Save Our Schools!

The videos below accompany our Special Report, “Schools in Crisis” (September/October 2013), in which contributor Emily Bloch interviews historian David McCullough about the miserable state of how history is taught in today’s schools. Expanding on these observations Sir Ken Robinson, an international education advisor, offers creative solutions for better student engagement and success. And Eric Marshall, a fifth grade teacher, creates a unique history lesson for his students, transforming the schoolyard into a living Civil War lesson.

The Value of Education with David McCullough

McCullough emphasizes how important learning history is to understanding who we are as Americans.

David McCullough’s 5 Lessons Every High School Student Should Learn

You Are Not Special: A Commencement Speech by David McCullough Jr.

The commencement speech that earned McCullough’s son worldwide fame.

How to Escape Education’s Death Valley

Robinson discusses how the culture of education as it stands is doing more harm than good. Education is an organic system, he says, and as soon as the correct conditions are supplied, schools will spring to life.

Do Schools Kill Creativity?

Robinson’s 2006 TEDTalk explains how his model for education will nurture creativity rather than stifle it.

Bring on the Learning Revolution!

In a 2010 TEDTalk, Robinson compares education to the climate crisis, and advocates for personalized instruction for every student. This is a follow-up to the 2006 TEDTalk above.

On the Road: Teaching History Through Battle

Steve Hartman of CBS Evening News interviews Eric Marshall, the fifth-grade teacher from North Carolina whose mission is to free history from the binds of boredom.

History Lessons at Camp London

Join the ranks of Marshall’s fifth-grade students at London Elementary School in Walnut Cove, North Carolina. Meet Marshall and his students and experience Camp London for yourself in this video from Our State magazine. (Video produced by Jonathan Weaver.)