I started thinking the other day if he would approve of these things that we call data conferences. I don’t think that he would. I don’t speak for God, and I don’t claim to know the mind of God. But in reading the bible, I do think we need to be careful when we begin to value numbers, knowledge, and personal gain more than Him. So, I wondered…if Jesus was sitting in one of these, what might he say?
Mark 10: 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.
I could have stopped after that verse alone. While we sit and create our lists of students found in each quartile or quintile groups, in my mind I picture Jesus smiling and saying, “All of those kids in that last group who you think are behind academically….they are going to be first. All of those kids in that first group who are going to elite learning institutions….they will be last. Which group needs the intervention plan?”
I Corinthians 3: 18-20 18 Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”[a];
Wise by the standards of this age? We have an entire state curriculum book dedicated to learning standards. When we decide that we are wise by those standards, we are deceived – period. And when we sit at data conferences, we need to remember that not a single score is going to get us through the gates of heaven. Peter isn’t going to say, “Before you are allowed into heaven, I am going to need to see your TVAAS scores and your proficiency scores.” You see the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight.
Matthew 6: 19-21 9 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Where our heart is, there we will find our treasure. If our heart is wrapped around data, I fear that we are chasing something that is fleeting. It will be here today and gone tomorrow. “What are we teaching and why are we teaching it?” That is a question that we need to answer. Is our treasure human knowledge or is it the very wisdom of God? Which do you think our world could use right now?
Matthew 18:5-7 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!
When we put a student into a lower academic grouping, we are changing how we see them. We are changing how they see themselves. I believe we then are changing how we teach them. They will rise to our expectations. Conversely, if we fail to see the big picture (the long game) and fail to see what a student could become…we are cutting the vine from the stem before ever allowing it to produce fruit. It is our belief in our students which causes them to rise and fall. In fact, I believe that test scores provide a false facade of what students are capable of. Those kids who ran up the beaches at Normandy, I can 100% guarantee you some of them would be from that bottom group.
I Corinthians 12: 21-2321 The eye can’t say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 In fact, it is just the opposite. The parts of the body that seem to be weaker are the ones we can’t do without. 23
We are trying to create cookie-cutter-kids by grouping them by a single set of standards. What happens if we are making a massive error by using the wrong set of standards to judge students. We wouldn’t judge a foot by the standards of a hand anymore than we would judge an eye by the standards of a toenail. The parts of the body that we deem weaker….we, in fact, can’t live without them. Those kids in that bottom quartile, we can’t live without them…even if they never get out of the bottom quartile. We need to learn to find value in our students who struggle academically. They matter. Maybe they matter the most.
Matthew 21: 12-13 12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’[e] but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’[f]”
My dream someday is to see this data driven system archived as the grand mistake it is. Data driven systems are anti-Christ.
Genesis 19:1 The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground.
We will end with the last verse referenced. Elders and city leaders would often sit in ancient gates, discuss issues, and maybe even make judgements. It is not small thing that Lot is found here. It is certainly an honor to be a leader, to be a decision maker, and to discuss issues. However, we best make sure that we know in what gate that we sit. I believe the folks sitting in this gate would be “all-in” on data.
In closing, when Jesus spoke to the rule makers and the judges of his age, he was mocked. He was seen as blasphemous. Why? He broke their rules. Now, he didn’t break his rules – he made them. He saw people first. His hands knit them together. He knew them. I believe we are asked to at least attempt to see people the way Jesus does. We are not Jesus, but I believe he can give us that ability. And I don’t think Jesus looks at test scores. I don’t even think he cares. Maybe it is well past time that we re-evaluate how we are assessing students and how that reflects our values.
I think we can take great comfort that Jesus is probably not interested in our data driven education system. On the other hand, I don’t know what that says about educators who value test scores as much as they value money.
ProTip: “There are things which money cannot buy; which no music can bring; which no social position can claim; which no personal influence can assure; and which no eloquence can command.” Billy Graham
