I am a firm opponent of equity, as well as anything connected to the "woke" mentality. However, I DO NOT support standardized tests, because they measure only certain types of intelligence and gauge good outcomes in only certain types of fields where memorization and mechanistic thinking are required (e.g., STEM careers and law). And som…
I am a firm opponent of equity, as well as anything connected to the "woke" mentality. However, I DO NOT support standardized tests, because they measure only certain types of intelligence and gauge good outcomes in only certain types of fields where memorization and mechanistic thinking are required (e.g., STEM careers and law). And some people are just not good test-takers, and some demographics have advantages over others in terms of having a seemingly immutable talent for this (e.g., often in Asians, which is why support for their fair inclusion in academia often entails support for standardized testing).
For instance, I was a terrible test-taker, yet I was very good at expressing myself with words and creative thinking. Hence, there are plenty of useful things I can do well even if I am not suited for vocations requiring the skills that standardized tests can determine. So, does this make me a worthless "failure"?
There are plenty of ways to gauge competence in certain areas of endeavor other than by testing. I do not agree with any system of education designed for everyone that is designed to "weed out" instead of identifying individual skill sets and gauging their merit and hard work with an appropriate methodology for that skill set.
For example, there are plenty of ways to determine skill, competency, and merit in various creative arts that do not entail strong emphasis on memorization (especially when skill at research is part of your ability set); a purely "logical" way of thinking (there are ways to solve problems that differ from utilizing mathematical formulae); and critical thinking skills are often not adequately measured by standardized testing (our mandatory schooling system pretty much ignores critical thinking since people with that skill do not make good cogs in a machine run by others). In other words, people more inclined towards creativity than pure logic can solve some problems and add much to the table of human progress that the latter cannot -- and vice versa, of course.
So, did I deserve to be weeded out and left by the wayside, as a system based on standardized testing and grading suggests I should have? I like to think that my being a published author and essayist suggests that I have merit and ability in a specific type of contribution to society that does not require scoring high or "average" on math, logic, or rote memorization.
There are other ways to properly and fairly gauge merit than holding everyone to the standards of one specific set of educational methodology. And I also do not believe that I would ever need to rely on equity as equitists define it to prove I can write or edit a book or essay and deserve merit-based work in these vocations. I would never demand "equal outcome" in the sense that someone with my skill set should be allowed to become a doctor or engineer despite lacking the merit to become those specific things.
So, here's my take on some skill sets. I think when we are talking about proficiency in math, English, and Reading these tests can be useful to determine where someone may or may not excel. I thunk we have out educational system completely out of whack. My idea would be to have everyone learn and test out each year until 9th grade. At that point, an honest discussion should be made with each student. Here is where we find your strengths and weaknesses. If you are someone who struggles to keep up or consistently underperformed on some metrics, maybe you take a creative path out of high school and your degree will show that. If you think you'd be better off learning a trade, let's choose that path for your degree. If you want to be a lawyer or a doctor, you can get another degree that prepares you for that. I don't believe in throwing anyone away. I just think everyone is different and forcing some students to sit through geometry class when they could be mastering a creative writing class is ridiculous. People will say that you are too young to make that choice at that age, but people choose to drop out at that age, so I don't think anyone is too young by high school or 10th grade. Trade routes could work with community colleges and have jobs set up for graduates. I just think it depends on the child and I think the whole thing needs to be revamped.
This is more on the German model, which seems to work quite well for them. Unfortunately one of the legacies of the 1960s (at least in the US) was the idea that everyone had to go to college. Full stop. And over time it grew to if you wanted to be considered a useful person in society you had to go to college. The BA or BS is nothing more than a paid high school diploma these days, which has left us woefully short in the trades and created at least a generation saddled with unnecessary debt, inflated expectations, and no idea of how to deal with failure or setbacks.
Yes! We are on the same page. I think the college crap is so much ridiculousness. They started doing this because they can charge people for 4 years for degrees that are almost worthless. It's a profit machine. There are a few 4 year degrees that are actually worth it, but they are so very few. If a person doesn't plan to get a Master's or more, best skip it. It's not worth the cost. Trades pay better, but we don't teach that.
If memory serves the German degree is a two year program. And here the typical four year degree is 120 hours...and maybe 40 of that is your actual major.
Thank you for your response, Brandy. I can agree that these tests can be used to determine proficiency in the areas you mention, but they are instead widely used (as I noted) to "weed out" rather than to determine a good direction we should go with our education.
"If you want to be a lawyer or a doctor, you can get another degree that prepares you for that. I don't believe in throwing anyone away. I just think everyone is different and forcing some students to sit through geometry class when they could be mastering a creative writing class is ridiculous."
I fully agree with you there. I spent much more time in high school staying after school with my teacher attempting to force me to learn geometry rather than having me spend time on the areas of academia in which I excelled. They wanted you to be "well-rounded," as they put it.
"People will say that you are too young to make that choice at that age, but people choose to drop out at that age, so I don't think anyone is too young by high school or 10th grade."
As a youth liberationist, I fully agree. I think students of all ages should be guided, not compelled, and by fellow students excelling in certain areas, not just adult teachers, the latter of whom are as responsible for imposing the DEI nonsense as any younger person.
"I just think it depends on the child and I think the whole thing needs to be revamped."
Full agreement. And thank you for the valuable insights!
I am a firm opponent of equity, as well as anything connected to the "woke" mentality. However, I DO NOT support standardized tests, because they measure only certain types of intelligence and gauge good outcomes in only certain types of fields where memorization and mechanistic thinking are required (e.g., STEM careers and law). And some people are just not good test-takers, and some demographics have advantages over others in terms of having a seemingly immutable talent for this (e.g., often in Asians, which is why support for their fair inclusion in academia often entails support for standardized testing).
For instance, I was a terrible test-taker, yet I was very good at expressing myself with words and creative thinking. Hence, there are plenty of useful things I can do well even if I am not suited for vocations requiring the skills that standardized tests can determine. So, does this make me a worthless "failure"?
There are plenty of ways to gauge competence in certain areas of endeavor other than by testing. I do not agree with any system of education designed for everyone that is designed to "weed out" instead of identifying individual skill sets and gauging their merit and hard work with an appropriate methodology for that skill set.
For example, there are plenty of ways to determine skill, competency, and merit in various creative arts that do not entail strong emphasis on memorization (especially when skill at research is part of your ability set); a purely "logical" way of thinking (there are ways to solve problems that differ from utilizing mathematical formulae); and critical thinking skills are often not adequately measured by standardized testing (our mandatory schooling system pretty much ignores critical thinking since people with that skill do not make good cogs in a machine run by others). In other words, people more inclined towards creativity than pure logic can solve some problems and add much to the table of human progress that the latter cannot -- and vice versa, of course.
So, did I deserve to be weeded out and left by the wayside, as a system based on standardized testing and grading suggests I should have? I like to think that my being a published author and essayist suggests that I have merit and ability in a specific type of contribution to society that does not require scoring high or "average" on math, logic, or rote memorization.
There are other ways to properly and fairly gauge merit than holding everyone to the standards of one specific set of educational methodology. And I also do not believe that I would ever need to rely on equity as equitists define it to prove I can write or edit a book or essay and deserve merit-based work in these vocations. I would never demand "equal outcome" in the sense that someone with my skill set should be allowed to become a doctor or engineer despite lacking the merit to become those specific things.
So, here's my take on some skill sets. I think when we are talking about proficiency in math, English, and Reading these tests can be useful to determine where someone may or may not excel. I thunk we have out educational system completely out of whack. My idea would be to have everyone learn and test out each year until 9th grade. At that point, an honest discussion should be made with each student. Here is where we find your strengths and weaknesses. If you are someone who struggles to keep up or consistently underperformed on some metrics, maybe you take a creative path out of high school and your degree will show that. If you think you'd be better off learning a trade, let's choose that path for your degree. If you want to be a lawyer or a doctor, you can get another degree that prepares you for that. I don't believe in throwing anyone away. I just think everyone is different and forcing some students to sit through geometry class when they could be mastering a creative writing class is ridiculous. People will say that you are too young to make that choice at that age, but people choose to drop out at that age, so I don't think anyone is too young by high school or 10th grade. Trade routes could work with community colleges and have jobs set up for graduates. I just think it depends on the child and I think the whole thing needs to be revamped.
This is more on the German model, which seems to work quite well for them. Unfortunately one of the legacies of the 1960s (at least in the US) was the idea that everyone had to go to college. Full stop. And over time it grew to if you wanted to be considered a useful person in society you had to go to college. The BA or BS is nothing more than a paid high school diploma these days, which has left us woefully short in the trades and created at least a generation saddled with unnecessary debt, inflated expectations, and no idea of how to deal with failure or setbacks.
Yes! We are on the same page. I think the college crap is so much ridiculousness. They started doing this because they can charge people for 4 years for degrees that are almost worthless. It's a profit machine. There are a few 4 year degrees that are actually worth it, but they are so very few. If a person doesn't plan to get a Master's or more, best skip it. It's not worth the cost. Trades pay better, but we don't teach that.
If memory serves the German degree is a two year program. And here the typical four year degree is 120 hours...and maybe 40 of that is your actual major.
Thank you for your response, Brandy. I can agree that these tests can be used to determine proficiency in the areas you mention, but they are instead widely used (as I noted) to "weed out" rather than to determine a good direction we should go with our education.
"If you want to be a lawyer or a doctor, you can get another degree that prepares you for that. I don't believe in throwing anyone away. I just think everyone is different and forcing some students to sit through geometry class when they could be mastering a creative writing class is ridiculous."
I fully agree with you there. I spent much more time in high school staying after school with my teacher attempting to force me to learn geometry rather than having me spend time on the areas of academia in which I excelled. They wanted you to be "well-rounded," as they put it.
"People will say that you are too young to make that choice at that age, but people choose to drop out at that age, so I don't think anyone is too young by high school or 10th grade."
As a youth liberationist, I fully agree. I think students of all ages should be guided, not compelled, and by fellow students excelling in certain areas, not just adult teachers, the latter of whom are as responsible for imposing the DEI nonsense as any younger person.
"I just think it depends on the child and I think the whole thing needs to be revamped."
Full agreement. And thank you for the valuable insights!