Dear Students of Public Education,
I’m sorry. I’m sorry for all of the problems that you have to endure thanks to NCLB on steroids. I’m sorry that your generation is being cheated out of a quality education.
I’m sorry that you are looked at as a number and treated as a test score by the powers that be. Please know that your teacher does not see you that way.
I’m sorry that our Congress members seem to think it’s necessary to spend more on prisoners than on you. Know that this is part of a larger systemic problem that has nothing to do with you. Unfortunately, you still get left with schools operating on shoestring budgets. But hey, at least it’s better than third world countries, right?
I’m terribly sorry if you’ve ever been made to feel stupid at school. This thought brings tears to my eyes. Test scores can only tell us a fraction of how smart you are. Know that many people are simply not good test takers and this in no way means you are dumb. Grades, too, are a poor indicator of intelligence. Some of the smartest folks did poorly in school and went on to become very successful adults.
Most of all, I’m sorry that school has been stripped of excitement and passion for you. Some of you are lucky enough to have veteran teachers with a few tricks up their sleeves and I am so grateful for them. Please, please, please understand that learning CAN and SHOULD be more fun than you’ve experienced. Don’t base your opinion of an entire subject or field on just what you learned about that particular subject in school. There is so much more to each subject than what you can learn from a textbook or worksheet.
There are other ways to learn besides school. Find a way that you enjoy and learn the way you like!
Sincerely,
A Former Teacher
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