The following is a post from Family Council staff member Sarah Bean.
There are some days at work that I genuinely miss school. Granted, those days are rare and it’s more like nap time, recess, and the breaks that I miss—because I surely don’t miss all the standardized tests that were required. No, those days are long gone. Don’t misunderstand me: Education has served me well. In fact, I wish I was a better student back when I was in school. What about our kids today? How is the education system serving them?
After reading an article in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette I was saddened to find out that Arkansas student test scores have stagnated. After all the taxpayer dollars, longer school hours, and longer school days the problem is still…well, a problem. A test was recently taken in all 50 states, Washington D.C., and the U.S. Department of Defense schools, called the National Assessment of Educational Progress or the “Nation’s Report Card” (this is not the Arkansas Benchmark or End-of-Course exams). The Nation’s Report Card is taken by a representative sample of fourth and eighth graders every other year in the subjects of reading and math. In Arkansas, fourth grader scores in both reading and math were stagnant and below the national average, along with eighth grade reading scores. Eighth grade math scores showed a positive growth. Click here for the full story.
So, who do we point the finger at? Surely kids are getting plenty of time in school (maybe too much). And yet I don’t think you can blame teachers who are already stretched thin with low salaries, next to nothing for a classroom budget, lesson plans, etc. On a side note: Teachers must be doing this job for the love of students and the immeasurable value of an education because some days it must feel like it’s just not worth it. What about moms and dads? I sure don’t want to be the one to say that a parent isn’t being actively involved in their child’s education. Somewhere along the line teachers, parents and students must play some kind of role, but what if the biggest predator on public education was, ironically, the government?
Why do we keep using the same system when the results continue to be bad? Why do we think that keeping kids in school longer, in any context, is going to improve test scores or foster a positive learning environment? Why do we punish teachers and school districts that don’t measure up yet refuse to lighten their already unbearable load? Or force them to teach students how to pass a test rather than what is really important to their learning? Education in Arkansas is a frustrating beast to tackle. It is not something that can improve overnight, but giving everyone more rules to follow is not going to foster a helpful environment for students, teachers, or parents.
In the meantime, I’m ready for my nap.
