How would you answer this test question? From a 1st grade Common Core test.

[liberal_at_heart]

446. The standards are part of the problem. The whole system is the problem. Did you see

Race to Nowhere? It is a documentary that shows how the entire approach we take to education is causing our children to be burned out. We need to nurture and encourage play in children more again. Let them solve problems with group projects. Give them room to be innovative and creative. They are capable of more than just regurgitating test scores. I think we undermine just how capable they are by expecting them pass ridiculous tests and live up to some made up standard that we think every child should reach. When we let them be individuals and let them figure out for themselves what they are good at and what their passions are they exceed our wildest expectations. When we sit them in a chair for 6 hours, give them 5 hours of homework and then tell them they must live up to this specific standard and meet these specific test scores we suck the life right out of them. I have one child in k-12 and one in her second year in community college. My son who is autistic always struggles with grades. I tell him not to worry about grades especially since the school can't give him the help he needs. He doesn't have a single teachers assistant in any of his general education classes. Even though he doesn't perform on grades and tests the way bureaucrats think he should he is such a great kid. He is very innovative. He thinks outside the box. He is resourceful and resilient. I read an article a couple of years ago that having what they call grit is actually a better indicator of whether a child will do better in life than reading and math scores. Well my son definitely has grit, and I do believe that he will be fine in life regardless of not living up to some ridiculous standard. My daughter has recently started to see a therapist. Some personal issues have caused her to have anxiety and depression and it is affecting her school work. She started out taking over 20 credits, and is dropping two classes. She is absolutely beside her self. She thinks if she doesn't stay on track to finish school in 4 years she is failing. I told her that is ridiculous. I told her that not everybody finishes school in 4 years and the very fact that every child think they have to is part of the problem. It is a ridiculous standard we have put on our children. I told her that right now the most important thing is her health and that she can make up those classes later and finish school whenever she is ready to finish school. I told her that she is bright, intelligent and that I believe in her and have no doubt that she will get her degree. It may just take her a little longer, and that is okay. We need to start treating our children like people again, not like robots.