What Makes a Well-Educated Person?

I recently completed an interesting book by Diane Ravitch, The Death and Life of the Great American School System. In her book, Ms. Ravitch makes a case against the standardized testing that has become a predominant movement in the national education agenda. This approach has gained ground as fear has grown about America’s students falling behind other nations in terms of performance on standardized tests.

As the former Assistant Secretary of Education, Ms. Ravitch was once a proponent of the philosophy of high-stakes testing. Over time, however, and through deep research and observation, she came to a realization that a focus on improving test scores caused side effects that are unhealthy for our educational system. Ultimately, she has come to the conclusion that there is no single answer to educational improvement, however, a successful educational system includes a strong curriculum, experienced teachers, effective instruction, willing students, adequate resources and a community that values education. Fortunately, at Shorecrest we agree with this opinion. And we have decades of results to demonstrate that this recipe has produced a great product - our alumni!

On January 30th, the Alumni Association hosted its annual Career Day for sophomores, juniors and seniors of Shorecrest Upper School. The day included 14 panels on topics such as executive management, healthcare, marine biology, law and entrepreneurship. It featured 28 speakers, 19 of whom are alumni of Shorecrest ranging from the 1970s to the 2000s.

The 19 alumni who presented at Career Day are a great representation of the results and value of a Shorecrest education. They left Shorecrest well prepared for college, and leveraged their education to make thoughtful decisions about their lives and their work, to think creatively, and ultimately to be productive citizens.  

The final chapter of Ms. Ravitch’s book addresses "Lessons Learned." In it, she challenges each of us to consider our definition of a well-educated person. Ravitch insists, "We must have a vision of what a good education is. What knowledge is of most worth? What do we hope for when we send our children to school? What do we want them to learn and accomplish by the time they graduate?" These hopes and dreams for their children are what Mike Murphy and I inquire about during individual meetings we have each fall with parents who are new to Shorecrest. Many times the answer is, “I want my child to be happy,” or “I want them to be well-educated.”  Sometimes it is, “I want them to have choices.” I would venture to say, from listening to our Career Day panelists, that these three often go hand in hand. A good education provides opportunity for choice, and choice is a pathway to happiness.