Good vs. evil is rarely all that interesting, which is why internal conflicts -- the nemesis in the other cubicle, “frenemies” and underminers, siblings, hipsters vs. yuppies, Jon Stewart vs. Stephen Colbert -- are so much more fun to watch. Nearly everyone has a nemesis -- whether he or she realizes (or admits) it or not. Usually it’s someone nearby.
So which are the greatest “us-vs.-us” rivalries in the education world? A partial list -- feel free to nominate others:Paige Vs. Spellings...Dewey Vs. Montessori...Phonics vs. whole language...The AFT Vs. NEA...Recess Vs. Naptime...Gates Vs. Broad Foundations...Debbie Meier Vs. Ted Sizer...Standards Vs. Accountability...Finn Vs. Allen...Vallas Vs. Chico (Chicago 1995-2001)...Head Start Vs. Universal Preschool...Kozol Vs. NCLB...Kennedy Vs. Dodd (vs. Harkin)...Riley Vs. Hunt...Vouchers Vs. Charters...Mike Cohen Vs. Jack Jennings...Nina Rees Vs. Mike Petrilli...Health care reform Vs. School reform...Jon Schnur Vs. Wendy Kopp.
Note: Some of these are made up.