This year, we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the first appearance of Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner in a cartoon. The show had specific rules, including the Road Runner only saying “Beep, beep!” and all of Coyote’s gadgets coming from the ACME Corporation. As I read Jonathan Gyurko’s book, Publicization, I couldn’t help but see parallels between Gyurko and Coyote, with gravity being his biggest obstacle, much like Coyote’s in the show.
Gyurko’s book offers valuable insights, such as advocating for teaching knowledge and knowledge-making processes in schools to pass on social norms to future generations. He also emphasizes the importance of democratic processes and the need for a recommitment to these norms. Additionally, Gyurko introduces the idea of using the “good faith” standard to evaluate schools and teachers, which combines subjective wisdom with objective data effectively. Moreover, his belief that the ultimate goal of education is human flourishing aligns with Aristotle’s concept of eudaimonia, setting his book apart from other education reform literature.
While I may not agree with all aspects of Gyurko’s book, I appreciate the effort he put into presenting an alternative vision for the education system based on his experience and engagement with key philosophical and policy texts. In a time dominated by short arguments and polarized views, Gyurko’s comprehensive approach is commendable.
However, Gyurko’s positioning of his book in opposition to privatization leads to some challenges. He defines privatization broadly, encompassing market-style reforms like school choice and accountability measures. This broad definition oversimplifies complex issues and fails to acknowledge potential common goals between different education reform movements.
Throughout the book, Gyurko struggles to understand opposing perspectives, portraying those with different views as villains rather than potential collaborators. His model of “mutual accountability” proposes a highly centralized and standardized education system, which may face challenges in implementation due to resistance from various stakeholders.
While Gyurko’s vision for an inclusive and collaborative education system is inspiring, it may require more flexibility and decentralization to succeed in a diverse and complex educational landscape. By embracing pluralism and liberty, Gyurko could move closer to achieving his vision for an ideal education system that benefits all stakeholders.
