Rethinking School Chapter 2: The three biggest myths about school

 The three biggest myths about school

My kids should attend an accredited schools.

The US Department of Education doesn't recognize, on a national level, any K-12 accreditation. Accreditation of elementary and secondary schools is purely a state issue. No state requires private schools (or home educators) to be accredited, which means private and home schools do not have to meet state or Common Core standards of learning.

My child has to take English, math, science, and social studies every year.

Actually, it doesn't matter what specific classes your student takes before high school. Nor does it matter what the final grades are. Or even if there are grades. Transcripts and records from grades 1-8 are only useful for students and teachers within the secondary system, as a way of evaluating whether students are ready to move on to the next level. Even state and Common Core standards of learning don't mandate particular classes -- they only define skills that students should master, not courses that need to be taken. Elrmentary school is even simpler. Elementary students need to know how to read, write, do arithmetic, and carry out basic critical thinking skills. There are no particular classes that elementary students have to take.

My high-schools student needs to earn a diploma.

A diploma is supposes to certify that you've fulfilled standards set for graduation -- but the United States has no national high-school graduation standards. College admissions officers look at transcripts and test scores. They don't give a flip whether a diploma has been issued.

Saduran dari: Bauer, Susan Wise. 2018. Rethinking School: How to Take Charge of Your Child's Education (Chapter 2).