Share your thoughts on the best education for the best is the best education for all.

Do
you agree or disagree? Why? Distinguish the three bests and explain their implications
in the current educational context.

Adler (1982), made some good point in his article. Thinking back to what I consider my teaching
philosophy I agree with the statement, "the best education for the best is the best education for
all" (p. 184). Democracy is what this country was built on and yet education always seems to get
the short end of the stick. Adler was right we were being hypocrites. Some of you might be
teachers in Dallas Isd but I'm sure many of you have heard of the conditions of the schools, the
lack of book and school funding, also the lack of passionate teachers that actually care about
the student's education. Would you say that's the best education for the best children? All
children are the best no matter their ethnicity, race, economic backgrounds, they all have the
potential ti be whatever they want to be in life. But we, the teachers, administrators, even
parent's have to give them the recourses need and the opportunity.
I did disagree with one aspect of the article though. "To give the same quality of schooling to all
requires a program of study that is both liberal and general, and that is, in several, crucial,
overarching respects, one and the same for every child. All sidetracks, specialized courses, or
elective choices must be eliminated" (Adler, 1982, p. 185). The arts, physical education,
electives period are still essential to the "best education". We have to remember that these are
still children they cannot successfully focus only on academics with some sort of release. Some
children find it easier to express themselves through art, dance, or music, even sports. Some
tend to their strengths, the arts or athletics to receive funding for higher education. We have to
remember that academics aren't everyone's strength, yes it's the main focus but shouldn't be
the only focus.

The acquisition of organized knowledge is understandable. Learning the core subject material
through text. Everyone is required to take four years of the core subject material in the same
structure. Kind of how we all use Texas TEKS to shape our curriculum. The development of
intellectual skills is where students have more freedom in their learning and expression. The
enlargement of understanding, insight and aesthetic appreciation is learning through visual arts.

Adler, J.M. (1982). The Paideia Proposal. In D. Flinders and S. Thornton

(Eds.), The Curriculum Studies Reader(4th ed., pp. 183-186). New York,
NY: Routledge.