Questionable Assumptions About Schooling

While reading the article by Eisner, I found a few of his assumptions very interesting. The first one, that talks about getting all students to the same place at the same time, could be looked at in a few ways. At first I thought "not every student is equal, and it would be difficult to assume that every student has the same academic potential, so how can it be expected that every 18 year old is ready to graduate high school?" Sometimes I think schools make a mistake by promoting students who are not ready for the next grade level. I think if a student needs extra help, it should not be an issue retaining them in the same grade for another year if it's going to benefit them. Also, I am not a fan of standardized testing. I think a student's ability should be judged by their overall performance in school, and not by the GEPA or HSPA or SAT. Sometimes students do very well in school, but when put on the spot it becomes difficult for them to work to their full potential. I think a teacher who has students who are getting the best grades they are capable of is doing a good job, it should not depend on one big test. One point that got my attention was when he mentioned that "the primary content that students learn is what their teachers intend to teach them." I feel that the more interesting teachers make their lessons, the more students are willing to learn, and maybe go beyond the classroom and look elsewhere for even more information. I had a teacher in 8th grade who made history "fun." Even though I've always loved history (it's my major) there were students who were for the first time motivated to learn about WWII. Teachers who can get the attention of even the more uninteresting student are doing a good job, and are motivating their students to learn. Sometimes teachers will read straight out of the book and never give any extra facts or stories that might something them more relevant. They could be the reason students find certain subjects boring and therefore won't try to do any better than get a passing grade.