I firmly believe that Sunday's New York Times article Schools Cut Back Subjects to Push Reading and Math has established the tipping point for the whole issue of "narrowing the curriculum. The article, based on a report due today from the Center on Education Policy has been widely published in this country over the past 48 hours. Now we are seeing the first of many major editorials (see below) calling for the nation to move back from the edge of the educational abyss and taking a more common sense approach to how we educate the whole child.
In the mean time… I encourage our readers to continue to fan the flames. Make your voice heard!
2 'R's' not enough: Schools should guard against narrowing curriculum
Tribune Editorial
The emphasis put on math and reading test scores by the federal No Child Left Behind education-reform act may have the residual effect of shifting curriculum time away from other important subjects, such as science and history, a new study shows.
A few schools across the country have gone further – we believe too far – and have eliminated some of those courses in favor of only two "R's," readin' and 'rithmetic .
Educators in Utah should guard against "narrowing the curriculum" as described by the Center on Education Policy. That dangerous strategy would hurt children who are performing adequately in those two basic subjects and are ready to move ahead to other and more challenging work. Courses in a variety of subjects beyond reading and math should be available to them, including music, art and social studies.
