Science? Who needs it?

It's 2:16 in the morning and I can't sleep. Usually, the things that keep me up are worries about finances, or the economy, or any of those other adult themed things that aren't the adult themed things that are SUPPOSED to keep a woman up at night. Tonight though, I'm a bit furious about a rumor I heard. Now, I know it's a rumor, and there may be no fruition or truth behind it, but in case I need to plead MY case... I need to get some thoughts straight.

So here it is: I've heard that the school is looking at scheduling for next year, and that they want to give more time for the kids to read each day. The reading block, while already 2 hours long for most kids, apparently isn't enough. So, where are they going to take it from? You guessed it. Science. The plan thrown out, (which in my opinion SHOULD be thrown out) apparently, is to give the kids an 80 minute block of science like this year.... but only every other day. Let's talk about this.

First of all, the world is very different from the one I grew up in. When I was 13 I didn't have a cell phone or an ipod. Our family was lucky enough to have a computer, but even that wasn't yet commonplace. So, in some ways, the kids have it made. But in others, the world is a mess.

If you don't know me, you don't know what a voracious reader I am. I have an incredible thirst for knowledge, and in the last year, I've read tomes upon tomes about the chemicals we come in contact with every day (and the links to autism, ADD, ADHD, and early menstruation among females), the amount of sludge we've poured into our environment, global warming, the energy crisis, the downfall of suburbia which seems like heaven but will ultimately be our demise if we don't find a new way to power everything we love so dearly. Costs are rising, jobs are scarce-- we are entering a new era, and I'm afraid. This was supposed to be a century of hope and technology and efficiency, and what we need is people to realize that dream. But what are we creating? What is our education system doing? And what do we NEED more than anything else?

We need science. We need kids who thirst for it. We need kids and parents and whole communities who not only know about what is going on in the world, but have a chance at actually helping us fix it. Is reading important? Of course. But what good is it going to do when the kids hate it? What is going to motivate them to learn on their own or to make them want to read? They need to be given a chance to involve themselves in something that actually excites them, something they actually care about. And you know what? Reading will follow.

Taking away science is a huge disservice to our kids. Not only is it something they love, but its everything. Its reading and history and math and science. Its everywhere. Its us. Its everything around us. How can we expect them to be competitive when they are in the real world? How can we expect them to give a shit if we don't open their eyes?

And why in the world are we not giving some of the responsibility of the whole reading burden to the PARENTS? Why are we not saying, hey, you know what? We are having a mandatory parent meeting. Let's schedule a bunch of them. You sign up for a time. We will bring the library people in. You will sign up for cards. We will tell you exactly why it is a failing school and why it isn't just our responsibility to educate the children of the nation. Even the president will tell you that. Children need parents who push them too. We need to set high expectations for the parents so they can set the same expectations for their kids. Get in some free food. Reel them in. And BAM. Do something about it. Make the parents aware, make the parents accountable, and form some sort of PTA based program that keeps them doing THEIR job. Your job is not just to make money and bring home food for your family. Your job is to make sure your kids will be productive members of society. We can not do this alone. And this reading first model is garbage.

I have some incredible, astoundingly brilliant kids this year. But they don't know what a proton is. Yet, I am supposed to teach them about chemical reactions. They don't know what a cell is, but they should know about mitosis and meiosis and heredity and adaptations. Why? Because the only science most of them got was in 7th grade. And 7th grade only covers geology and astronomy. So, its up to me to teach them the basics of physics, chemistry, genetics, cellular biology, ecology and evolution plus how to run and conduct an experiment, research and analyze and interpret data? In 180 days? Or, worse yet, 90? How is this feasible? What are we thinking? How is this even an option.

Interest! Interest! It's preached all the time in reading classes. Get the kids reading something they love, and they'll latch on. I can bitch about the Twilight series all day (really, you don't want to get me started on that one) BUT, you know what? They're reading. Case closed. So, you really think that if you take away one of the only classes they actually go into with an OPEN MIND they'll be successful? Talk to my kids. They might tell you that they don't always love my class, because you know what? I'm hard on them. I expect really high level stuff from them. But you won't find too many kids who come into my room thinking "Shit. I can't do this. This subject is not for me."

And what happens when they have a crappy reading teacher? What happens if they get stuck with someone who doesn't teach them reading strategies, or doesn't push them, make them accountable, come up with ingenious ways to teach inference and high level vocabulary words, and what to do when you are insanely stuck and have no teacher or dictionary? What do you do then? You waste their time. You give them busy work. You put on a dog-and-pony show. I've seen both varieties and both amount to what? Nothing. Sure, you throw some kids who are on grade level and you might not see a terrible decline, but you know what? We owe them just as much as we owe the kids that are low. It's not okay to be a mediocre teacher. And its not okay to throw more scripted programs at them, more silent reading time, or more time in classrooms with teachers who are, themselves NOT PREPARED TO TEACH READING. (Not to say, of course, that we have no good reading teachers at my school. I can think of a couple who are fantastic. But as a whole? Its laughable. I know reading teachers who claim, no joke, that they themselves don't like to read.)

So, you know what? I already use reading strategies in my class. And I weave in math. And I will continue to do that more. And I am sure that the other science teacher would have no problem doing the same. I can step it up. The parents can step it up. The kids themselves can step it up. We can all take a shared responsibility for this problem.

But don't you dare take away science from my kids. Don't you dare put one more hurdle in their way, one more insane obstacle. You want them to succeed? Really?

Then give them what they really need.
Not more of the same. If my hair dryer isn't working, I don't unplug it, and then replug into the same faulty outlet and just turn it on LONGER. And stare at it wondering why there's no air coming out.
I change. Or maybe I scrap the whole damn thing and let my hair air dry and see what happens.

The definition of crazy? Taking away science from our kids.
Period.