I was holding a small group breakout session in Puerto Rico with educators and organizers when it happened. Domingo challenged the entire premise of the conversation by saying in accented English far better than any Spanish I still possess, “I don’t think democracy is the right word or even the right concept. And I’m not sure I want, no offense Scott, to hear you talk about it coming from the United States. You have used democracy as a weapon to colonize and to control – and I’m skeptical about linking it to the kinds of educational practices we want and need. It could be dangerous.” And while I tried hard to listen and not be defensive and also keep Domingo and others engaged, inside his words rang many bells. In that moment I was the director of an organization that positions democracy as a foil to looking at failed education […]
Musings about Democracy
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