All I Really Need to Know I (Should Have) Learned in Kindergarten
Are no excuses charter schools setting kids up to struggle later by pushing academic skills too hard, too soon?
By Emily Kaplan
The very youngest children at the charter school at which I taught all start their nine-hour school day in the same way: by reciting the school “creed.”
The very youngest children at the charter school at which I taught all start their nine-hour school day in the same way: by reciting the school “creed.”“I AM A…SCHOLAR,” the two hundred children chant. The principal weaves among the tables, making sure that the children “track” her by turning their heads in accordance with her movement. One child lets out a giggle. He is immediately sent to the Silent Area.
I HAVE THE POWER TO DETERMINE WHO I AM, WHO I WILL BECOME, AND WHAT I DO IN LIFE. They point their thumbs to their chests, extend their arms, and stack their fists in unison. I WILL STAY FOCUSED ON ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE.
I notice that one of my second-grade students is wearing one neon green sock, in stark defiance of the dress code. I am contractually obligated to order him to take it off or to send him to the dean. I smile and look away.
I WILL MAKE SMART CHOICES BECAUSE I CARE ABOUT MYSELF, MY TEAMMATES, AND MY COMMUNITY.
I turn my attention to the table of kindergartners next to me. They’re my favorite to watch, these tiny children who haven’t yet learned to be predictable.
Most mouth the words obediently: TODAY IS A STEP ON MY PATH TOWARD SUCCESS! On cue, their little fists shoot into the air.
The principal smiles and returns to the front of the cafeteria. Ignoring the group of All I Really Need to Know I (Should Have) Learned in Kindergarten | EduShyster: