The Protest to End all Protests: Semester Without Students

I am calling for your consideration: A protest against government public schools.

I think we get it now. We understand how to get things done. It’s important to change things and just talking about it doesn’t get it done.We’ve been SCHOOLED by the best. Now it’s time to really stand up for school reform.

We know a new way! We’ve been schooled by the best. The best have taught us that the only way to affect change in an institution that isn’t doing what we want done, is to simply not show up.

Now is the time to take a bold stand. Stand up for school reform by not showing up to school.

Skip School for school reform.

Unlike the day without women, we don’t even have to be all over the place with demands and conditions.

We really just one thing: Until funding can be distributed in such a way that it follows the student to the public/private/alternative school of their choice, students (with parental permission) should follow the example of women, teachers, and disgruntled tribes who are making their grievances known by not showing up. 

We shall call this protest:
“A Semester Without Students.”

Think about it.

Hashtag it. Plan it. Schedule it and let the media know we aren’t going to try to work things out from the inside anymore. Demand change and skip school until things change. It’s the new way around that slow democracy thing.

Show the women and teachers how well we’ve learned.

#SemesterWithoutStudents
#SWS

Skip School Now! It’s Time for DIY Education

I’ve been preaching it for years: It’s time for individuals with the skills and entrepreneurial spirit to just DO IT… and start creating alternative learning businesses, organizations and associations/groups so that anyone can choose to skip compulsory state schooling, and get the education they want for their children.

I was enjoying a new site to me this morning. It’s called Dropout Nation, edited by RiShawn Biddle. In a post from 2011 called The Promise of DIY Schools, RiShawn details how the concept of Do It Yourself (DIY) schools have been a part of our history for quite a long time, especially since the ending of slavery, when public schooling wasn’t immediately available to the children of recently freed slaves.

…Imagine if such DIY ethic was brought into reforming American public education? We’re not necessarily talking about the so-called unschooling movement (which consists of very few kids and their parents), or the more-mainstream homeschooling. This would go beyond that. The idea would be that teachers, parents or others committed to reforming American public education would simply start their own schools, either in their own homes, in storefronts or even in the basements of churches. While the schools would still be subjected to standards and accountability — including testing — to ensure that every child is getting high-quality instruction and curriculum, they would be able to create cultures of genius with little bureaucracy in the way.

I will have some fine points to add to this article, but suffice to say, it’s worth reading.

Another Skipping School post worth reading.