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Letter to the Editor: Dumbing Down and Deskilling Kids

During the 1990s, when I first heard that standardized tests “dumb down and deskill kids,” I thought that was ridiculous. They were one of the tools I used to diagnose the needs of youth in two prisons and K-12 public schools. I was wrong. 

The constitution defines education as a state/local issue. After the turn of the century, most states adopted national curricula cleverly designed by segregationists after schools were integrated. The curricula were marketed using the carrot-and-stick approach, in which the percentage of “right” answers on nationally mandated standardized tests define excellence. Schools with test improvement are blue ribbon and awarded small national grants. Tests are used to compare, not diagnose. 

Like snowflakes, no two children are alike, but each is beautiful. Kids are gifted and talented in many ways. Before schooling was standardized, our job as adults and teachers was to encourage children to become the best that they could be and value differences when negotiating problem resolution. 

Standardized education limits knowledge to information that can be tested. Teachers who improve test scores are “effective.” Kids value being right, better than others and entitled. Students with other talents too often develop low self-concepts. 

Many adults are unaware that their conversation is limited by highly intelligent authoritarian think tanks that promote ignorance to erode constitutional democracy. Think tanks use the divide-to-conquer strategy. Adults join like-minded groups and fight for their right to be right. For example, some parents threaten and make unreasonable demands on teachers, board members and administrators, but they have poor problem-solving skills for discussing options to resolve differences. 

Some adults are representatives who pass laws that privilege greedy donors and allow the sale and use of private data, promote unfair voter rights and unequal tax benefits. They believe “right” decisions are more important than making decisions based on HDR fundamental values: Human rights as defined by the UN; constitutional democracy in a government of, by and for all people; and preserving critical resources of air, water and land. 

Maybe standardized education does more than just dumb down and deskill kids?

Carole Vande Walle

Fish Creek, Wisconsin