In Schools Driven by ‘Standards,’ What Place for Virtues?

“I’m the fastest runner and Kevin’s the best soccer player,” my 10-year-old daughter said knowingly to her cousin, “but Ian’s the smartest.”

Her cousin Zach thought for a moment and then replied, “Well, in my fourth-grade class, Sean’s the best basketball player, Kristine is the fastest and I’m the smartest at math.”

After listening to both of them rattle off the names of the best spellers, readers, Little Leaguers, science whiz kids and Nintendo players, I asked, “Who’s the kindest kid in your class?”

Blank stares.

I continued, “Who’s best at solving disagreements?”

Eyebrows knit in puzzlement.

“Who sticks up for a kid who’s being picked on?”

Bottom lips now held in bitten concentration.

“Well?” I prodded, “Who can you count on to be understanding, fair and brave?”

Eyebrows raised, eyes blinked, mouths began to open and the dawn of a new perspective spread across their eager faces.

“Andrea,” my daughter blurted out. “She sticks up for kids, and Candice is the kindest.”

Zach pondered a moment and then said thoughtfully, “The most understanding kid in my class is Connor, and I guess Logan is the bravest ‘cause he’s always sticking up for me.”

*

Being the most understanding, the most just, and having the courage to act on those qualities will certainly never show up on a Stanford 9 test score and neither will they necessarily garner any trophies. Yet such qualities lie at the heart of our humanity and often determine how we use or misuse our intellectual and physical abilities. Unfortunately, in schools driven by “measurable objectives” and “accountability standards” such virtues may fail to be nurtured.

Today, educators and politicians are driven by an almost desperate desire to prove in black and white that they’re doing the very best by our children despite their lack of vision to make real substantive change. Instead, we are settling for the veneer of progress via the manipulation of various “quality indicators.” Marketplace sensibilities have become the ethos of our educational system. If it can be measured, graphed and posted it must be good.

Never mind if little Johnny feels angry all the time, or young Maria sits alone at lunch, or Jacob is afraid to be on the playground. Who cares if Timmy is kind, or Mary listens when others speak, or Derek stops fights before they start. What counts is how you rank, how fast you run, how well you read, how quickly you compute.

*

What counts is to be your measured, graphed, vied-for best. It’s not who you are on the inside but what badges you can sport on the outside.

In the next few weeks the doors will open wide to what in this election year is the biggest game in town, and everyone is keeping score. I wonder who will win?

“Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the Earth, and blessed are the peacemakers for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Now, there are some standards worth achieving.