About five years ago, the statistics on Rochester, NY graduation requirements were revealed to be at an all time low. Only 5% of high school students met the requirement for graduation. It was the lowest percent out all of the cities, and being a Rochester high school citizen myself, it was quite embarrassing to know. The new superintendent of Rochester City School district, Jean-Claude Brizard, is making changes that will only make the graduation rate worse. According to various articles, he wants to raise the stands met for graduation. THAT WILL NOT FIX ANYTHING.
First of all, the graduation requirements are already hard to meet as it is. Average credits needed for graduation are 23.5. Here at my school, School of the Arts, the credits that are needed for a regents diploma are 22, and the standards for meeting that are much more vigorous than other states. To be exact, New York State has the toughest requirements to meet, so that puts a lot of pressure on student. So how do modern adults and educational providers expect students like myself or others around to me to meet all of these requirements with so much pressure?
It’s no secret the standards for graduation are much more intense and higher than ever. For instance, about a decade ago or so, a failing grade was a 55. Now, it’s a 64. Not only is that B.S. it's been upped almost ten points, but kids who fail at a mere 63 or 60 (like myself) have to retake a class all over again or opt for summer school. Some don't even bother and just put it past them.
Now some may say, "back in my day..." and so on about how school wasn't no big deal, but it seems that it was much easier to graduate and get into college back then. Why do so many requirements have to be met in the first place? Why do modern people expect every child can be manufactured into genius by force? Do they think every child is a savant just waiting to be exposed with a little push by six different teachers? DO they think all we need is motivation? Maybe some students aren’t cut out for the educational system. I’m not saying that in a “I’m stupid, I’ll drop out and do nothing with my life,” sort of way, but there are some people who aren’t book smart. Some people are meant to do other things with their time like something with television or traveling (just spitballing here) things that make living worth while. Not academic pursuits. I know some may say everyone needs to know about some aspects of life and common knowledge of the world, which is why school is there in the first place. I get that. But some aspects of it are just ridiculous.
For instance, why do educational providers believe that forty minutes per day of repetitive teaching can install knowledge in us? Why do they expect us to retain different amounts of information for a year, then on the final exam ace it, and become superior beings who will get into superior colleges? Maybe these educational board members should take a look at it from the students’ point of view. Maybe they should come to a city school like mine, be a student for a day, and see what we have to deal with. Meeting requirements day by day and retaining them in memories is a two-way street, I admit. But there are five different subjects with no relations at all and for some people it is just impossible to learn that way.
Speaking on personal experience here, when I received a 60 on the algebra exam last year, I had to go to summer school. I have to say it was one of the best learning experiences of my life. I had a great teacher who didn't try to pound numbers into my hard-wired head for forty minutes and expect me to remember tomorrow. It was a ninety-minute session of thorough teaching. In August, when I retook the exam, I got an 82. And I suck at algebra. So maybe it's not the students fault the graduation rates aren't so great. Maybe it's the teachers’ fault (not all of them, most of them). Maybe the methods being used and recycled for years just now aren't good for learning. (Although there are outside influences that can manipulate a students’ behavior, teachers are a big influence on whether one learns well or not). So if an individual who keeps failing eventually loses interest because they think it's no use, than they drop out. That’s the vicious cycle that continues in today’s educational system.
Now Brizard may have a point about the keeping students on track with college meetings and shorter student populations so there could be more help... but upping the requirements? When they are already high enough? It's bullshit. Pertaining to various articles, it seems he just wants the city school district to look as good as the other rich white areas, but what he's not understanding is Rochester is NOT A RICH WHITE SCHOOL, so making graduation requirements to model after it with a city population mostly composed of LOW TO MIDDLE CLASS URBAN STUDENTS, will only make things worse.
I'm not bashing the superintendent (intentionally), but only the policies and the changes he is trying to make aren’t right. I understand he wants change and thinks it’s necessary, but he is no Obama. He is no advocate of education. In my opinion, as the write of this article, it seems his decisions are very superficial. Although it is a travesty that gradation rates are like this, making requirements more difficult to reach won't make things better or easier for anyone.
Especially me.
No comments:
Post a Comment