More parents are pulling their kids from ?traditional? K-college public school system, finally standing up to a system NOT preparing kids and leaving kids/parents in heavy debt.
?Dear Mike, my husband and I read your latest comments on K-12 education. We agree wholeheartedly. Regularly, we read and enjoy your detailed comments and articles on K-12 education. Education is very important to us. We have 3 kids, ages 8, 10 & 13. Unfortunately, we are disappointed in our local school.? To be clear, we don?t blame teachers. Our kids have caring teachers. We are so frustrated with a curriculum that emphasizes testing and memorization. We too join other concerned parents who want our kids to develop a passion for learning.? ?Brent & Cally M, Sarasota, FL
***What you see below is the long response I provided to a father of 2 boys, who indicated his wife and he are researching education alternatives for their high-school-aged son.***
This father repeats a common (and serious) concern ? today?s education policy makers mandate:
- Rote & regurgitation (aka ?drill & kill?)
- More (not less) TESTING
- Memorization ? that is,? very little emphasis on higher-order thinking skills (aka ?Bloom?s Taxonomy)
- Traditional curriculum that ignores kids? passions ? kids are bored out of their minds
Click READ MORE below now for my long response to a parent who searches for an alternative educational experience for his high-school-aged son.
WHEN TRADITIONAL K-12 SYSTEM FAILS KIDS AND PARENTS
In response to this parent, I shared the following in support of his wife?s and his decision to search for best alternative education experience for their son:
?Obviously, Tom, you know your son is not alone?nor is this ?point of contention? reserved just for your wife and you. LOTS of young people are bored out of their heads and LOTS of parents are frustrated out of their heads.
Bottom line: you can force your son to comply with traditional standards and perform to your expectations or you can search alternative education. I prefer searching for alternative education. In fact, this topic is the exact core issue that drove me out of teaching in 2002.
In mid 90s, I was part of a state delegation tasked with ?New Standards.? We were fed a line about being the pioneers who would form new (and exciting) standards allowing kids to compete globally. Sounded so damn noble.
Problem is, EVERYONE sees today exactly what is happening in K-12 education: it?s now standardized testing up the ass with corporations led by ?education reformer? Jeb Bush banging down school doors on behalf of his corporate bed-buddies in order to grab more MILLIONS in profits, i.e. more testing, more test scoring, more test prep, more test remediation, more test training, etc.
More testing is BIG $$$$$$ and the public is eating this shit up because the public (even most parents) swallowed a handful of *BLUE pills convincing them their kids have to work hard, get good grades, beat all standardized tests, get accepted to ABC Good College, grab a piece of sheepskin & live happily ever after.
*Editor?s Note: This is reference to the movie, The Matrix.
All the while kids? EXCITEMENT for learning is being stomped out, replaced with ROTE & REGURGITATION. In fact, let me challenge every parent among us: invest one week scrutinizing your kid?s (or kids?) homework.
You will be shocked to discover ~90 or more percent is frickin? rote, where they?re expected to regurgitate.WHY? Teachers? asses are on the line to TEACH to these damn tests. Government has convinced you teachers are bad and that good teachers should earn merit pay when their students perform well on these tests.
Guess what? The savvy teachers have realized they?ll sacrifice principles in order to stay off a ?bad teacher? list so their curricula has transitioned to focus on the tests.
Your (and my) kids are suffering?THEY are the victims.
Tom, what is happening to your son is NOT his fault. I?m not appeasing you ? I was IN THOSE CLASSROOMS for 16 years. No one EVER will convince me otherwise. I will stand up to millions as a lone ranger (though I?m not alone in blowing the whistle). Problem is, too many parents swallowed that handful of *blue pills ? they?re now hopeless pawns.
*Editor?s Note: This is reference to the movie, The Matrix.
So, Tom, what is a possible solution for your wife, you and son to consider? I think you already intuitively have come to the solution: you find out what your son?s passion? is. Even if he can?t make a living from his passion (perhaps at this time), he will mature, develop his learning skills & probably sneak in a bunch of math, science, reading, writing, history, et al without even realizing it. 
This is the Montessori approach which I very much support. In fact, Montessori applies to the Finland education system that is poo-pooed by US policy makers as irrelevant. Irrelevant? Here?s a link for anyone who remotely is interested > http://
**Parents know their kids better than any education wonk, including me when I was there (though I admit I once was so damn brainwashed I actually thought I knew better than all of you about what was best for your kids).
**Bachelors (4 year degree) is NOT for every kid
**Confirm your son?s passions and then seek out people who are making money/living based off similar passions. Show your son he?s not alone and that it is possible to have fun LEARNING. Why do so many adults believe it?s impossible to make a living do what they love? Yeah, I know the answer > they swallowed a handful of blue pills?.
Okay, I banged out another novellla here. Sorry, I get fired up by this topic. I have 2 kids, one grade 5 son who is in ?honors? and who daily faces a Sarasota County Schools curriculum overdosing on rote & regurgitation. No Bloom?s Taxonomy off the 1st rung of the ladder.
Check out this Facebook page to discover you?re not alone and that teachers, former teachers, administrators, parents, child psychologists and others are VERY concerned about the (formal) education in America > www.facebook.com/
How do you feel about a K-12 education system?as a whole? Throughout, I?ve considered the system, not the teachers who (mostly) are positively impact kids? lives. Please scroll down to share your thoughts, questions & concerns. I look forward to hearing from you.
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