Are Faleing Educashion: The Oppression Of Low Standards

"Well, they did a good job...for them."

Recently, I took part in a second grade publishing party. Present at this party were 23 eager seven year olds, a frantic teacher, an oversized (in so many ways) principal, guests and friends of the second graders, and myself. The teacher, PW, constantly called out contradicting directions, beckoning her students to "find a guest," but also to "remain seated." She frequently attacked her students inability to read her mind and decide which direction to follow at any given moment. The principal offered no support, but instead shuffled her condemning eyes around the room and would occasionally give a falsely endearing look to a child and beckon them to her to share their book. I received the entire scene, I absorbed the ensuing chaos like a sponge, and as my insides boiled I cried, silently, to the Good Lord to please save these children.

I was gifted with many students' stories; they read me their half finished books on bullying, told me tales of their dogs, and showed me their poorly spelled dedication and author biography pages. Their stories, although great beginnings did not meet any standard that should be set for a second grader. Not a single story matched those students' best effort. These students, although eager and bright, are victims of low standards, standards that oppress them. I do not blame these students for thinking an incomplete story filled with misspelled words and misplaced periods is deserving of promotion to third grade. In fact, these students are simply meeting the standard placed above them, they are doing the best they can do, according to their faleing teacher and her faleing boss.

Instead of assuming these students are capable of second grade quality work, those who have been entrusted with their education have succumb to the myth that because these students are poor, because they may only have one parent at home, because they don't eat dinner every night, they do not have the ability to achieve. This myth has become our security blanket as we simply promote children through school, neglecting to really teach them anything.

It may take unconventional methods and extreme dedication to draw from these students what they are capable of, but Good Lord, they are capable of the highest standard. They are capable of achieving, and they are worthy of every ounce of our energy for every minute they are in our schools. We've made excuses, excuses have failed them, we've failed them.

Dear God, save these children.