Student’s social, emotional and academic well-being are inextricably interdependent and deeply intertwined within the chemistry, structure and development of the brain. We know this from research, but we all also know it from personal experience. Despite this knowledge, these affective components of effective education are severely under-emphasized in education policy. We need to draw upon these everyday experiences to describe a new storyline, a counter narrative to Race to the Top for what needs to be done to improve education for all children.
Let’s just be clear: Race to the Top was a money grab. The Common Core is a money grab. Teacher evaluation reform is a money grab. Policies opening up school choice and privatization are a money grab. Any potential good from any of these initiatives was poisoned in the implementation.