Bev, thanks a lot for making the time to comment. I will incorporate your real world experiences into my thinking. Peace, jbw

My four years as a high school business teacher in Virginia shaped my strong views on public education. I agree with the necessity for individualized education for all. Most, if not all teachers and administrators agree with this and support this. Teacher training emphasizes and requires that lesson plans be taught for varying learning styles to accommodate all types of learners. The “old school” lecture style of presenting material is not emphasized at all. Many teachers are using technology to deliver instruction. This is awesome. School of One is an excellent model. If we have true individual learning, then we need individualized grading or some way to measure accountability to the skills and work ethic that each student demonstrates. If the “one size fits all” learning approach doesn’t work, then the “one size fits all” grading approach doesn’t work either. This is where I saw the system break down. In theory, should every student be able to obtain an “A” grade. Yes and No. I’ll illustrate this with a horrible experience I had in a parent-teacher conference. My student who received a “C” grade demonstrated average skills based upon the standards that are established for each course. Her parent wanted to better understand why she was receiving an average grade. According to her parent, she was lazy and wasn’t applying herself. She was compared to her older sibling who had always received “A’s.” My observation of her work ethic in class was the exact opposite. She demonstrated a strong desire to understand everything that was presented to her. Her work ethic was much higher than many of the other “A-B” students, but realistically she was never going to be able to possess the “A” required skills. She agreed with her mother that she was lazy and would try harder. As the year progressed, she “gave up” and no longer continued trying. As a result her grade dropped. I wish I could have presented her with a more accurate assessment of her skills based on her own grading scale, but she didn’t have an IEP. In a perfect world, the best STEM educational program and individualized learning will succeed only to a point because our culture dictates something quite different to our youth. The goal of education should be to maximize the ability of every student, allowing every student to succeed at whatever skills they possess. A lot of students can't visualize success or have a clear understanding of what success is. Our culture over emphasizes college prep grades for students who should be focusing on other needed vocational skills. I saw over and over again the choices young people made. The pursuit of a professional athletic career can be the enemy of a young man capable of becoming a heart surgeon or chemical engineer. An easy “A” for some prevents the refining of a gifted young person. Should a capable young person be allowed to fail? If they did fail, a teacher would be sued or fired. Educating and motivating our young people is a difficult task but I’m glad to know that so many dedicated professionals are up for the challenge. John, keep pushing for the best education possible for our young people. Our culture will be defined by the young people of today. Bev