Schools
It seems that the Nashville Tn. public schools have a problem with underacheiving students and their embarrasment at being less than spectacular performers (Link thanks to Misha thanks to Graumagus)
A few bloggers have mentioned this, and ranted about it, but from what I’ve seen, may have missed what I think is the salient information in this story.
I don’t believe the problem lies with the embarrasment of underacheivers at all. There are plenty of ways to avoid casting aspersions on those who are “average” or below, and frankly, some of the “poor” students are more a result of the incompetence of the educational system than their own merits, or lack therof. If you want a lecture (and a damned good one) on the subject, go visit Mrs Du Toit and email her, she can and will explain it to you.
Frankly, I believe the issue is deeper and a great deal more sinister.
The issue, as I see it, lies only in the overacheiver, the A student, the football prodigy, the math genius, the gifted artist, musician. The plan, as the instructors see it, is not that people who don’t excel get castigated, but that people who DO excel, specifically NOT get rewarded.
Convoluted enough for you? It takes a second or two to work it out.
The best and the brightest are being trained never to expect rewards for doing excellent work. Not even an honor roll, not even a mention in the local paper, nothing. The very best of our youth is being sent the message, It’s OK to do well, but you haven’t the right to be rewarded for doing so. That way, we can get away with working you to the bone for the same pay as the underacheiver in the next cube who spends most of the day playing Freecell.
Socialist indoctrination camps Public school systems all over are beginning to follow this pattern and it is disturbing. The seeds have been sown, expect to see this in a town near you very soon.
Me, I’m going to continue to reward my child for doing well. No, I’m not gonna drop a load of cash for every math test, but rather show that good work is appreciated and a source of joy for the whole family. There will also be punishment, not for failing to do well, but for deliberate laziness; I guess it must be working, because when I come home from work there is unvaryingly an 8 year old jumping into my arms waving, with great pride, the most recent math/spelling/science test.
I’ll be damned if my child grows up to do well and expect nothing in return.
Yes! This is a huge thorn in my side, and I’ll be doing all I can so that my children can avoid the socialist indoctrination camps as well.
You make a great point. Michael Knox Beran in an article for City Journal (http://www.city-journal.org/html/14_1_self_reliance.html)wrote an expansive analysis of this trend to downplay achievement. He explores how education theory has turned Emerson’s ideas of self reliance upside down by putting self-esteem before self reliance. The pithiest sentence in the article is this: “The notion that if you feel good about yourself you will be able to achieve something worthwhile, though it contains a grain of truth, puts the cart before the horse. The soundest foundation of self-esteem is genuine achievement, and numerous studies have shown no measurable benefit from the self-esteem movement in the schools. Even so, under the banner of self-esteem, schools have dumbed down their curricula, ended gifted-and-talented programs, stopped tracking kids, emphasized Dewey-style group projects and groupthink rather than individual achievement, and done away with valedictorians—because rewarding success might make some kids feel bad.”
Just glad your daughter has a dad who values achievement over feeling good.
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