Art Pearl Against the World

The goal of No Child Left behind and all the so-called allied state education reform is to bring all of public education under corporate control. This is not a conspiracy. It is clear, straight-forward and unabashed. Every president from Ronald Reagan to Barack Obama has endorsed it. President Obama heralds "We must ensure that our students will be able to compete in the global economy" almost every time he talks about education. All such endeavors to undermine democracy begins by scaring the shit out of us  This one began with a corporate created presidency- the now exalted Ronald Reagan. Reagan, as you may remember appointed a commission - The Commission on Educational Excellence - and that Commission issued a report, A Nation at Risk , That report, in its second paragraph evoked terrifying images associated with McCarthyism. If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today, we might well have...

The loss of a legend. That is what we are experiencing here and now with the death of my father, Art Pearl. You see people will say...they are saying, that he lived a long life. He did. The length of his life combined with the intention, devotion, impact and consistent leadership and accountability is what makes his value as a human beyond measure. He knew things, he had seen things that none of us had. His parents were immigrants, he grew up poor, he was a hard working longshoreman and he was aware all along of what plagued this world. He became well educated, well read, well written and beyond influential to those around him. His comprehension of the problems and solutions of the world far surpassed anyone else I have known, read the work of or listened to. He could engaged in dialogue with those who disagreed with him and show them genuine love and kindness while telling them the truth. He was diplomatic, yet forceful, bold and brave. The world lost that when we lost my dad. It is n...