It all goes back to what we value

I still have not finished completely with the article (nay, volume) of information in Business Week on Bill and Melinda Gates; however, the first nibble I took confirmed something I've said all along. The article opens with a portrayal of the massive failure of attempting to split Denver's Manual High School into three smaller schools. The article goes on to say that the Gates Foundations experiements have worked in other instances, such as San Diego High Tech High (-sigh- what a silly name). But research shows that children in these smaller schools do not necessarily perform better on standardized tests, although many are more likely to go on to college. What the Gates emphacize is the close relationships students are able to build with teachers - a "community" aspect.

Which got me thinking about what really matters in education - is it high-performing students who can memorize by rote math and science, or is it children who are connected to their community, nurtured and encouraged by caring adults, and confidient enough to go into the world armed with ingenuity and a sense of purpose? Isn't that more valuable than knowing how to do calculus? Isn't that what we celebrate as being "most American"? I don't know the answer - and of course, there is no panacea to the problems plaguing our schools - but part of the problem lies in our inabilty to come together on what our schools value, what we value.

By the way, some school in... I want to say Arizona... pulled the plug on the valedictorian's graduation speech because she thanked God. Now that seems a little silly. Free speech, people.


"Bill Gates Gets Schooled" (Business Week, June 26th, 2006)