Author: Maeve Maddox

Maeve Maddox brings both academic and workplace experience to her discussions of the uses of English. She recognizes, as public school policy does not, that university attendance is not a desirable goal for every high school student. She does believe that all students should leave high school with the reading and thinking skills that will enable them to continue their education on their own.

The Manipulative Appeal of Charter Schools and School Vouchers

In an episode of the TV series Bones, the team investigate a suspicious death that occurred in an expensive and exclusive private school. Throughout the episode, Special Agent Booth expresses his disdain for private schools and the people who send their children to them. Seeing the Latin school motto at the entrance, he asks, “What […]

Public Schools Are Not Burger King

Public education is not the equivalent of a dairy or hamburger chain. Public education is more like the US Postal Service and the Interstate Highway System—part of the essential foundation for the nation’s economy and social well being.

Pupils and Prisoners

If what people spend money on indicates what they value, then one must conclude that in the US, taxpayers value locking ignorant people up more than preventing children from growing up ignorant. Policy-makers of every stripe and level pay lip-service to the importance of education, but when push comes to shove, they prove again and […]

Documents for Juneteenth

The new federal holiday—Juneteenth—is so new that many Americans have only a vague notion of its importance. In time, however, it will be as much a part of American identity as the Fourth of July. Indeed, the new holiday’s official name is “Juneteenth National Independence Day.” Kentucky congressman Thomas Massie, together with 13 other representatives, […]