I think there is a lot to be said for deprivation inspiring tenacity and hard work. I struggle with the desire to provide the best we can afford to our kids while also leaving them a little “hungry” so that they understand the value of hard work and persistence. I think that, more than the failure of any particular curriculum, has been the downfall of the American educational system.
Look at Grant Hill and the flack he took from all his baller cohorts for wanting to get a good education while at Duke. If rap and bling and ignorance is glorified in our culture, and being smart and studying makes you “nerdy” (raises hand) then more kids will give up and only try hard enough to pass. Imagine a school system where all the kids really wanted to do well and really wanted to be the top in their class? The schools wouldn’t be able to keep up with the demand for learning and we’d be talking about how to raise the educational level of teachers. We’d be competitive then…
