James Meredith speaks out, homeschool reflections, student football union, RIP Pete Seeger

Civil rights hero James Meredith recently released the American Child’s Education Bill of Rights.  Too bad the state board of ed for New York didn’t get a whiff of number 4 in their race to the top; they might have saved  students from the heartache and hassle of high stakes testing over Common Core curriculum that has not been piloted and has just been introduced this school year.   

LIbby Anne at Love, Joy, Feminism reflects on how she is able to define and confront the hazardous aspects of home schooling because of the critical thinking skills she gained from her own home schooling experience. Turns out her old teachers, (aka her parents) are strangely unproud of her.  Libby Anne’s kids go to public school, by the way.

#APU means “All Players United” . Northwestern University football players are working to unionize. Thanks to Think Progress for the tip.  (This is the first thing I’ve liked about football in quite a while- Go Wildcats!)

Pete Seeger, RIP, talks about how his family supported friendly argument and critical thinking, which helped him become a badass peacenik who built his own house and stood up to McCarthy’s HUAC committee.  Here he is singing the original abolitionist words to the Battle Hymn of the Republic.  Here’s a lovely ditty about getting busted for justice.  And here is Pete’s rendition of Old Dan Tucker, which makes me feel kind of tender and romantic because Mr Speecharella sometimes picks his teeth with a knife at the dinner table, though not in front of company as far as I know.

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Photo by Speecharella, who is longing for Spring though she knows it will inevitably lead to Summer.