From one side of the state to the other, the content of the K - 12 curriculum is largely the same.  In Massachusetts, we have “frameworks” which dictate exactly what students ought to be learning and when.  These foundational documents are important; otherwise, our students can cover dinosaurs and planets repeatedly from grade to grade.  So, what is so different from school to school, town to town, and region to region, with one group of kids performing better or worse than their neighbors?    Well, let me tell you that the number of publications, consultants, and ideas on this topic is very very many.  Two verys back-to-back means there are a lot of them.

I have to write things like very very so that you know that this is not AI at work.  I fear that the organization of thoughts through writing will disappear because of AI.  I’ve even heard that my ideas will soon be mimicked and that someone out there has already tried to do this.  You can enter what I type into an AI generator and ask the generator what I’d write on another topic or how I might write it. AI can mimic our unique styles and voices.  So, if we take all of Suess’ books and enter them into a generator, we might experience new works, seemingly of one of the greats.  Amazing.  Confusing.  Wrong, too. 

On Not Necessarily the News on HBO in the 1980’s, a guy named Rich Hall made up his own words.  They were called Sniglets, and they were funny.  I suppose that AI, if not already, will be funny – but if we start seeing new Sniglets, we can only hope that Mr. Hall is back at work. I’d hate to think that some rando on a computer is stealing Mr. Hall’s ingenuity, creativity, or sense of humor. Once the human spirit is removed from language and ideas, they aren’t all that fun anymore. 

Now, back to the curriculum and what our teachers do that AI cannot.  For about the past decade, I’ve been conducting workshops where I ask teachers and parents to participate in activities based on their best and worst experiences in school and their best and worst experiences at work.  Within minutes, I can get adults thinking not about what their teachers and bosses said but how they made them feel (Thank you, Maya Angelou). 

There are undeniable truths in the fact that test scores vary by zip code, but there are outliers that break this trend.  These are found in underperforming higher-income districts and higher-performing lower-income districts.  I have long discussed that among the best ways to enhance the power of a quality education product is through relationships.  When children are born, they have innate abilities to feel certain emotions, such as joy or fear.  But as they age, these feelings branch off into more clearly defined emotions.  Look at the two lists below, and tell me which of these lists leaves you performing at your best, happy about who you are, and ready to engage with those around you…

List A

Abandoned; Abused; Aggravated; Angry; Anxious; Ashamed; Bored; Confused; Depressed; Disconnected; Distracted; Drained; Empty; Failing; Frustrated; Helpless; Horrified; Incompetent; Insecure; Irritable; Jealous; Jumpy; Lethargic; Lost; Manic; Miserable; Nervous; Numb; Overwhelmed; Pained; Powerless; Sad; Tired; Uncomfortable; Withdrawn

List B

Comfortable; Creative; Determined; Elated; Excited; Exuberant; Grateful; Happy; Hopeful; Independent; Open; Thrilled; Wise

Think of your Teachers, Bosses, or Partners. Would you rather have those from List A or List B? I am not sure if AI has made its way to rhetorical questions yet.