I’m really honored that the article I wrote, School Wars, is the cover story for the September/October issue of Good Magazine.
While they edited out a good number of my jokes and a bunch of stuff about Eli Broad, I am thrilled to have been asked to write such a large and unconventional article for a lifestyle magazine. After ten years of writing for trade magazines and the web, I think this makes me an actual journalist! (My dues is paid up too)
While you can certainly read the article online here, I suggest you find a copy of Good at a local newsstand, bookstore or Whole Foods so you can see the provocative art they used to enhance my article. Plus, you can have me autograph the issue the next time you see me 🙂
It’s also not such a bad idea to buy the issue in order to send the message that you wish to read thoughtful pieces about education in the mainstream media. It takes a pretty gutsy magazine to pay me to question the motives of Bill Gates and Eli Broad.

Veteran educator Gary Stager, Ph.D. is the author of Twenty Things to Do with a Computer – Forward 50, co-author of Invent To Learn — Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom, publisher at Constructing Modern Knowledge Press, and the founder of the Constructing Modern Knowledge summer institute. He led professional development in the world’s first 1:1 laptop schools thirty years ago and designed one of the oldest online graduate school programs. Gary is also the curator of The Seymour Papert archives at DailyPapert.com. Learn more about Gary here.
Congrats, Gary! I will look for it!
Kathy
Congratulations, Gary!
I’ve been observing a migration from public to private school in suburban Boston over the past decade. The irony is that educational practices at private schools here are no better, and may actually be worse, than those at local public schools. Educators at both schools are teaching to the test; the tests just have different names. The private school students I work with have no opportunities to express or develop creativity. There is only one way to solve any problem and everything from the way paper is folded to the appearance of homework headings is controlled by the teacher. It’s very sad to see.
Hi Gary,
Great work.
My response is here:
http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2008/8/15/grateful-for-gary.html
Keep up the good work!
Doug
I enjoyed the article and had read several blogs about your institute. It sounds like what you are advocating is exactly what I am blessed to do everyday. I teach elementary gifted kids and we are able to …..”create productive contexts for learning in which the needs of each child are met as their talent, interest, curiosity, and passion are amplified”. For 25 years I’ve been trying to spread the word to regular ed teachers. Keep up the good work you do. Nancy
PS I love the artwork in the magazine article.