Commentary - Let’s teach the right lessons in our schools

Guest column in NM Politic.net - by NM State Senator Steve Fischmann - Nine-year-old Bobby reads at a first-grade level, but at his parents’ insistence is promoted to the fourth grade. Because he cannot follow the fourth-grade lessons, he loses interest and falls further behind. Bobby learns that he will get promoted to the next grade whether he can do the work or not. School becomes a meaningless exercise and eventually he drops out. Under pressure to meet No Child Left Behind testing standards, an elementary school principal tells teachers to spend less time on science and social studies and more time drilling students in preparation for math and English standardized tests. Regardless of test performance, true math and language development is stunted because these skills are seldom applied to real world situations. Students learn that school lessons are abstract and boring. Read more

Commentary - Let’s teach the right lessons in our schools