Book review: The Political Classroom by Diana Hess & Paula McAvoy

The Political Classroom: Evidence and Ethics in Democratic EducationThe Political Classroom: Evidence and Ethics in Democratic Education by Diana E. Hess
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I sit on the board of a pre-K through 12 school, and this book was recommended to me by a faculty member. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, which uses philosophical thinking and empirical science to frame a discussion on how best to answer the question: “How should we live together?” In an era of increasing political polarization, is there a place and an opportunity for schools to teach and model respect, tolerance, and political equity in the classroom, and what should that teaching look like?
The authors examine several types of schools, communities, teachers, and teaching styles to arrive at an ethical framework with which to analyze the question. They looked at schools across the political spectrum and how teachers dealt with students from differing socioeconomic classes, ethnicity, and political viewpoints to model political engagement in a respectful way and how that might differ from teachers who deal with students from more homogeneous socioeconomic classes, ethnicity and political viewpoints. The result is a thought provoking book on what ways teachers should model ideal behavior, the challenges in doing so, and the obstacles that remain.
This book should be the beginning–not the end–of the discussion of how we should all live together and demonstrates how schools and teachers can assist students to start on the path towards political tolerance, respect, and engagement. I highly recommend this book to teachers, parents, and administrators alike!

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Disneyworld September 2018

To celebrate someone’s 17th(!) birthday, we jaunted off to Disneyworld for the weekend. The weather was hot and humid (welcome to Orlando in September!), but the weekend was glorious. We tried to do this last year, but Hurricane Isabel decided to make an appearance, and we had to reschedule our trip.
Making the trip in early September meant that our daughter could come with us as well before she left for her sophomore year in college. She was beyond excited, as it was 15 months since she last was at a Disney theme park.
I was always certain that when the kids turned into teenagers, they would turn their noses up at spending time at a Disney park. I am delighted that it is still one of their favorite places (Hawaii being a close second). We have so much fun riding the rides, but our enjoyment in Disneyworld is more than that. It is one of the places where we are a family and family-focused. The kids have grown up there, we have celebrated birthdays and other special occasions there, and everyone has pushed their fear boundaries there. (Although the daughter still will not ride Rock-n-Roller Coaster.)
Disneyworld is where we celebrate the present, reminisce about the past, and create memories for the future. We have delighted in Walt Disney’s optimism, reveled in his belief that humans are capable of endless innovation and creativity, and criticized the parks/Disney where we thought it was merited. It is a place where we are forever children, looking with wide-eyed wonder on the future. It is, truly, the happiest place on earth.

I LOVE the Little Green Men!

To infinity and beyond!

the new Toy Story Land

Alien Swirling Saucers in Toy Story Land

birthday dinner

a birthday cupcake

true birthday wishes 😉

What I Did On My Summer Vacation (2018 version)

Dear Teacher—

What we did on our summer vacation:

  • Our 16 year old son went to rural China for 6 weeks and came back with better Chinese, 2 beautifully handmade (by him) silver bracelets, new friends, and a newfound maturity.

new friends!

shiny metal, fire, hammer, and sharp tools–what’s not to like?

  • Our former exchange student spent part of the summer with us while she worked for a renewable energy company in Bethesda. We loved having her with us.
  • Our 19 year old daughter came back for the summer and worked at a decision analytics software company. Even more importantly, she *drove* to work (celebratory drum roll). (Oh, and by the way, she loved being an only child!)
  • Jim and I attended the US-Japan Leadership alumni weekend in Seattle, caught up with some old friends and made new ones (despite the fact that the new delegates and fellows all look like they are 12 years old).

USJLP 2018

  • The 16 year old son spent 5 days at home before embarking on an east coast college tour.
  • Our family vacation consisted of a week in Honolulu with some friends renting a house and an additional few days in Honolulu with just the 4 of us. Zip lining, surfing, shopping, and eating were the focus of our visit. We left right before Hurricane Lane arrived (fortunately, Oahu emerged relatively unscathed, unlike Maui and the Big Island).

at Ty Gurney Surf Shop

zip lining at the North Shore

sunrise over Koko Head

Hurricane Lane is coming!

  • The son and I visited my parents and saw a couple of west coast universities.

a visit to the zoo or a college campus? (is there a difference?)

  • The family attended a ribbon cutting ceremony for an elementary school in Chehalis, Washington named after Jim. The James W. Lintott Elementary School opened on Tuesday for K-2 students.

tee hee!

  • School started.

And that’s what we did during our summer vacation.

Your friend,
May