How School is Changing!

My, how school is changing all of a sudden!

I read that 45 states have left behind...No Child Left Behind! (So does that mean it's now ok to leave em behind?)...What have they gone to?  Confusing to me.  Common Core Curriculum?  And this "new" thing: school-to-job-or college; what's  new about that...isn't that a big part of what school should be for?  

I understand what's driving this, but now, as I understand it, school is to be much "harder"...I thought school was supposed to be "hard," in a good way:  when you are learning something new, it usually is hard at first.  Challenging?  What fun if it is not challenging?  It's the swing from standardization and pass the test and things I did not necessarily agree with to a whole new thing—all right in the midst of the massive adaptation to digital technologies.  Sort of a fruit basket turnover?  Hopefully for the good of students.

However, if I were a teacher, I'd either be massively energized, or overwhelmed!  At least these changes seem to portend more out of the box (I hope!), back to social studies (why did we ever leave it behind in a global world?),more enrichment vs. worksheets (enrichment is the fun part!), less focus on test (and so maybe on cheating?), and many other good things.  I just pray some kids don't get caught in the crossfire of change.  

 I always say "I don't know nuttin' 'bout nuttin!"—but I have been witness to some interesting things that help me hope these new changes could be good for kids.  If not, my advice to a kid would be go live in the library among the great books of the world and teach

yourself.  You don't even have to BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)...most libraries have done an amazing job of transcending with the digital times, leaving no patron, young or old, entering their doors behind!