Allies in the Struggle

When I start my first blog devoted to the world of education it will include:
1. The wonderful projects that I am doing with my students.
2. My ideas for teaching Math, Science, Literacy, Social Studies, Science, etc.
3. Links to other allies in the "struggle"

What exactly is the "struggle" ?

To create educational environments a.k.a. "schools" that are less like factories and more like gardens.

To paraphrase one of my idols, Parker Palmer, " Just because we have schools does not mean we have education."

A good education should....
a. Encourage students to become as self-sufficient as possible
b. Provide the best possible environment for students i.e. children

And yet I have consistently found myself meshed within systems that discourage play, crush creativity and originality, and generally serve only the interests of textbook companies and politicians.

It's a very broken system we have.
However, if you study the history of the American public school system, it used to be worse!

After reading How Lincoln Learned to Read, the overwhelming conclusion I came to was that the initial impetus behind the creation of public schooling was:
a. So that poor children could read the bible (and cease being heathens)
b. To keep poor and immigrant workers in check

Any education that had loftier goals than that was already being provided, for money, to the rich.

Anyway, as for links to other allies in the struggle, here's one:

No Child Left Inside