ANIMAL SCHOOL

This short production serves to remind of us of something we all know, but often forget – that each child is a unique human being.  It is clearly inspired by the poem “Animal School” which has been around for some time now, and appears to be in the public domain.

It was originally written by George Reavis, then Assistant Superintendent of Cincinnati Public Schools in 1939.  It has been recently republished as a full-color book by Crystal Springs Books and is available from Amazon.   This latest version has been dedicated to “those children and adults who have unjustly suffered the fate of standardized tests and inappropriate curriculum and standards”.

It is so easy to get caught up in a curriculum-driven agenda, particularly in the current climate of educational “accountability” and drive for standardized testing.  Schools need to prove to parents, the public at large and government bureaucracy that they are delivering the goods.  Often this happens at the expense of individual children who just don’t seem to fit the norm.  Standardized (but often overstuffed) programs are designed around what society at large, and particular interest groups argue, that all people need to know.  Unfortunately these agendas often fail to meet the real needs of any individual child, but are able to create an illusion of success by ensuring that at least the average achievement is acceptable.Read Article (SOURCE: montessori.org)