Want to Encourage Debate? Maybe Don’t Ban Howard Zinn’s Books | March 6, 2017

Banned Books | Revisionism | Political debate

A.J. O'Connell

Last week, Arkansas Representative Kim Hendren (R-92) introduced a bill that would ban the works of Howard Zinn —the late historian whose books examine history from the point of view of its victims — in public and charter schools. If HB 1834 is passed into law as is, all of Zinn’s work from 1959 to 2010 would be banned in public and charter schools.

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U.S. Public Schools Are Not Failing. They’re Among The Best In The World | Febraury 3-13, 2017

Public schools | Education | Children in the US

BY Steven Singer

Everyone knows U.S. public schools are failing.

Just like everyone knows you should never wake sleepwalkers, bulls hate red and Napoleon was short.

Wrong on all counts. Waking sleepwalkers will cause them no harm – in fact, they’re more likely to harm themselves while sleepwalking. Bulls are colorblind; they’re attracted to movement. And Napoleon was 5’7”, which was above average height for Frenchman during his lifetime.

So why do we believe that American public schools are doing such a terrible job?

Because far-right policymakers have convinced us all that it’s true.
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