She's just learning the mechanics of hopscotch.
"I want to show Jenee what I can do," she tells her mom before launching into the game. But as my friend's 4-year-old shows me her new hop, land and jump skills, I think about her future.
These days, her life consists of preschool — the basics mixed in with fun stuff like active games, painting and story time. She shows me how to make faces to convey her emotions: sad, happy, mad, surprised.
But I wonder what will happen to this bright little girl when she enters the education system. How will deep budget cuts and school closings affect her?
What will education look like in her senior year of high school?
Then again, maybe she won't have a senior year. Public schools in eight states recently adopted a pilot program that will allow 10th-graders at select schools to test out of high school and move right on to community college.
In Utah, a state senator was aiming for legislation to eliminate 12th grade, then he switched gears to make it optional, which would save the state up to $60 million.
But we already have early graduation options. They're often handled case by case, as they should be.
These new initiatives seem to be about cutting funds. Shorter educations mean less money to students, fewer jobs for teachers and a program that will benefit only certain students.
Masking it as mastery of material doesn't make it so. If this is about accelerated education, why not rework the curriculum so that each student has what he or she needs to succeed when graduation day arrives?
Beyond that, just because a kid can test out of high school doesn't mean he or she should.
There's already a generation of stressed students who feel that they've been pressured to shine and choose money-making majors.
Now we want to shorten the path to succeed?
You learn way more than academic lessons in high school. Social studies extend well past history class. At 15, you're still getting a handle on the highs and lows of your adolescent life. Those tests don't measure maturity.
I'm all for a focus on education and an opportunity for all students to excel. But they shouldn't be fast-tracked into the real world at the cost of their childhood.
Adulthood is just a hop, skip and a jump away as it is.
Read more: www.kansascity.com/2010/03/07/1796138/dont-play-games-with-educa tion.htmlixzz0htaqtHSr
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