Toxic culture of education: Joshua Katz at TEDxUniversityofAkron

Joshua Katz is a high school math teacher in Orange County, FL.

Joshua's Talk:
In the mid 1800's, Horace Mann captured the potential impact of education on society. We have yet to realize the potential he saw, and in fact, we are missing the mark by a wider and wider margin. We have created a "Toxic Culture of Education" in our country that is damaging students, impacting our economy, and threatening our future. Since the passage of No Child Left Behind, we have embraced a culture of high stakes testing and are perpetuating a false sense of failure in our schools. We have ignored research and data on effective policy making practices in order to serve the interest of private industries that have monetized our students. The impact is being felt in communities, on college campuses, and in our economy. The solution lies in a common sense approach to student development, curriculum choice, career exploration, and relevant data analysis. This talk will present a vision of an education system that allows us to embrace our full potential if we only had the courage to ask "Why Not"?

About TEDx, x = independently organized event:

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

[everythingthatihave]

He's not speaking with anger, he's speaking with passion!

[zach]

I don’t know how many times I’ve heard a teacher say, “We have to learn this because it’s on the test but you won’t need it for anything else.”

[SCATutoringCenterGarfield]

"Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all" -Aristole

[wannaplayagame]

this came out almost six years ago. Everything he said applies to schools half a decade later...

[kat-gfwb]

I just find it so mind-blowing that if you're bad at science or math, people say you're not trying hard enough, but if you're bad at things like art, they'll just say, "Don't worry, it's just not your thing."

[Kreln]

This guy should be the U.S. government's Secretary of Education...

[methecat]

We’ve stopped educating for life, and started teaching for tests.

[shaz]

I used to love learning, but tests and assignments have taken away that desire to learn.

[MisterTutor]

My fourth grade teacher told my parents I had a learning disability. I got my PhD in biochemistry 4 years ago :)

[pedinurse]

Finland has no standardized testing and their students score the highest in the world consistently. Very well stated

[kanary]

My heart is breaking at the moment. I taught for 25 years. This is all true. Something needs to change, because we are destroying our children and wearing down our teachers. We need to bring back the joy of learning and the individuality and creativity of teaching.

[wamsang]

He also forgot this:
If you're one of the best and brightest, school slows you down and tells you that you're moving too quickly

[jonthecopycat]

It's 2019. This should really spread to more people, because this is important to shaping the future.
Besides, if a few kids hate school, it's normal. But if 95% of students hate school, that should be a pretty clear sign that something is not right.

[lance]

I started crying when he was talking about the kids with the low test scores who have other life factors affecting their ability to test well. I had a friend who almost committed suicide because the public education system told them they "aren't trying hard enough" and "won't be sucessful" because of how they look on a piece of paper. Even me who is typically a "top 90th percentile" student in most subjects, I end up feeling like I fail if I don't meet that expectation, that my parents won't be as happy, and it grew into full blown depression for my late elementary and middle school years. What use is knowing how to write a perfect essay when you are dead?

[chrisb]

This man needs to become the Secretary of Education!

[jeffrenjr]

You know you're done with school when you ask yourself questions like *"How is this helping me with what I want to become"*

[EvelynRose]

“Don’t let schooling get in the way of your education”

-Einstein

[Lionrhod]

The best experience I ever had as a teacher was when I was hired by a homeschool group to play Dungeons & Dragons with a small bunch of 9-12 yr old boys. When we started out, the kids had little interest in reading or math. By week 2 they had read through the rulebooks, and were discussing things like bell curves. Math and reading scores skyrocketed. On top of that, they started to develop interpersonal skills, with brothers who usually fought communicating and becoming protective of each other.. And they developed problem-solving skills.


So yeah, teaching needs to be relevant. Find what gets the kids motivated and RUN with that.


But if the schools are just "teaching to the tests" they can't do that..

[Capells]

He sounds angry, as we all should be.. lets wake up

[caffeinecorb]

Me: I've been drawing all my life and I truly aspire to become an artist
School: do you know how to do this overly complicated algebra equation?
Me: no?...
School: guess you can't be an artist then