OK-- at the risk of offending some of my friends and/or former students: Hank was rejected by Rutgers, wait listed at Swarthmore (accepts fewer than 9% of applicants), accepted at Clark, Goucher and Hampshire. Probably because of his 540 Math SAT, which is only slightly below average nationally. Having worked closely with Rutgers students who have as much difficulty with reading and writing as he has with math I feel really disgusted with Rutgers and the system that breeds situations like this. OK, Im aware that Clark, Goucher and especially Hampshire are way better schools than Rutgers, so its not personal as in my kid got screwed, but it sickens and frightens me that most of our high school graduates are judged this way--its personal in that I feel mutually identified with my nation and with global culture and this bodes ill. It makes the future look very bleak indeed. When quantification outstrips qualification intellectual life is in great danger. As I sit here on Facebook writing this of course I dont have a quibble with either technology or science, far from it, but education is rapidly dessicating in its neglect of not the humanities, but of humanity, neglect of its ancient mission of developing HUMANE individuals capable of multileveled thinking in a complex world where people still matter more than property and commodity value. Grades, tests, rubrics, etc belong in the recycling bins so we can make environmentally friendly toilet paper out of them.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Mar 2014 20:57:56 +0000
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