I AM A CREEPY MONSTER

This is a post about this. It’s an article from the New York Times about how kids graduating from New York City public high schools are not adequately prepared for a traditional four-year college programs. The article discusses mayor Michael Bloomberg’s assessment of the city school system; he says it is in good shape because sixty-three percent of public school students graduate from high school. I’m not exactly sure I agree with that sort of appraisal, but my feelings toward aren’t really important.

What primarily interests me is this: the idea that everybody learns differently.

As a product of three New York state public schools (one elementary, one junior high - in different districts - and one college) I can tell you: they’re not really built for humans. It’s not a terrible program, if you’re good at recording data-based information and then spitting it back. That’s not true of everybody, of course. This is compounded by the terrible food and massive overcrowding exemplified by what has happened here, the place where I spent two thousand three to two thousand four. No Wikipedia article could ever do justice to the discomfort of the overcrowding of that place (although we must note that it is very efficient! ). Quality of life just doesn’t seem to be a concern for education facilitators in this state; after all, they are working with ridonkulously over-stretched budgets. So for people who are, say,  more affected by fluorescent lighting, food that causes blood sugar imbalances (like me - what up, hypoglycemia!), and who might need more time with their history lessons than with their math lessons - this system isn’t so, erm, efficient.

So, my question is this: how do we design a school system that respects the tension between educating each student according to their learning styles and the need for a collective of shared knowledge that is necessary for the future of any nation?

I’d say more, but I have homework to do. Ballet homework. Dancing to David Bowie.

peace out,

Emma