AYP and low test scores. Kudos to the Scholls.

In-service days started today at school.  It felt good to be in there actually.  I am nervous but excited for the upcoming year.  I spent 11 hours there today and it went by fast!

For those of you who aren't in education or related fields there are these tests that students have to take to make AYP.  (Annual Yearly Progress)
Basically the government wants everyone to be up to snuff on education standards in the US and these tests are to make sure that schools are making adequate progress on their test scores.
These tests are standardized tests and in many ways the same as what we all took when we were in school.
But now if the students don't do well enough the school suffers in funds.

I think that the government wants us to care about how educated the public is and I think that is fine.
I think the government is making many smart and gifted people go through hard times when students that aren't theirs don't do well and I think that is very wrong.

But mostly I think that if we all valued education as a culture and society we wouldn't have this kind of problem at all.
A lot of the countries that are at the head of education right now have kids that want to be in the classroom and learning.  They value their education and where it can take them.

In the US, we have a good number of people that do as well.  But I don't think it is the majority anymore.
I think there are a lot of people that don't grow up in a family where the kids are taught that your education and your social skills are really important in the world at large.

If all kids grew up hearing how important education was and how the US wants to be at the head of the world and that they are the ones who make a difference in that then more kids would want to learn and more kids would naturally be more anxious to learn.
Our test scores would be better because the kids would be immersed in their education in a positive and active way.

I love the fact that I know some families personally that value education and their kids do as well.
A great example is the Scholl family.  Ryan and Jenn have done a great job of letting their kids know that educated people are the ones who succeed in the world.  That if you complete school and do your best it takes you places other than the unemployment line or the welfare office.
And I appreciate that they do that as a teacher!
It all starts with the family and home life at a young age; we can't wait until they get to school because that is years of education already done.

I hope that more people will start to raise their children to appreciate their education and we can retake what we once had in the world.  (that being a place at the head of the table in ingenuity and smart ideas)
Instead of valuing being sexy or stupid (which is what some of these reality shows seem to value in a way) I hope that people can remember that what made us great as a country in our history was our drive to be the best, the smartest, and the more creative.