Around this time of the year, the school is sending home student interim reports with grades and comments about their learning development.  Like any parents, I am filled with excitement and anxiety about my child’s early progression in his learning. My eyes quickly scan the report, pausing at the ‘failing’ grades. A failing in Art Knowledge and Skill? Wait. Is that even a subject? How do you grade an art skill? I know he inherits my artsy genes and probably never excels beyond stick figures, but I still hope somehow he passes second grade art with confidence gained from instructional support.

While I contemplate on my child’s failing art grade, my friends lament on Common Core and its whole standards. They send me endless memes and posts of how silly our learning curriculum has become.  The pleads from parents to move away from Common Core are buzzing the webs, yet, tomorrow, when our children walk into the classroom, they again will be taught the oddest way to solve a simple math problem.

While reading about Common Core, I remember a fable written by Dr. Reavis.  I’d like to share it with you.

BY Dr. G.H. Reavis

Once upon a time, the animals decided that they must do something “heroic” to meet the problems of “a new world.” So they organized a school.

They adopted an activity curriculum consisting of running, climbing, swimming, and flying. To make it easier to administer the curriculum, ALL the animals took ALL the subjects.

The duck was excellent in swimming, in fact better than his instructor; but he made only passing grades in flying and was very poor in running. Since he was slow in running, he had to stay after school and also drop swimming in order to practice running. This was kept up until his web feet were badly worn and he was average in swimming. BUT AVERAGE WAS ACCEPTABLE IN SCHOOL, SO NOBODY WORRIED ABOUT THAT EXCEPT THE DUCK.

The rabbit started at the top of the class in running, but had a nervous breakdown because of so much make-up work in swimming.

The squirrel was excellent in climbing until he develop frustration in the flying class where his teacher made him start from the ground up instead of from the tree top down. He also developed “Charlie horses” from overexertion and then got C in climbing and D in running.

The eagle was a problem child and was disciplined severely. In the climbing class, he beat all the others to the top of the tree, but insisted on using his own way to get there.

At the end of the year, an abnormal eel that could swim exceedingly well, and also run, climb, and fly a little had the highest average and was valedictorian.

The prairie dogs stayed out of school and fought the tax levy because the administration would not add digging and burrowing to the curriculum. They apprenticed their child to a badger and later joined the groundhogs and gophers to start a successful private school.

DOES THIS FABLE HAVE A MORAL?