Children need to be challenged and pushed, not to the point where they give up but to the point where they think, “Wow, look at me go.”  – Robert John Meehan

One of my core beliefs is that education must be personal.  For decades we have harmed schoolchildren, and lowered the effectiveness of America’s public schools, by trying to create a uniform level of performance.  Every child is different.  Just like we’d never expect every child to run a six-minute mile by 8th grade or play a Bach cantata on the violin, we can’t expect every child to perform at a uniform academic level.

Every child should be pushed to his or her limit – every child should be challenged and pushed.  From the student with the highest IQ to the student with learning challenges . . . each child should find their individual edge . . . and then find success through both failure and hard work.  Yes, school shouldn’t be easy for any child . . . and school shouldn’t be impossible for any child.  School must teach students that life is hard, that a strong work ethic and learning through failure is part of life, and that success can be earned through persistence and commitment.