For years, educators and policy-makers have debated over the deficiencies of No Child Left Behind, which mandated school accountability through standardized testing. The Obama administration’s Common Core waivers and added teacher assessments only aggravated the problem.
The federal education law is up for renewal, and Tennessee senator Lamar Alexander has introduced a bill that would restore testing responsibility to the states and local school districts. Just as the intelligence of a fish cannot be judged by by its ability to climb a tree, the success of school districts cannot be assessed in the same way. They vary too widely in curriculum and funding.
Federal accountability testing, then, accomplishes only one thing- highlighting the economic inequalities which plague our education system, our workforce and our economy.
Despite government intervention programs, more rigorous teaching assessments and added federal funding, American students were most recently ranked behind 27 of 65 developed countries by the Programme for International Student Assessment.
This suggests that our education system is not the real issue. According to the Department of Education, the biggest problem for poor children may be the scarcity of appropriate reading materials at an early age. Numerous educators and researchers have demonstrated the importance of early literacy to overall educational attainment.
Gov. Bill Haslam recognized its importance in 2005, when his Books from Birth Foundation helped expand Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
My fellow Tennesseans are probably already familiar with the program. You know that it began with Dolly Parton’s vision to help fight illiteracy in Sevier County. You know that specially selected books are sent free of charge to all participants. You might even be planning to attend their fundraiser this Saturday.
But do you know what you’ll actually be supporting when you take the kids to the Great Cake Bake for a fun-filled afternoon of face-painting and sugar intoxication? It isn’t just about economic inequality or educational outcomes. Let me explain.
As a life-long bookworm, I’ve been the butt of too many jokes. As a child, I was mocked and ridiculed on a daily basis. Yes, bullying is just a “power play” caused by immaturity and insecurity. But has it ever occurred to you that bullies are simply acting out and enforcing cultural norms?
As a UT student, one of the most enlightening subjects I have studied is culture. Ours, as much as we all love it, tends to condemn intellectualism while glorifying aggressiveness and delinquency. If you don’t believe me, just turn on your TV.
This is what you’ll be fighting when you make your purchase at the Cake Bake on Saturday. This the true significance of the Imagination Library. If your donation can help just one child develop a love of learning, as opposed to a love of big butts, it was worth it.
I know because I’ve lived it. I remember sitting in my mom’s lap each night as she read The Giving Tree or the Berenstain Bears and thinking “I wish I could stay here forever.” When she kissed me goodnight, I would beg for “just one more story.”
As I lay in my bed, I would imagine epic battles, and dragons in flight. I would dream of saving the world, living with dolphins, or hiking through the clouds. When I went to school, those dreams fuelled my imagination as I aced one assignment after another.
These are the dreams and experiences that the Imagination Library gives to its recipients. In a society where television and movies are overrun with violence and immorality, it is absolutely essential that children have access to books. Books teach dignity, integrity and loyalty. They help develop both the ability and the will to achieve.
Let’s face it, inadequate teachers, low funding and ineffective testing are not to blame. The problem stems from the fact that our children are entering school without fundamental literacy skills or the desire to learn. Popular culture is smothering our children’s potential, and with it, our future.
After years of debate over America’s failing K-12 education system, is it not time for policy-makers to address the real problem and invest more of our tax dollars in preschool education?
To be sure, pervasive societal problems such as this cannot be solved overnight. Your donation to the Imagination Library will not produce measurable results. But maybe, just maybe, our continued support of programs such as this one will help fight complacency, delinquency and developmental delays in future generations.
Lauren Robinson is a mother, a native Tennessean, and senior in Communication Studies at the University of Tennessee. She can be reached at [email protected].
