Sizer speaks on campus

About 150 people came out to see Theodore Sizer, a well-known advocate for education reform, discuss the current politics of education reform yesterday. Sizer is the chair of the Coalition of Essential Schools and the author of several books, including Horace's Compromise and Horace's School, which discuss reform in a typical suburban high school. Sizer called the idea of a national curriculum and national examination system that has been discussed in Congress, "a radical new idea for this society." "If you're going to have testing," Sizer said, "then it is a matter of simple fairness that each child should have an equal shot at preparing himself or herself for those tests." Sizer outlined several assumptions about national testing that needed to be cleared up. "[There is] the assumption that standards will be higher if set by a higher level of government," Sizer said. He also mentioned "the notion that wisdom gravitates toward state capitals and the Beltway" as a scary misconception. Sizer also spoke about school practices and teaching methods. He said that one important concept to remember is that "kids differ," and to teach well, the teacher has to know his or her student well. "How many kids can I get to know at once, well enough to know how their heads and hearts work?" Sizer asked. Sizer criticized the grading system, which tracks children by age and assumes that all kids know the same amount at the same time. He suggested allowing students to learn at their own rate and giving students individual attention. Sizer called this "tracking every kid on his own track, and seeing every kid as a special needs kid." First-year Education graduate student Ellen Foley -- a member of the Leadership and Education Forum, a group of students which discusses education issues -- said Sizer "has a great way of presenting ideas and he's very down-to-earth." First-year Wharton doctoral candidate Andy Spicer, another Forum member, said that Sizer is "bucking a lot of conventional ideas about education." "Hopefully," Spicer added, "some of the ideas that he's talking about can be diffused throughout the system." Spicer added that the Forum will be holding a symposium today to discuss the issues that Sizer raised. It will be held in Vance Hall, room B-1 from 4:30 to 6 p.m.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.