‍THOUGHT: The Lawnmower Fallacy
TREND: The Soft Bigotry of Education Blather
TOOL: In the Field

The Lawnmower Fallacy

Growing up, my mom would always say, "You boys should take a small engine repair class." I don't know where she got this idea—she must have associated it with being a useful grown man. I never did and I still don’t know how to repair small engines. Here I am today: I do work that I love, but have no clue how to fix my lawnmower. If it breaks, I’m fortunate that I can hire someone to fix it.

But my mom still has this thing—and I love her for it.

For some people, it's much bigger than that. It's like, "I only view you as successful if you have a degree."

I've met entrepreneurs who are thriving—making great money, happy with their lives—yet their parents are still disappointed they didn't get a degree. Once we lock onto an idea of what success should look like for our kids, it's hard to let go.

– Isaac

Watch the clip

The Soft Bigotry of Education Blather

Rick Hess at AEI calls out "the soft bigotry of education blather" as high school seniors post their worst reading scores since 2005. Half score below basic in math—meaning they can't read tables or apply percentages. That sounds bad, but The National Association of Secondary School Principals insists test scores are "only one lens for understanding success" and calls for more funding so students can "thrive."

We agree standardized tests aren't the best North Star for education. But Hess says this is blather:

"Forget thriving—huge numbers of America's 17-year-olds aren't even learning to read or do math."

Schools can't bomb the test and then decide tests don't matter. Either commit to improving the metrics you chose, or ditch them and measure something else.

Read the whole article

In the Field

The Abeka blog rounded up some simple, low-cost field trip ideas that beat a week of classroom worksheets. Here are some of our favorites, and the subjects they can be linked to:

1. Apple orchard or cider mill – Economics (price comparisons), botany (pollination), agriculture (harvesting)
2. Nature hike – Ecosystems, plant identification, observation journaling
3. Local theater or symphony – Literature, storytelling, plot structure, character development
4. Career day visit – Interview a baker, contractor, or nurse; build communication skills
5. Garden center or nursery – Plant species, photosynthesis, soil science, responsibility
6. Fire station or police department – Civics, community roles, safety, public service

Read Abeka's full list

Word of the Day: Blather

blath·er | /ˈblæðər/ | verb, noun

To talk long-windedly without making much sense; foolish or meaningless talk. Old Norse blaðra.

Example: "The superintendent's response was pure blather—lots of buzzwords about 'holistic learning environments' but zero accountability for falling test scores."