Diane Ravich The Essentials Of A Good Education Summary

In Diane Ravitch’s essay, “The Essentials of a Good Education,” she explains how schools in 2008 made budget cuts on a variety of if important subjects in school, such as history and science, in order to spend more time on tested subjects like mathematics and reading. Ravitch believes that public schools are forsaking the importance of life and social skills that every student needs. A child’s knowledge should not be rank, rated, or labeled, according to Ravitch, because “it does not measure their character, spirit, heart, soul, or potential.” Ravitch blames reform programs such as “No Child Left Behind,” which requires states to test children’s basic skills, on the cuts made in important subjects, which she believes are key components of education. She also said that educated parents would not want their children going to a school

Many schools started to focus on only basic skills due to reform programs such as, “No Child Left Behind” which made cuts in important subjects, but there are many other subjects that are important to students for them to gain life skills. “Most parents send their kids to schools to learn life skills, not just the basic skills” Ravitch stated in her article, to show that subjects such as history and physical education are just as important as the basic skills that are tested. Without history classes, students may not know of important events that changed the world such as 9/11 or the bombing of “Pearl Harbor.” Schools began to focus on only basic skills because it were the skills that were tested. Even though other subjects were not tested, they are needed for different jobs that make up the United States. A child’s knowledge should not be rank, rated, or labeled, according to Ravitch, because it does not measure their character, spirit, heart, soul, or