Two recent news stories involving schools here in the Northeast puzzled me.
Timberlane Regional High School in NH is doing away with mid-term exams and final exams. Too much pressure. Too high-stakes. They’ll still be tested. Just on smaller chunks of material.
I don’t know about you, but I want to know that the doctor with my life in his or her hands, has fulfilled basic requirements. And, how would I know? They’d have passed a test to assure they’ve acquired – and retained – essential knowledge over a long period of time. Not just the most recent two weeks. (Skills are another issue for another time.)
The same applies to lawyers, teachers, police, financial brokers, and countless other professions.
Working hard on a task is different than accomplishing the task.
In another story, Lincoln-Sudbury High School in MA no longer has captains for its sport teams. Rather they will have a rotating council of students who lead each team. Anyone and everyone can choose to be on the council. No prerequisites. The premise appears to be that every student-athlete is a leader.
In education, as in life, I’ve encountered leaders and followers. In fact, leaders would not have a “job” if there were no followers.
Does this mean that tests are the be all and end all of education? No. Or, that followers will never become leaders? Of course not. But to put into place practices that assume all individuals have equal academic abilities or equal leadership skills seems a bit utopian to me.
To be sure, schools are a place to experiment and try new things. But schools are also a place where the wheat separates itself from the chaff. Just as in life.
What are your thoughts?
