Ernest J. Zarra, III, Ph.D. is semi-retired and is now a full-time education researcher and writer. Ernie has worked as a secondary teacher and district professional development leader in California’s largest high school district, presented as keynote speaker for various national educational organizations, and served as assistant professor of teacher education at Lewis-Clark State College.
The issue of toxicity in American culture runs the gamut. From sexist accusations toward men to the haughty denunciations of so-called elites of those not as fortunate, it is prevalent and problematic. Toxicity is prevalent because it seems to be pervasive in all corners of American society. It is problematic because American culture has rapidly shifted […]
Read MoreReflecting on my teaching journey that spanned from the late 1970s to 2020, I can’t help but notice the stark contrast in educational approaches. When I started, education was centered around traditional book learning and assessments, a teacher-led process that continued into the 1990s. However, as I retired from full-time teaching in 2020 and transitioned […]
Read MorePlato is credited with writing that we should ignore loud voices that come from the minds of the untrained. His rationale? “The untrained mind keeps up a running commentary, labelling everything, judging everything. Best to ignore that commentary. Don’t argue or resist, just ignore. Deprived of attention and interest, this voice gets quieter and quieter […]
Read MoreLeave it to a self-proclaimed Christian, who also is a practicing homosexual, to pen an apologetic for ‘queer theology.’ That is exactly what Dr. Patrick S. Cheng attempts to do in his book titled Radical Love. Cheng’s credentials to pen such an apologetic are quite admirable. He is an attorney and a Ph.D., and he […]
Read MoreZig Ziglar, the late motivational speaker, wrote, “Check the records. All great failures in life are character failures, and all complete successes are character based. The need for character education is irrefutable.” Should Ziglar be dismissed out of hand because he was white? Character is a part of everything we say and do in life, and […]
Read MoreChildren who visit libraries in some American cities have grown accustomed to encountering drag queens who read LGBTQ+ stories to them. Parents began to object. Now it seems that public school librarians are on the receiving end of parental complaints. A January 2022 Education Week article highlighted a growing battle between parents and school librarians. […]
Read MoreThere is a peculiar theory that has its basis in Marxism and that hails from early-twentieth-century Germany. The theory first manifested itself in the United States in the 1970s. Critical Race Theory brings with it the idea that all whites are racists, whether they are aware of this or not. The labeling of a group […]
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