I was talking to an old friend who is a leftist imbued with the leftist doctrine of the day.
She was telling me how the schools in her leftist state were trying to figure out how to manage, since they could not teach any child any more than any of the other children because learning pace has to be EQUAL. So the work would be to maintain what they have learned so far, and not to teach ANYTHING NEW. For that would violate the rules of equality.
the story Harrison Bergeron came to mind. TC sometimes I weep for the future of the children and the culture.
Yes, “equity.” The results have to be equally craptastic for all.
I wonder if parents are noticing, perhaps for the first time, how little their children have learned.
The insanity of ‘No Child Left Behind’—one of many gifts Ted Kennedy left us. (G.W. Bush eagerly signed on to it to signal bipartisanship—but it was Kennedy’s). For those who don’t know it worked like this: Goals were to be set for proficiency in reading, math, science, etc. States had to design tests to show the goals being met.
At first, the % of students required to be ‘proficient’ were low, but they increased every year. After 10 or 12 years 100% had to test ‘proficient’. Students were broken into categories: low income, free/reduced lunch, non-English speaking, black, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, Native American/Aleut, special education, etc. If any of these sub groups failed to meet goal, the school was listed as failing. Any district with a failing school was listed as failing as well.
Anyone (except a liberal) can see the absurdity. By definition 50% are at or below average. Schools and states responded pretty much three ways. Teach exclusively to the test. Make the test easier to pass, and cheat. No Child Left Behind was abandoned when the required ‘proficiency’ rate was at 75% or so.