Education

Are We Too Competitive?

September 13, 2007 1 min read
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In a recent Education Week Commentary, author Alfie Kohn argues that the United States is too focused on competing against schools in other countries. He writes that there’s little correlation between a nation’s test scores and its economic vigor, nor between an individual student’s academic performance and success in the workplace.

Rather, he writes, good teachers are thinking about ensuring all of their children learn, and not about the economics of their jobs.

What do you think? Is the U.S. too focused on how schools prepare students to compete in the global economy? Are the economics of schooling overemphasized?

A version of this news article first appeared in the TalkBack blog.

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