The Onion, an on-line comedy news parody site (that's a lot of adjectives), also likes to poke fun at any and all people and ideas and takes a stab, in this article, at the lowered standards for physical fitness in youth. Sadly, not all articles covered a shift in standards can be written off as humorous social commentary. This article in the Washington Post, dated at October 31, 2010, describes an alarming trend present in education (but also noticeable in parenting, faith, fitness, and a host of other venues).
Rochester says that schools across the country - like those listed in the article - are doing away with spelling tests. Had I not recently had a conversation with a couple who removed their granddaughter from state school to send her to private school for the same reason, I would have been scrolling through the page looking for the familiar The Onion logo. Rochester claims that moves like this within the education community allows the bottom - the lowest achievers - to set the standard for the rest of the students. I agree and find this sort of thing to be deplorable - and I have never been in the top of my classes (with, maybe, the exception of theater)! Rochester records:
In a September 18 St Louis Post-Dispatch article by Aisha Sultan, “Coming to the Defense of Spelling Tests,” the writer notes that two of the largest, best school districts in Missouri – Parkway and Rockwood – “have completely phased out spelling tests from their elementary school language arts curricula.”
Asked by astounded parents how this could be so, the Parkway coordinator for elementary communication arts replied that “we were developing a lot of Friday morning spellers.” Likewise, the Rockwood coordinator said “we’re really trying to work on self-regulation,” that is, getting children to develop their own strategies for becoming good spellers.
The districts say they will continue to teach lessons about spelling and may even hold students accountable for spelling certain words correctly, but spelling is a skill that will be embedded in student writing routines. The bottom line is that educators say spelling tests are not authentic assessments.It seems to me that when we, as adults, lower expectations for our youth and each other, they and we will 'rise' to that occasion. They will have lower expectations for themselves and pursue courses of least resistance, opting to work minimally while still demanding equal - if not greater - pay despite their aptitude. What do you think about removing spelling tests from English classes?
Even as I am aware of my own limitations and failures in life and schooling, I do not begrudge my educators for not doing their job. I am aware of the times when I put very little effort toward school, and the consequences of those decisions are my responsibility alone. Likewise, the work that I do is both a blessing and a source of stress for me because I DO set the standard so high for myself. It pushes me to strive, to work hard, to achieve according to the abilities God has given me. And should my work slack and my attentions divert, I would deserve the repercussions of this: whether it's probation, reprimand, or even being fired. Sure, the fall would hurt, but I have been taught to work hard and let the chips fall where they may.
I suggest we applaud our educators and remove the training wheels from age-appropriate learning opportunities. If our youth, or we ourselves, fall on our butts, then we have found a great opportunity to learn the joys of perseverance and success to come.
