I love school. I have always loved school. I have always been the personality type that thrives on things that can be accurately measured- like grades. For better or for worse, much of my self worth was always based on grades. If I got an A in a class, that was a satisfactory way for me to measure my value.
Now I live in the real world, and since the days when I graduated college (voted Most Outstanding Student by faculty and with a 3.9 GPA) I have learned that schools in our country may not accurately measure anything.
Like many things in America, I truly believe we have a system in crisis. What seemed to work fifty years ago has either been continually corrupted or for some other reason, just isn't going to cut it. Take a walk with Google and just read about the astonishing numbers plaguing our future.
My husband and I share many opinions about the school system, but neither one of us has a solution. From ourselves to our unborn children, we are constantly discussing the best way to get educated. I would love to send our future children to private school, should we ever be able to afford it. Ideally I'd like to live in another country and send them to an International School. The husband is all about Monday through Friday boarding school after the age of ten. We both agree that Chinese Immersion is probably best case scenario for the next generation. While living in Phoenix there was much debate amongst parents about public vs. charter vs. private. You could talk yourselves in circles for days. And while I understand some of the arguments for public school, there is no way in hell I will ever send my children. Why not? I will give you three good reasons and I believe their value is strong enough to hold up my argument:
1- Kids are not created equally. Forget kids; Humans are not created equally. We put them in large groups of learning based on age and not skill. It's a travesty. Even a very well trained and educated teacher cannot be accurately prepared for this. Here's a really sad story: I have an eleven year old nephew who really struggles with school and he is one of the biggest reasons I don't want my kids in a public school. Not because I don't love him or see his potential, but because no teacher and even his parents can barely cater to his needs, let alone teach 30+ more students at the same time. It's just not possible and a very tragic, sad reality. The worst part is that my sister would put him in a better school, but she's not his biological mom and doesn't get the final word. Even if she did, I'm not sure they could afford it.
2- While charter and private schools categorize kids the exact same way as public schools, there is some exclusivity to the system. Non- public schools would draw better teachers and less dead beat parents. I have many friends that are teachers. There are many that I respect a great deal and really see them change lives and bring people to crave learning. But.... there are many who might as well be a greeter at Walmart. I see some of them on facebook during their classes. Even as young as Junior High I remember seeing some of my teachers as people who gave up on their dreams, or stayed for the retirement plan, or became a teacher because of the schedule. I admire countries who pick the very best performers in their field, then offer to pay them MORE to share their knowledge. Money is a big deal, both for teaching school and for attending it. If America doesn't pay teachers well, they can only expect to get what they pay for. And how much easier is it to get educated, or get your children educated, when money is not a concern? It would make a world of difference in my life. That I know for a fact.
3- A friend of mine recently argued to me that if she took her son out of charter school and into public school, he'd make better grades and get into a better college. FALSE. (You know who you are and I don't intend to offend). Being smart is not about getting good grades. In fact, it has nothing to do with it unfortunately. Putting him in an easier system is only depriving him of the education he could have had and when it comes time to take the ACT, SAT, LSAT, MCAT, GMAT or otherwise, it will only hurt him. Heaven forbid he get to a point like my nephew who passes every year just because the system allows him to move up a grade without the skills to do so.
I understand that different kids need different things. My sister and I went to different schools at the same time. Another sister was put in a Multiple Age Class (MAC) for a few years before skipping a grade. My brother was held back when starting kindergarten so he could develop more appropriate social skills. Everyone needs something different because everyone learns in a different way. I feel like I learn much more by doing and while school is a great format for some subjects, I have learned many things by getting out into the world. Would I say I have a great education? No. Why? Because I was never encouraged to do so. I was only encouraged to get good grades, and I did just that. The thing is, as a person I'd rank at about a B+, but as a student I'm straight A's. Which is all well and good in college, but out here in the real world I have to learn to readapt my expectations to what I am actually capable of or go get smarter.
I am grateful that we live in a technologically advanced time in which there are so many ways to learn. I love using Khan Academy for multiple things and I do it for the sake of educational entertainment. Best case scenario, I would get my kids educated outside of this crumbling country, but that may not be a reality and I will just have to do my best to ensure that I do my due diligence for them.
Being smart is definitely not about grades. Grades have rewards of their own, but they are not an end all. Many people have come to success after failing in school. We truly need a learning revolution and I am so thankful that others have taken on the task full time. If you have the time, I highly recommend these videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U
http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html
I love the quote, "We are now educating people out of their creative capacities."
For now, I will pass on my husband's advice for success, what he calls the three M's:
Math, Mandarin, and Marry rich!
Other than that.... good luck to us all.
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