Community member and Montessori educator Della Palacios wrote this in response to Bryan Stevenson’s TED Talk, We need to talk about an injustice:
“My sister and I just had this conversation. There is a destructive push in her field, criminal justice, for performance-based funding, just like there was with No Child Left Behind. The absolute nature of zero tolerance laws Bryan Stevenson describes is causing irrational happenings akin to the absolute, zero tolerance line of the standard. Failure is wildly profitable. This topic is very connected to what kinds of investment we are willing to make now, how much we are able to trust and what our tomorrow will be. We need to stop looking for short term outcomes and invest in the power within each individual, every identity!
We can create equitable learning environments in our schools. Standards could create equitable learning environments. My mentor, Brenda Erickson, a Montessori vet, says that 70% of a successful classroom is environment. Let’s invest there and return pedagogy from regulatory measures back to the field of education. Hold on.”
— Della Palacios
[ted id=1378]
We’re always on the lookout for sharp critique, thought-provoking questions or interesting insights in response to TED Talks. Post your thoughts alongside any talk; we read them all and will feature one comment on ideas.TED.com each weekday. (Comments are lightly edited for spelling and grammar.)
