Defining Educational Purpose

According to a recent WFYI article by Eric Weddle, Indiana's ESSA Plan has been approved by the US Department of Education. As is usual with these sorts of announcements, a laundry list of proposed improvements are provided, such as improved test scores among minority groups and increased enrollment in higher educational institutions.

But the real purpose is listed farther down in the article: federal funds. Thirty-five states have already submitted plans that meet federal requirements and thus qualify for additional funding. Even if as a state we thought another pathway was better for our students, the need for (or desire of) money outweighs it.

But there is another side to this educational strategy that bothers me, even more than the pursuit of money over best outcomes for our children. It's the relentless push to send everyone to college. As far back as 2013, Forbes magazine was reporting the shortage of workers needed in the trades.

Not everyone needs college

Many of our students fail to perform well at the collegiate level. Book learning and high test scores are not the same as hands on experience, real life problem solving and meaningful social skills. Many teachers and administrators are noticing and trying to make changes at the grass roots level. But it's difficult to affect change from the bottom up.

While I'm glad to see our nation addressing issues of education, the original notion of No Child Left Behind established a particular set of outcomes or measurable results and tied them to financial support. The current Every Student Succeeds Act continues to emphasize measurable academic achievement through standardized testing and a flat equality across the board.

Every child is unique

I do not agree that education is only about academic achievement, college enrollment and financial success. I believe that education should develop children physically, socially and emotionally as well as mentally. Not every child has the potential to score 1300 on the SAT, nor should they expect to or blame their teachers when they score lower.

Our differences are what make us human, unique and capable of facing difficult challenges or overcoming great obstacles. When we attempt to form every child to the same mold, we break the spirit and stifle real growth. I've encouraged my own children to pursue educational interests outside of the typical college bound pathways. It's my belief that job satisfaction is not tied to the size of your paycheck, but rather how well the work matches your interests and skills.

Link to a pdf copy of Indiana's State Template for the Consolidated State Plan Under the Every Student Succeeds Act