Educational Standards

The idea of essential knowledge is a tricky one. Many people will argue that all students should have a specific skill set and body of knowledge. While this is a nice idea, we must ask ourselves if it is a possibility in America. A set of clearly defined, useful skill set would be beneficial for all students. This would even out the playing field for all learners regardless of their situation.
However, it is their situation that is the very root of the problem. Not all learners begin school with the same advantages, experiences or support. It is faulty thinking to assume that all (or at least most) learners can acquire the same skill set. The methods used to measure students’ learning are equally faulty. In an effort to standardize curriculum and requirements nationwide, those who create the guidelines have forgotten one very important factor: the individuality of each student.
If we lived in a perfect world it would be wonderful for all students to meet and exceed all state standards. Also in that perfect world we would not have whirlwind effect of social poverty and inequality. It would be every preschool teacher’s dream if children came to school with a full tummy, clean clothes, well rested and ready to learn. That, however, is becoming increasingly less common. If some children are afforded these basic comforts and others are denied how can we expect them to get the same amount of gain from the preschool experience? As students get older the gap between the haves and the have nots will only grow wider.
I would like to think that we as teachers are more concerned with students learning how to think and apply knowledge to new situations. Rote memory of facts is not only a proven failure, but it also does not help the child who will be working in a fast food restaurant. This child needs to know how to think and apply her knowledge to her job. Not all children will head to college after high school. Does this mean that children on a college path should be held to a different set of state standards? No, it means we need to individualize education in order to best serve the needs of all students. If we change the standards to be general enough for all students, then we have just proven that setting standards is a waste of time.