Monday, April 9, 2012

Catching My breath

It is very easy to get emotional when talking about education. Everyone has opinions. Unfortunately, opinion is rarely based on anything other than habit or cultural orientation. The differences between people can be huge and confusing, so it is natural that opinions clash.

But do you think facts help clear out some of the emotionalism? Perhaps in some other realms of human activity but not when it comes to public education. Fact can be just as infuriating as opinion, especially when it drives public policy concerning how we bring our children into the adult world via school. Fact is used as a blunt bludgeon to craft what we present to children into some agreed upon standards that every student needs to meet. The current trend toward data driven curriculum, standards based grading, teaching to the test, all of the so-called reforms that come down from on high to make school into the moribund and out-of-touch state of affairs that it is, is nothing if not factual.

So what is missing? How about talent? How about student interest? Once students have attained basic literacy and numeracy, what is it that we really want our kids to know and do? We are squandering resources once kids get into middle school. Is this my opinion? Yes. Do I have any facts? Yes, again. Is anyone really thinking about this? Unfortunately, very few. So what am I going to do about it? Write. I've got to get some things off my chest. Welcome to Just the Opposite, where this anarcho-educator has a voice.