Education Schools and the Dumbing Down of the Teaching of Literature

In this week's Pope Center Clarion Call, I discuss a paper written by Sandra Stotsky on the erosion of the high school literature curriculum. In short, there's a strong trend toward assigning students books that are easy and fun, then giving them written assignments that don't call for serious analysis. All of that, I argue, is consistent with the "learner-centered" theory that is commonly promulgated in education schools. Besides, it's easier for the teachers.