To: US Department of Education
High School Reform
Help start a national conversation about reforming high school to make it less stressful by allowing kids to extend the time they take to complete the curriculum.
Why is this important?
High School should be reformed so that it helps students find what they are truly interested in. Currently, schools focus too much on preparing their students to take standardized tests. High school becomes an unrelenting routine of studying subjects in which you have no interest and dealing with peers with whom you have little in common, all the while experiencing the stresses of puberty.
To relieve these tensions, I propose that students be allowed to set the pace at which they complete the high school curriculum, perhaps extending it over a fifth year. Students should be able to explore a range of subjects, pursue extracurricular activities, take some free time, and discover their true interests and passions. Also, they should be able to go to school just to attend classes without being stuck there for the entire school day.