I've mentioned, many times over the years, how pleasantly startled I am when I get those moments of recognition that unschooling really works. I believe it works. I enjoy our unschooling life. I see my kids growing and changing and getting smarter. But still, its very difficult to buck the system. Humans are community dwelling apes. We aren't really hardwired to shun the will of the group easily. Especially when it comes to raising the baby apes.

So when one of my kids spends time voluntarily wrestling down Edgar Allen Poe or the other one cranks out a seven page short story that is pretty dog gone tight and well written by any standard, let alone judging the first attempt of a 12 year old, when one decides to study math in earnest, when I see them both slowly developing what looks like intellectual calm, I try to pause and remember unschooling works.  We aren't running on faith here. We are running on results. Sure, that pleases my ego as a mother.

But as a former school teacher and as a human being, what really pleases me most is the idea that we can  do this better. There are easier and more effective ways to educate the baby apes. Scholars are beginning to take note and I am filled with a warm happy glow at the thought of something better, less corporate and bureaucratic, more loving and intelligent, for society's children.

I'm sure we are all aware of the new common core standards of education for public school. The people who decide such things, the people who formally dictate how to educate the baby apes, the most penultimate scholars (one would hope) have decided to move children away from fiction. They will be forced, instead, to read non fiction. Perhaps that makes you swallow hard? Perhaps your mind quickly searches for something high-minded enough to replace fine literature. Ah, you think of essayists and rest a moment. E.B. White, Frederick Douglass, Ralph Waldo Emmerson, Craig Childs... You have to cast a broad net, but you can see possibilities. Force yourself to recall that St. John's College teaches from original documents only. Perhaps the common core standards will have children pouring over The Constitution and The Bill of Rights and, um... other really important non fiction documents. Right?

The most biggest smartest apes have decided what to teach the baby apes. We shall teach them how to read instruction manuals. And 70% of student reading shall come from non fiction sources. Seriously? It is becoming increasingly difficult for me to take institutional education seriously. Something is really wrong with those big fat-headed apes over there. They are bumbling simple and crude.

A poet is someone who can pour light into a cup 

then raise it to nourish 

your beautiful, parched, holy mouth. 

~Hafiz