THE LESSONS OF PROM 2011

            Thesis:  No Child Left Behind not only does absolutely NOTHING to better American education, but will, in the end, destroy America itself by eliminating what has always made America the world’s leader:  American ingenuity.

            Evidence:  The 2011 SWG prom. 

            I, once again, was amazed last month at what a group of dedicated juniors, a few sponsors, and some weary parents can do with a school gym and a few rolls of tissue paper.    Tammy McKimmey and crew should win some kind of award for turning the gymnasium into paradise every single spring.  Many don’t realize that prom has become much more than just a dance; it is now an all-night affair.

            Since Cody is a junior, Dean and I were honored to act as servers for the meal, which was wonderfully catered by Rob Scott and the Dayton Community Grocery and organized by the formidable Char Kelly.  We cut out after dessert (taking my Jag and leaving Cody his jeep—Momma didn’t raise no fool!)—but my son and his  beautiful date Ty Patterson stayed until the wee hours, participating in the after-prom party, which was organized this year by Stacy Blair.  This party featured—among other things—a photo booth and a mechanical bull.  According to all accounts, it was AWESOME.

            You may be asking yourself now—what does this have to do with federal legislation regarding schools?    Plenty.  I spent four years as prom sponsor and was always amazed at the results.  Every year, kids that I didn’t know very well stepped up to the plate and took on leadership roles, doing more than their share of the work to make the magical night happen.    On the flip side, there were always the straight A students that were almost worthless because they absolutely, positively could not do anything without a specific set of directions.   A lot of the prom decorations are created with very little formal instruction.  You just gotta hand the paint, the old refrigerator boxes, and the glitter to someone and say, “Here, go make a magical forest over by the bleachers.” 

            During prom, juniors learn how to manage a budget, how to work together, and how to create something from nothing.  They learn respect for classmates and kids who may not shine in algebra or government, can show that, yes, they do have some very valuable skills indeed.  Students preparing for prom use their resourcefulness, their communication skills, and, most importantly, their creativity.

            And, you know what?  ABSOLUTELY NONE OF THIS IS TESTED ON THE ITEDS!    And that’s a darn shame.

            According to FixingNCLB.org, the evils of No Child Left Behind are vast.  The one with which I agree the most is “NCLB stifles student creativity, also known as American ingenuity.”  In other words, because of the pressures of NCLB, teachers can no longer take the time to teach students HOW to learn.  Teachers are now basically required to present students with bunches of data in a way that makes it easy to regurgitate said data later during a standardized test.  What has always made America unique, is not being stifled by, ironically, the federal government.

            I remember a story told to me by former Governor Tom Vilsack.  He described how he visited Des Moines’ sister city in China.  While there, he toured an elementary school and the principal told him that in China children are learning their second foreign language by age six.  The principal told the governor that all that was missing in Chinese education is creativity, and once they figure out how to teach kids to be creative, their schools will turn out the best-educated kids in the world.  The underlying assumption was, of course, was that in the very near future China would be kicking America’s butt in education.

            Vilsack used this anecdote as a way to motivate Iowans to “change up” our schools or be passed by the Chinese—but I saw it in a very different light.  Perhaps, Mrs. Chinese Principal, the reason your children aren’t as creative as you like is BECAUSE they are learning their second foreign language when they should be having tea parties and playing hopscotch.  Perhaps, Mr. Vilsack, Iowa’s kids don’t need more testing and more hours spent drilling multiplication tables.

            Do you realize that many schools have cancelled field trips in order to spend more time preparing for the dreaded tests?    Any former student can tell you that you learn more visiting the state capital than you do reading about it—yet it is this kind of experience that is being cut—all in the name of reform. 

            It’s no wonder teachers are cheating while preparing their students for these tests—their jobs are on line.  It’s no wonder that school districts are spending an inordinate amount of time and money preparing for the tests—their funding depends on doing well.

            NCLB no longer just threatens my children’s education, making it a mere shell of the education I received in schools where I was encouraged to think outside the box and experience life.  If we aren’t really careful, NCLB’s lasting legacy may be to suck the creativity out of the American mind—and that would truly be a tragedy.