I have been included in a conversation at my university concerning what counts as scholarship to our Faculty Status Committee, thus to our entire university. Dr. Sean O’Rourke, chair of Communication Studies, has drafted the argument below and has been making this case to expand what counts without our university:

I have an Op-Ed in The Greenville News today: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080926/OPIN.... The resulting on-line discussion is as interesting as anything.

I am also reading through Freire's Pedagogy of Freedom. The view of schools in most people's minds, reading Freire, and having just run across the "new" paternalism. . .I am really intellectually and spiritually disoriented and "on fire."

The mechanistic norm makes any of us who are critical feel isolated, thus "wrong." It is powerful and disturbing. We have our voices and must raise them often, we must raise them in the name of human dignity, and we must not tire.

From the Fordham Institute, this disturbing new book: Sweating the Small Stuff: Inner-City Schools and the New Paternalism. View the blurb here: http://www.edexcellence.net/detail/news.cfm?news_id=733&id=92.

Needless to say, it is a clear picture of the forces preying on our schools: "The schools teach teens how to act according to traditional, middle-class values, set and enforce exacting academic standards, and closely supervise student behavior. But unlike paternalistic institutions of the past, these schools are warm, caring places, where teachers and principals form paternal-like bonds with students. Though little explored to date, the new paternalistic schools are the most promising means yet for closing the nation's costly and shameful achievement gap."

You can also read an excerpt from the book here: http://www.hoover.org/publications/ednext/26967964.html.

All: You are probably aware of the controversy surrounding Bill Ayers and Obama. Ayers is being crucified on right-wing and "traditional" media outlets. If you are so inclined, here is one opportunity to express your view of the situation:

http://www.supportbillayers.org/

Paul Thomas

I had an Op-Ed in our state paper this past week; thought I'd share and see if anyone has feedback. I persist in fighting the standards movement, but often feel powerless. The piece:

www.thestate.com/editorial-columns/story/498361.html

Also, I came across this over the weekend about American politics and religion by syndicated columnist Kathleen Parker; very interesting (disturbing?) and worth our consideration:

townhall.com/columnists/KathleenParker/2008/08/20/purpose-driven_politics

Paul Thomas