Subtracting to Add
by John Merrow
The first time I heard this big idea was in a conversation with Zell Miller, the gruff former Senator from Georgia, in the fall of 2002. His quote didn’t make our documentary, “The Promise of Preschool,” but he basically said that, if he had his way, he would get rid of 12th grade and spend the money on free, universal, high quality preschool.
At the time, Georgia was leading the nation in providing preschool, and it’s still near the top of the list.
But Georgia and every other state and territory still have 12th grade.
Should they?
I am guessing that many of you read Sean Reardon’s thoughtful essay in the New York Times recently,“No Rich Child Left Behind.” If you haven’t, please do. Mr. Reardon, a professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Education, makes a strong case for large investments in early education, which, he says, are the most likely avenue to closing the ever-wider performance gaps between the rich and everyone else.
He does not argue in his essay that senior year of high school is a waste of time for most kids, so please allow me. States with exit exams generally peg them to a 10th grade level, which ought to tell you something about official expectations. Across the nation, savvy (and bored) kids are enrolling in college courses while still in high school–if their system allows. You may recall our profile of one Texas school district on the Mexican border where many students have a substantial number of college credits under their belt when they graduate high school. Some actually receive their Associates Degrees from the local
