I JUST SUED THE SCHOOL SYSTEM

I Just Sued the School System

Albert Einstein once said "everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid". Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, today on trial we have modern day schooling , am glad you could come; not only does he make fish climb trees, but also makes them climb down, and do a ten mile run. Tell me 'school' are you proud of the things you've done, turning millions of people into a robot; do you find that fun? Do you realize how many kids relate to that fish, swimming up streaming class, never finding their gifts, thinking they are stupid, believing they are useless?? Well the time is come, no more excuses, i call 'school' to the stand and accuse him of killing creativity, individuality and being intellectually abusive. He's an ancient institution that has outlived his usage. So your honor this concludes my opening statement and if i may present the evidence of my case, I’ll prove it.

PROCEED;

Exhibit A; here's a modern day phone. Recognize it?

Here’s a phone from 150 years ago, big difference right?

Stay with me. Here’s a car from today,

and here's a car from 150 years ago, big difference right?

...well get this. Here’s a classroom of today,

 and here's a class we used a 150 years ago.
 

Now ain’t that a shame. In literally more than a century nothing has changed. Yet you claim to prepare students for future but with evidence like that i must ask do you prepare students for the future or the past? i did a background check on you and let the record show: you were made to train people to work in factories which explains why you put students in straight rows, nice and neat, tell 'em sit still, raise your hand if you want to speak, give them a short break to eat and for 8 hours a day tell them what to think...ooh... and make them compete to get an A, a letter which determines product quality: it's grade A of meat. I get it. Back then times were different, we all have our past and i myself, I’m no better but today we don't need to make robot zombies , the world has progressed and now we need people who'd think creatively, innovatively critically, independently with the ability to connect. See, every scientist will tell you no two brains are the same and every parent with two or more children will confirm that claim. So please explain why you treat children like cookie cutter frames or snap bag hats. giving them this one size fit... if doctors prescribes the exact same medicine to all his patient, the result will be tragic so many people will be sicker, yet when it comes to school, this is exactly what happen, this Educational malpractice. When one teacher stands in front of 20 kids, each one of them having different strengths, different needs, different gifts, different dreams and you teach the exact same thing the same way? That’s horrific! Ladies and gentlemen the defended shall not be acquitted. This maybe one of the worse criminal offenses ever to be committed and let's mention the way you treat your employees... it's a shame. I mean, teachers have the most important jobs on the planet yet they are under paid, no wonder so many students are short changed. Let’s be honest, teachers should earn just as much as doctors because a doctor can do heart surgery and save the life of a kid, but a great teacher can reach the heart of that kid and allow him to truly live. Teachers are heroes but they often get blamed, but they're not the problem they work in a system without many options or rights. Curriculum are created by policy makers most of which have never taught a day in their life, just obsessed with standardized test. They think bubbling in a multiple choice question will determine success, that's outlandish. In fact, these tests are too crude to be used they should be abandoned but don't take my word for it, take from Frederick J Kelly, the man who invented standardized testing who said, and i quote, "these tests are too crude to be used and should be abandoned" ladies and gentlemen of the jury, if we continue down this road, the result will be little. i don't have much faith in school but i do have faith in people and if we can customize health care, cars and Facebook pages then it is our duty to do the same for education to upgrade, and change; do away with school spirit cause that's useless unless we are working on bringing the spirit out of each and every one of the students that should be our task. No more common core instead let’s reach the core of every heart in every class. Sure math is important but not more than art and dance. Let’s give every gift an equal chance. i know this sounds like a dream but countries like Finland are doing impressive things. They have shorter school days, teachers make decent wage, homework is non-existence and then they focus on collaboration instead of competition but here's the kicker, their educational system out performs every other country in the world. Other places like Singapore are succeeding rapidly. Schools like Montessori, programs like khan academy. There is no single solution but let’s keep moving because while students are 20% of our population, they are 100% of our future. So let’s attain to their dreams, there's no telling what we can achieve. This is a world in which i believe, a world where fish are no longer forced to climb trees... I REST MY CASE.

What do you think, how can we together create a more efficient, effective and just better future of learning. Visit nextday.com/preorderthefuture and share your thoughts and idea on the topic. 




Source; spoken word poetry of Prince EA
              [transcribed by David Galaxy on permission]

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