Around the nation more and more people are concerned with the simplistic focus on narrow testing to provide the data to improve schools and to enhance the lives of children. The U.S. Senate recently held hearigs on the problem. Here is one person’s testimony.
*Clare Struck, an elementary school guidance counselor from the Malcolm Price Laboratory School (PLS) in Cedar Falls, Iowa, advocated for a more student-centered, educator-supported, and instruction-driven education system at a Senate hearing held last week to learn more about meeting the needs of the whole child.
Struck joined a distinguished panel, which included Geoffrey Canada, the founder of the Harlem Children’s Zone. The hearing is an encouraging sign that national policymakers appreciate the importance of moving beyond the overly simplistic focus on standardized test scores in reading and math and are interested in learning more about the range of services and subjects that help students succeed.
Struck’s testimony highlighted the need for a policy infrastructure to nurture the whole child approach already occurring in some schools and to jump-start efforts in other schools or districts struggling to meet students’ needs. The clear message from all of the panelists was that now more than ever, we must provide students with a comprehensive education that imparts the knowledge, skills, and proficiencies necessary to succeed after graduation, and that this effort involves much more than a simplistic focus on state-administered reading and math tests. It requires a whole child approach to education.
“Children who are hurting, hungry, scared, and disengaged cannot learn,” Struck told the committee. “We must recognize and address these needs if we are to have any hope of educating all students to proficiency in all academic subjects. PLS joins with educators across the country in calling on policymakers to ensure that each child is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.”
*Courtesy of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
Those who believe Struck is right should begin to speak up. Write a letter to the editor, attend a school board meeting, or contact your legislator.
I agree with offering all students a more comprehensive education. Kennewick schools did just that at one time. Attending school board meetings and becoming informed about board actions and policies is my next step to restoring meaningful educational reform.
We have to stop thinking “either/or” on this issue. Students need both rigorous academic content and rich course offerings in the arts, health and fitness, career and technical education, languages, and social sciences. It is hard to disagree that children should read to learn early and well, but that should not be at the expense of art, music, time on the playground. We need to figure out how to provide BOTH. Dropout research suggests that a Whole Child approach is more likely to keep kids in school.
I don’t think anyone – with the exception of the status-quo standards advocates – thinks this is an either/or issue (and they would speciously say otherwise, at least in public I think). So, I don’t think there is anything to “stop” in this regard.
The real false dichotomy that needs to be fought is the one promoted by the standards folks; namely that they must be allowed to set the agenda, or our kids will get nothing good. That’s the real propaganda message that should be discredited.