A Letter to Education Professionals

Dear Education Professionals,

                We have entered into a bizarre new world where it is not enough that a child can and has acquired knowledge. Instead, we live in a world where the child must prove their knowledge. Once the knowledge is proven through “fair” standardized test scores, they are compared against peers worldwide where then they are told that they have not learned enough. While trying to place value on education, the opposite has in fact been achieved. I have compiled some research on the international standardized assessments for the following reasons:

I believe that globalization is an opportunity to grow as an international community that celebrates the diversity of each country while taking the opportunity to learn from each other. However, even in our age of information many choose to ignore important aspects of a problem, in this case it is the belief that the American education system is inferior to other national education systems, in order to reach a solution. We are so focused on a specific outcome, that many times the plan to get to that outcome is poorly thought out and implemented. “One of the most common mistakes that policymakers make in interpreting international test results is focusing on one aspect of high-performing nations’ school systems and assuming it can be replicated wholesale in American schools” (Cavanagh, 2012).

Globalization as a concept carries with it the threat of a “homogenized world where nations and cultures are neutralized” (Dall, 2011). This threat is a very real fear that manifests in our school environment through the desperate cling to the status quo and by the way that we treat students and parents of other cultures, whether positive or negative. Undeniably our schools are a testing culture through legislation and under constant pressure to enact change in the form of improved student performance on standardized tests. "Quantification now defines progress in education. If a variable cannot be measured, no progress can be evidenced” (Dall, 2011). We must ask ourselves if this is truly the best way to assess student learning.

I ask of you educational professionals, Teach, teach, teach! Don’t just teach your students, teach their parents, teach the community, teach the nation! Tell them about all of the great things our schools provide while working on improving those areas that need reform. Correct any misconceptions you hear and be a resource when you can be.

Bring the world into your classroom! I have provided a great list of easy ways to bring international education to the feet of our students. We also have an often underutilized resource in parents and community members who would love to come into the classroom to talk about their culture.

Above all, be advocates for creative and genuine learning in your classroom to the best of your ability.

Thank you,

Katie MacLeod

References

Cavanagh, S. (2012, January 12). Complex policy options abound amid international comparisons. Education Week, 6-10.

Dall, A. (2011). Is PISA counter-productive to building successful educational systems? Social Alternatives, 30(4), 10-14.