Schools and the "productive" myth

Oddly enough, as I prepared to write a new post, I saw a viral parent rant at a school committee meeting about how schools and teachers were, and I paraphrase, only supposed to teach our kids academics so they can get a good job and be productive members of our society. I thought, is that all the parent wants, for a child to get a good job and be productive? Pretty low bar, as teachers and schools can—and do—so much more. Is this what the emphasis on all students being trained to be junior college ready and excessive testing have conditioned parents to think and want?

Schools should, and do, help children grow in academic, social, emotional, and behavioral ways as well, but academics has its own lane whereas the other three tend to go hand-in-hand. A behavioral outburst is often linked to an emotional or social issue or change, but when it’s academic, not so much. Maybe the student is lazy, disorganized, or has fallen too far behind over time to catch up with peers. Imagine, too, (according to the Science of Reading research) that the average classroom has 7 out of twenty-one students in a grade 6 class who struggle to read or process, write, memorize, or communicate, what then? Not all students qualify for special help or services. And what of the top three in the same class who are bored most days--is that okay so long as they eventually become “productive”?

If only life were that simple…

My definition of productive includes all four of the traits listed above, in a community environment highlighting all the teachable moments that come with them as students navigate through their school years. We just can’t have a student body meeting to stop bullying. We have to demonstrate kindness and identify failure as a way to grow, not belittle, in every day interactions.

So, I was sidetracked by the parent's rant, but the next post will look at the authentic school and its emphasis on community and student growth.