Today, the state of Pennsylvania schools are applying for relief from the No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Here is the article:

PA Files for Relief from NCLB

Now, as many of you know I am no fan of the NCLB. I think it takes good intentions and fails to see the outcomes that are going to come from using a standardized test as the ultimate goal of judging rectitude in education. Standardized tests can not do this because they are actually a fairly narrow (terribly narrow) assessment tool.

I am, however, torn in this. I worry that we could also call this All Standards Left Behind. I am asking this question: "How could we recognize failure? When will we know that we have failed and are failing educationally in our country?"

We refuse to ask this question. Our refusal to ask makes the answer to the question clear.

A classical Christian education sees education as a heritage being passed on to students. This can not be judged well by a simple standardized test. Real education helps to grow people into full humanity. Our culture has lost a view of what human flourishing looks like. Jesus Christ (who loves others sacrificially) provides that for believers. Without an idea of human flourishing educators are always asking: "For what are we educating or to what end?" and students are always asking, "Why do I need to learn this?" We must give our teacher and we ourselves must have answers to these questions.