignment "goes live," students must obtain copies of their books, read critically, and annotate for three concepts/features: 1) Use/synthesis of evidence, 2) Tone shifts, and 3) Insights about being wrong (content).  If you have questions about the books or the associated assignments, contact Mr. Tibbens via email. 

Disclosure: Students may obtain books via the Amazon.com links below, other book sellers, the school or public libraries, or other sources. Students are encouraged to use a print copy of the book, rather than an ebook/audiobook, for annotation purposes. The English dept. does not own copies of these books to lend, as has been the case for most previous assignments; if this presents a hardship for your family, contact Mr. Tibbens via email as soon as possible.  Purchases made via the Amazon.com links below cost you no additional money, but a small percentage of each purpose go back to supporting this website and additional materials/supplies for classroom use.  Contact Mr. Tibbens if you have any questions or concerns regarding the books, links, etc. 

By Ryan Tibbens

Public school teachers will attend tens of millions of hours of division-prescribed professional development this year. Almost none of it will help teachers learn more about ‘what’ to teach and ‘why’ to teach it. Nearly all of it will focus on ‘how’ to teach.  That is ridiculous.

First, let’s acknowledge the power of pedagogy and honing one’s craft. Teachers should be constantly learning and sharing methods, increasing their arsenal of strategies to engage and affect an increasingly distracted and diverse student body.  Teachers must also work purposefully to learn about new technologies and how to implement them (or not) in order to build “21st Century Skills.” Professional development must always include a consistent and sincere focus on pedagogy. 

However, ‘how’ to teach is useless if the teacher does not know ‘what’ to teach or ‘why’ to teach some topics in depth, others in brief, and others not at all.  Because teachers have traditionally been regarded as gatekeepers of knowledge, and because the first requisite qualification for work is a college degree in the discipline, many people falsely assume that teachers already know enough about their content. That is patently untrue.

Before we even worry about content-specific knowledge, let’s consider teachers’ general academic aptitudes. On average, teachers scored below average on the SAT when they were in high school. 54% of elementary teaching candidates fail the Praxis I test on their first try. Most data indicate that teachers have an average IQ of, well, around average.  Praxis II (content-specific test) data is harder to come by, but even basic score ranges indicate great variation and suspicious pass rates. I’ve heard more teachers make the “Cs get degrees” joke than I care to count. 

I’m not arguing that teachers are stupid.  Most teachers are smart, hardworking, and functional in the classroom.  Approximately 10% of teachers earned SAT scores in the top 20% (still a striking underrepresentation though). I’m simply arguing that teachers, on average, are average (particularly in lower grade levels). And we can all probably agree that, on average, we don’t remember too much detail from our own public schooling.  But that’s what college is for, right? Uh-oh.  Check out what the National Council on Teacher Quality found in a survey of elementary teacher preparation programs:

• 3 out of 4 programs do not cover the breadth of mathematics content necessary for elementary teachers to know.
• 2 out of 3 programs don't require a single course aligned with any of the science topics found on licensing tests—biology, chemistry, physics, and earth science. (Education Week has reported before that many elementary teachers don't feel confident to teach science, even though research shows that students who are engaged in STEM early on are more likely to pursue the field as adults.) 
• One-third of programs don't require any history or geography courses that are aligned with the needs of elementary teachers.
• 10 percent of programs don't require any aligned coursework in English/language arts

​The teacher does not need to be the most intelligent person in the room based on IQ, but the teacher does need to be the most knowledgeable, the most aware, and the most (justifiably) confident.  I remember being in classes when there was no doubt that the teacher was in the bottom half based on IQ and only somewhere around the top quarter based on content knowledge – it was the worst part of school for me.

So what do we do? Let’s get real.  Let’s stop pretending that pedagogy and technology are the only things that teachers need to be trained on. If we’re going to sit through dozens of hours of mandatory professional development each year, is it crazy for a couple days to address content knowledge?  Public school leaders always talk about creating “life-long learners” and “critical thinkers,” but how is that a likely outcome when teachers don’t learn more about their content? How can we promote interdisciplinary connections and PBL if we don't learn more about the other subjects their students study?  If you don’t know stuff, you can’t think stuff; and if you can’t think stuff, then you can't do much. Let’s empower our teachers.
​
Pedagogy is great.  Technology is fine.  But if we spend all our time worrying about “how” to teach without supporting “what” and “why,” then we’ve done our teachers, our taxpayers, and, most importantly, our students a great disservice.  Bring back content-based professional development to inspire teachers’ curiosity, passion, and overall performance.