More Big Thoughts on Schools

Hirsch believes that students should know the fundamental information, which includes memorizing the presidents of the United States. In his opinion, education should be taken most seriously during elementary school, where most fundamental studies happen. Test scores are a more accurate method of assessing a student's knowledge and portfolios are too opinionated. Students need to know their basic information so that they are able to read college-level texts. Knowing how to read and tackle difficult passages are useless; students need to know the actual facts related to the subject.

Sizer, on the other hand, believes that education should be more focused during high school, or before the end of education so that students are prepared to critique if necessary. Succeeding, in Sizer's point of view, is to understand some of the basic knowledge but also to set their own realistic standards that they can achieve. Education should not be shaped by the state and federal administrators but by the students whom the education is being taught to. Test scores does not equate with his definition of serious education. In fact, he proposed to drop the system of test scores, grades, and categories based on age.

I feel that Hirsch and Sizer have a chance to work together. Look at Millennium High School in New York City; they offer AP classes, have their students take regents and write exhibitions on top of that. Hirsch suggest that "tests are far fairer than more subjective means of assessing student performance" while Sizer prefer "explore a single subject for several months and then present an ''exhibition'' of their work to demonstrate what they've learned"(Mosle). Millennium incorporates both ideas together to put loads of pressure on students and who knows, it might be better for their students.

In my experience, I think that SOF used to be one of Sizer's schools. Recently, it has become more of Hirsch's, with the division of math and science classes depending on student's speed. The only classes that remains loyal to Sizer are the social studies and English classes. We the students have a say in what we want to learn in the class and the English class is more open to discussions as oppose to in class essays that are treated as tests. Math and science classes require basic knowledge to understand the more complicated materials that appear in further studies.