Winners and losers in education
The common thread apparent in all of my readings thus far is the notion of 'win/lose' in many areas of the education system. Not easily identifiable do we see the win/lose theme in educational structures of the laboratory school, traditional school, open school, public school, private school, progressive, charter, desegregated, child-centered, and even the Highlander school. We cannot escape the hierarchy of means to win or lose even in education. Let's propose that the educations' mission includes that the means to an education would be to expose the student towards self-actualization, not to expose the student to acquiring/not acquiring, gaining/not gaining, or winning/losing. In all of the topics of reform in public schooling, Adler held close to his beliefs that the educational system be designed to improve opportunities for growth in our youth. No doubt Dewey, Ravisch, Kliebard, Horton, and the others would have all agreed. The means to the end however is always in debate and education becomes qualified by what is believed to be good, best, optimum, equitable, democratic, and yes, even by what is believed to be gained or won. In The Schooling of a People, Adler's Paideia Proposal advocates for all student
He knew that the teacher had already established winners and losers in her class by placing emphasis on this grading system. Yes, I was inspired to continue on in school by the grades I received. The Free School, Laboratory School, and the Highlander School created winners and losers just by creating the exclusiveness of the institution. The school would not have to prove its work as measured by grades and grad standards scores. Herndon's sarcasm in describing the educational institution sets the reader up for true failure or 'loss' if the reader believes the description of an institution is a 'place to do things where those things will not be done. Thus my grades influenced many decisions in my life about how to live, how to work, how to contribute to society, and how to value myself because I was dependent on the grade for my value. These minorities lost out on higher civic opportunities as a result. I know that I learned self discipline, respect, ability to problem solve, to think abstractly, and have access to supporting debates through learned tidbits of facts that I collected over twelve years of schooling. School is a preparation and avenue for growth and learning throughout life. He tormented over this class all semester and his goal in the class was that he be placed on the right of the bell curve. He only got out of the class what he put into it; stress and manipulation (to find out what the teacher liked in order to gain a top grade). A few educators and administrators should not be allowed to determine such things as curriculums, standards, and even teacher's credentials. Adler's notion of an educationally classless society would be a great work in-practice if the educational system alone was not made responsible for the teaching and educating. By supporting the educational system, I had to reach in to the sarcasm and trueness of the Herndon's philosophy which was to say "F--- em Jason, what the heck did that teacher think she was doing - I hope you know that no one in that class was a loser except for maybe her.
Common topics in this essay:
American Institution,
,
Ravisch Herndon,
Paideia Proposal,
Highlander School,
Murrow School,
Kliebard Horton,
educational system,
winning losing,
real world,
Dewey Ravisch,
placed bell curve,
highlander school,
laboratory school,
bell curve,
dewey ravisch,
class students,
system power,
win lose,
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Acceptance Essays
