Lower the bar at schools, and listen to the results
I had to wonder about the “Scores in English, math improving” article (Sept. 5 Review-Journal), which showed that Clark County School District students are getting more proficient. I’m 63 years old and grew up in a time where English, language arts, and grammar were required courses. We were taught the correct usage of me/myself/I, her/she, gone/went, etc. …
How can we possibly say that students are becoming more proficient in English when we hear students — and sadly, many adults of most ages — starting their sentences with “me”? I cringe whenever I hear someone say, “I should have went …”
Unless proper English and grammar is taught — and students from day one are required to learn before simply being passed on to the next grade — it’s only going to get progressively worse. After considering what I hear people saying each and every day, I’ve concluded that the reason scores are improving must be because the bar has been lowered again. Set the expectations low enough, and most people can meet those expectations.