ARGH!
I really ought to know better than to listen to the news before I've had my morning coffee. But, here I am, still working on my first mug, the local Fox news on and my blood pressure just spiked through the roof. Not because of politics. Not because of the current economic situation. Not even because I paid 3.12/gall for gas over the weekend and it is now before 3 bucks a gallon in places. No, this is because of those touchy-feely, mustn't do anything that might make a kid feel bad about himself idiots.
I missed who actually said this, but now our schools are being warned against rewarding students who do well on the TAKS test (standardized test students here have to take at various times during their public school lives in order to promote/graduate). Our schools are warned not to have pizza parties, ice cream parties, etc., for those students who actually TRY to do well because -- wait for it -- it might embarrass those who don't do well.
EXCUSE ME?
When are these fools who insist on this sort of stupidity going to realize that our kids need to learn there are such things as consequences to their actions -- or lack of action? You no longer keep score in playground games because we can't let kids know there are others who are better, more naturally talented in softball/kickball/whatever than they are. Grades aren't assigned in lower grades because, well, we can't do anything that might harm a child's self-esteem. Now we aren't supposed to reward those who do well at something because it might embarrass someone else who didn't do well?
How about it might encourage them to try harder? Give them a goal to work toward?
Okay, I'm going to go pound my head against a wall now. Maybe when I regain consciousness, common sense will have returned to the world.
I missed who actually said this, but now our schools are being warned against rewarding students who do well on the TAKS test (standardized test students here have to take at various times during their public school lives in order to promote/graduate). Our schools are warned not to have pizza parties, ice cream parties, etc., for those students who actually TRY to do well because -- wait for it -- it might embarrass those who don't do well.
EXCUSE ME?
When are these fools who insist on this sort of stupidity going to realize that our kids need to learn there are such things as consequences to their actions -- or lack of action? You no longer keep score in playground games because we can't let kids know there are others who are better, more naturally talented in softball/kickball/whatever than they are. Grades aren't assigned in lower grades because, well, we can't do anything that might harm a child's self-esteem. Now we aren't supposed to reward those who do well at something because it might embarrass someone else who didn't do well?
How about it might encourage them to try harder? Give them a goal to work toward?
Okay, I'm going to go pound my head against a wall now. Maybe when I regain consciousness, common sense will have returned to the world.