Rebuttal to Article

Below is a rebuttal to an Education Week article that was titled:  “Meeting Kids Where They Are – Not Where We Wish They Were” by Jack Schneider

While the author may have had great intentions, I couldn’t disagree with him more.  What do you think? Read Jack’s article at edweek.org and my rebuttal as well.

Dear Editor,

The author’s belief that college readiness reforms equate to nothing more than “hype” for some of our neediest students is a simplistic view that our schools just don’t need right now.  The fact is that our public schools are failing and our society is becoming educationally weaker with each passing year.  Why?  Because far too many have attempted to lower the bar to “meet kids where they are” rather than raise it to bring them where they need to be.  College readiness initiatives, while not perfect, are our best attempt to raise the bar and shift the cycle of poverty for millions of children in our country. Will every student make it to college as a result of our work? Not likely, but how exactly will you decide which ones deserve an education that promotes college and which ones don’t.  Because it is impossible to make such judgments, especially from an early age, we must find a way to tap into the college potential of each student. As Mr. Schneider points out, different kids do have different needs. What he fails to recognize however is that different kids also have some things in common, such as the will to be happy and successful. Let’s build a solid foundation for all of our students and start grooming them for a college education from the moment they start Kindergarten. Because, in the end, it is far better for us to strive for greatness than it is to prepare for mediocrity.

Respectfully,

Damen Lopez and Frank Nardelli

No Excuses University