The Reason We Learn

The Reason We Learn

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June 2025

May 2025

John Stossel Is Wrong—School Choice Doesn’t Compete, It Creeps
Government-funded “school choice” doesn’t break the system—it spreads it. In this response to John Stossel, I show how subsidies entangle private…
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The Reason We Learn
12
Don’t Just Opt Out—Opt Up
I’ve written extensively about what’s broken in American education. Now I’m building an alternative. This summer, I’m teaching online courses through…
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The Reason We Learn
Stop Micromanaging Your Teen’s Social Life
Too many parents are micromanaging their teenagers’ friendships—and it’s hurting their confidence, independence, and ability to form lasting…
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The Reason We Learn
13
Letting Go Isn’t Easy—School Makes It Harder
Parents don’t just struggle to trust their teens—they’ve been trained not to. And compulsory schooling has a lot to do with it.
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The Reason We Learn
43
What Are We Doing to Our Smart Kids?
One former student’s med school essay exposed more than bad writing, it revealed the rot at the core of higher education.
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68

April 2025

When the State Defines Education, Thinking Dies
When the College Board dropped analogies from the SAT, it didn’t make education more accessible. It made real thinking rarer. Here's why parents can't…
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The Reason We Learn
12
Is School the New Front Line of Mental Health Surveillance?
Public schools are quietly expanding their authority into mental health, bypassing parental rights and recommending treatment. This isn't…
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The Reason We Learn
2
When Parents Choose Themselves: A Review of The Children We Left Behind
A deeply personal review of Adam B. Coleman's The Children We Left Behind, highlighting its emotional insights on parental abandonment, cultural…
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The Reason We Learn
1
© 2025 Deborah Fillman
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