The New "Standards" of American Education...

this could just be me...but i'm a little terrified about the new low that our academic standards have reached.

i sat in a meeting last week where the local public education experts told me that a student with basic cognitive functions around 25% was "average". no, not "low average" or "below average"...AVERAGE!! the benefit of such a distinction???...no need for special services. plus, he can feel really good about his less-than-par performance and not adjust motivation or have issues addressed in the least. he supposedly fits in with the general population and the services provided to the "average" students.

another one...a student graduating from the high school in town who by all accounts is a legitimate "average" student (probably a true 50 percent-er) who is graduating with honors!!!! heh???

i know these kids probably "feel" really good about their grades...but...seriously!!! what service are we really doing them??? are we even educating anymore??? are we setting kids up for a major shock in post-secondary education? are we preparing them for a life of challenges by making our expectations so minimal???

yikes...

when i was in college, i survived organic chemistry. i ended up landing a "b"...and i was more proud of that grade than any "a" i got in my entire college experience. why???...i was held to a high standard and i fought for every inch i got. no bar was lowered so i'd have great self-esteem about my chemistry experience. no, i was expected to rise to a standard of competence. there were people that were obviously more talented than i was...who all got the grades that matched their abilities. my "b"???...meant i was "average" for chemistry...but it was alllllll mine...and i celebrated my mediocrity in style.

i just have some serious reservations about the quality of education anymore. has the "feel-good" bottomed out our drive towards excellence?...or do we still have a ways to go before we hit the lowest low?

who knows...maybe abilities in the 10% range could be "average" soon. maybe then i'll get to pursue my dream of being a brain surgeon...

(apologies for the sarcasm...i'm just pretty shocked...and wonder if we are misusing the word "education"...)