As we get ever closer to the presidential election, we're going to hear more and more about the importance of "education" and what various politicians promise to do to improve it. Beyond the campaign rhetoric, let's hope attention will be paid to exactly what needs fixing.  

Today's schools are based on a 19^th century model that was designed to churn out farm workers and factory workers. They still emphasize skills like memorization and recall of facts. But today's economy demands employees with the ability to seek and find information, make connections, and anticipate and solve problems. We are challenging our workers, but are we challenging our students in the same way?

• It's not enough for our students to learn the mechanics of writing if they haven't also learned the value of writing to express what is inside their minds.
  
  
• It's not enough for our students to fill in the right bubble on a multiple choice algebra exam if they don't understand why they need to know algebra in the first place.
   
• It's not enough for our students to be able to list the three branches of government or recite the names of the Presidents in order if they haven't had the opportunity to develop the analytical skills they'll need when it's time for them to cast their own votes and, for some, to enter public service. 

We don't have to settle for schools that value complacency over intellectual curiosity. 

Any educator will tell you that the worst thing we can do when it comes to educating our students is to settle for students not reading or achieving basic math skills because they get lost in the system. Our teachers don't have to feel limited by old-fashioned ideas about teaching that force them to settle for less than their full potential as educators. 

At Inspired Teaching, we don't settle.Read our Blog to  LEARN HOW.