Marion Brady, former teacher, wrote this commentary for Education Week.
As a specific point, she asks if all students need to be required to meet the same standards in math and makes an interesting case for answering no.
- Here's a question: Why are one-size-fits-all performance standards inappropriate to the point of silliness when applied to dogs, but accepted without question when applied to kids? If someone tried to set up a national program to teach every dog to do everything that various breeds are able to do, the Humane Society and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals would have them in court in a New York minute. But when authorities mandate one-size-fits-all performance standards for kids, and the standards aren't met, it's the kids and teachers, not the standards, that get blamed.
and
- How much sense does it make to put a math whiz in an Algebra 2 classroom with 25 or 30 aspiring lawyers, dancers, automatic-transmission specialists, social workers, surgeons, artists, hairdressers, language teachers? How much sense does it make to put hundreds of thousands of kids on the street because they can't jump through a particular math hoop?
The statement about talented Math students forced to sit in Algebra 2 with future dancers, surgeons, hairdressers, etc...., seems to be asking two questions: one about the math whiz and one about the non math whiz who still needs a level of math literacy.
There are certainly interesting points made.
To Ponder:
What would these last paragraphs sound like if instead of math, another course were targetted -- does everyone really need to know how to write a sonnet? What if science were the target --I suspect 50 years ago, a strong background in basic science was not seen as needed for the general population; today however, this basic level of scientific literacy may well be critical for all citizens in an era of global warming, wanning fuel and agricultural production and general environmental / medical concerns.
To Ponder:
What if instead of math or science or indeed, technology, "someone" decided that art, or music or crocheting was the one subject that everyone HAD to master to standards....
What if indeed?
