This One’s for You, Honey!

“We must also reform our education system.  Clearly, we have to produce graduates who are able to compete - not only with their peers from Chicago or Des Moines - but also from Shanghai.” – Governor Scott Walker

I learned recently that each of my children scored at an “advanced” level on their last standardized test.

Hooray?

However, my teenage daughter scored at the 65^th percentile on her reading test.  To me, that score appears to be much closer to 50 than to one hundred. 

Hmmm…50^th percentile, middle of the road, average….

My daughter spends a great deal of time in the library. 

In fact, she may very well be more comfortable in the library than she is in any other public setting. 

She loves to read.  And, write. 

She’s sits at our family computer, almost endlessly, and creates stories.  She then shares these stories on online, which allow other people her age to read, respond, and share their stories.   It’s pretty neat.  

I love my daughter.  I love her beyond words.

What I hope for my daughter is that she wonders…dreams…hypothesizes…and learns to begin sentences with the two words “what if”. 

I want her to continue to create and share stories…to innovate…to invent…to hope.

In Shanghai and other areas of China, 1/10 people live on less than $1/day.

A little over half of their population has access to phones.  Their work environments are typically characterized by oppressive factory conditions…crushing workloads… denied human rights...   

It’s been widely reported that U.S. education has fallen behind that of China; that we need to adopt a more Asian philosophy based on constant repetition and recitation, drilling and grilling.  The attempted justification for these reports detail figures of trade deficits, exchange rates, and gross external debt.

Education in this country must improve; it must evolve.  There’s no question about it.  But how and for what reasons? 

Today’s education must focus on deep learning through collaboration rather than covering a breadth of topics through rote memorization.

Today’s education must emphasize developing leadership abilities, self-esteem, and expanding, not only a young person’s intellect but also, their social and physical capabilities.

Today’s education must develop problem-solvers, critical thinkers, explorers and innovators.

Today’s education must hone our culture’s goal setters, planners, organizers and, dare I say, dreamers.

These traits strike me to be American qualities.

Allow the Chinese to be products of repetition and recitation.

Our children can be so much more.

There are no standardized tests which can measure these American qualities. 

Compete with Shanghai? 

Why would we sacrifice American ideals and our children to do such a thing? 

As for the young Asian students who are scoring higher on their standardized tests than my child, please know of my deepest regrets and genuine sadness.  No young person should live a life of dull repetition and meaningless recitation.  Your life should be filled with books; books that challenge you to wonder, dream, create, and share.  I fear, instead, that your life is peppered with instruction manuals.

As for my daughter, honey, there is no test that could ever convince me that you are “middle of the road”.  You are wonderful and beautiful and good and there is nothing about you that I would ever change.  Keep doing what you’re doing.