Poetic License

I just read a new article by Bam Bam Bigelow (Bill Ferriter) called “A Short-Sighted Sprint to Measurable Glory” in his Tempered RadicalBlog. FIrst, when required to search for new reading material to fill my “Reader”, this Blog’s name caught my eye. I like what Bam has to say, and it resonates a tremendous amount this week particularly.

I was recently at my brother and sister-in-law’s home for dinner. My sister-in -law was excited to show off my 3rd grade nephew’s CRTC scores. As a teacher in a private school, I don’t have to administer the CRTC and, unlike the IOWA, I had never seen an assessment sheet detailing the test.  Yes, Max scored incredibly high in all areas of the test, but it saddened me tremendously. Here is this bright, articulate, artistic, creative thinker who has been made to learn “canned” material only to regurgitate it on the final test at the end of the year. After moving back from England in December, Max is miserable in the public school system here. He hates everything about the school and appears incredibly board with what he has to learn. He spends long hours doing practice homework pages for this particular test and resents the fact that he has no time to play and be creative when he gets home, much less at school.  All of this in a “World Class” E. Cobb public elementary school.

Bigelow and I are on the same page because we both believe that public school kids in this country are taught that education has an end – a test to measure one’s worth. That’s it. It’s not about the learning or the excitement or the thrill of mastering new skills and opening vistas – it’s about the test. Bam Bam says, 

You see, I was looking out over a classroom of kids that I know as beautifully complex creatures.  They’re inquisitive and curious, embracing challenging questions about the inherent justice and injustice in the world.  They’ve wrestled with the idea of standing up to power and tried to explain the origins of hate.  They’ve had their thinking challenged and challenged the thinking of others time and again over the past 180 days.

They’ve explored music and art, seeing beauty and understanding the importance of design.  They’re humorous—and they tend to find joy even in the most challenging circumstances.  Almost all have personal passions, developing levels of mastery in areas ranging from dirt biking and skateboarding to writing and dance. They’ve shown compassion, demonstrated respect, and developed an attitude of exploration.

Each is learning about  himself, his friends and our world every day. 

But in the end, none of that “growth” will matter.  Instead, my students—and your children—will be defined by one mystical number generated from a collection of answers on one multiple choice exam given on one day in June.

I struggle with this same sad understanding. I feel for Max and can only suggest he get out of public school or get tested for the Gifted Program. It should offer him some vehicle for getting out the little box they’ve put him in.  Withouth a private school education or a change in school districts, he’s destined to spend his elementary years spitting back information for the test in June.  I can only work with him to enrich his learning outside the classroom and have begun doing so.  But why does it have to be this way?

Ultimately, it was the national testing trend and NCLB that ran me out of public school.  I feel thankful to be free to teach students real material that will have an impact on their true reading and writing lives in the future.