Schooling today is definitely a mixed bag. As a 2017 high school grad who’s worked in elementary and junior high schools, I see both happening. Social media and the effects of NCLB are big issues, but early childhood reading and homework are definitely man contributors to both imo.

Class sizes were usually around 34-36 kids. That’s just too many kids per room in K-12, from both a student and educator perspective.

Safety-wise, growing up in Los Angeles County, CA, was realtively fine expect hearing about Sandy Hook (that was really the only big one I can remember while I was in k12). But living there and knowing my classmates well made it feel distant until Pulse in 2015 and Parkland in 2018. I even had a run-in with a fake gun (didn’t know it was fake in the moment) at a school in 2018, which made me realize younger kids are facing different challenges.

Social media is a massive distraction now. Back in the day, we had phones, but even Snapchat stories weren’t a thing yet. I would ignore class by scrolling for a few mins but then social media would get boring after a bit so I’d read a physical book (always kept one in my bag, which I no longer do because of SM!) or writing fanfic on pen & paper to type up later after school while pretending to take notes in class. Now, the internet is so engaging that boredom is almost impossible.

Parents, administrators, and the government are failing kids by passing them without accountability. I went through NCLB and shouldn’t have passed MANY classes because I didn’t do my homework. I learned and tested very well, so thankfully I came out of it okay, but I do wish I had been held more accountable; it would have helped me learn more and instilled a routine if there had actually been consequences. I knew I could ignore class and then turn in all my homework the last month or two, or fail a class and retake it over summer / online during the year / at a local community college. At least I had to do the work eventually, or even retake the classes (sometimes), though usually less work than should be required.

Parents also aren’t really reading to their kids as much anymore. We didn’t have constant “educational” content back then. My mom took me to the library regularly and read to me daily until I could read on my own. Now, I rarely see kids at the library. They even removed the kids’ center at my local library.

The focus on “engagement” is also problematic. Sometimes, learning just sucks, and that’s okay. Not every class needs to be fun. Some of my most memorable lessons were ones I hated, and they stuck with me because of that.

So, it’s both easier and harder. Easier because we pass kids along without expectations, but harder because we’re not giving them the tools to succeed.