Then, either because of or coincidentally along with the advent of technology, came restructuring, in which the classroom and the roles of its inhabitants were redesigned due to the changing demands in the way we lived and worked. Classroom teachers, often criticized for their unwillingness to change, many times are simply overpowered by policy makers who tend to adopt the newest trend, overdo it, vilify it, and move on in search of the next one so quickly that classroom teachers don't have time to determine what works and what doesn't. So, bear with me as I examine the current paradigm in light of these observations. The rage now is standards and their practical complement, competencies. Through various federal, state, and local initiatives, many school districts across America have developed standards, which usually take the form of a wish list of abilities that we want students to have at various age levels and in various subject areas.
Competencies are standards made concrete.
They typically consist of skills that students who have met the standards should be able to demonstrate. It sure beats being incompetent. As with all educational movements, standards and competencies offer a great deal that is useful. But I offer the following concerns, which sooner or later we will need to address. Let me start with the less important stuff first.