This week, federal accountability results were released from schools all across Texas, and more schools and school districts failed to meet the standards for adequately yearly progress than met the standards. One common explanation is the implementation of a new state assessment system—the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness—which is more rigorous than the previous Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. While this is likely one part of the story, I think another important factor is what we do and do not expect of our students, and how we account for their passions.
Photo credit: Stanislav Freidin
On the cusp of another school year, I’ve been spending a lot of time with our 80 starting corps members. Before diving into the incredibly challenging, high-stakes work of teaching, they watched a TEDx talk by human-development expert Peter Benson about how young people thrive. Benson talks about the value of “spark,” an animating energy that gives life hope and purpose. I was challenged to remember my spark when I was in elementary, middle, and high school. I recall that I wanted to be an ichthyologist, to share the sea with sharks. At some point—maybe coinciding with high school biology and an AP course that seemed to take all of the fun out of the miracles of life—I lost that spark.
