The Narrowing of the American Curriculum
BevK June 27th, 2006
http://article.nationalre…mYzMDdlNWVlZDE=
An interesting opinion piece on the state of our schools and how No Child Left Behind has had unintended consequences.
History, science, and the arts are being de-emphasized by most schools in order to make room for teaching basic reading and math skills, according to a recent study . Who’s to blame for this? Critics of reform point to the No Child Left Behind law.
The author suggests two solutions. One would be to teach reading in the content areas ala ED HIrsch’s Core Knowledge concepts. The second is just to keep children in school longer each day and give teachers the time to expand the curriculum to include intensive reading and math instruction as well as art, history, and science.
More from the article:
Still enamored with romantic beliefs that children can learn to read as naturally as they learn to talk, and disregarding knowledge and content as nothing but “mere facts,” the leaders of the education establishment and their comrades in schools of education continue to indoctrinate teachers and principals in self-defeating ideas.
So why doesn’t every high-poverty public school embrace the KIPP model and lengthen its day? In this case, the answer is politics: It’s not allowed under the collective bargaining agreement.
