Changes

2. '''Every child can achieve high standards in all areas.'''  Again, like the first myth, this is a case of [[political correctness]] that has gotten out of control.  Current educational policies insist that all children can achieve proficiency in all areas.  Both research and common sense indicate that this is not true; nor would it be taken seriously in other fields.  Nobody would argue that a five foot three adult could be in the NBA if he really, really tried; nobody would argue that a tone-deaf child with no interest in music could be the next Mozart with enough effort.

2. '''Every child can achieve high standards in all areas.'''  Again, like the first myth, this is a case of [[political correctness]] that has gotten out of control.  Current educational policies insist that all children can achieve proficiency in all areas.  Both research and common sense indicate that this is not true; nor would it be taken seriously in other fields.  Nobody would argue that a five foot three adult could be in the NBA if he really, really tried; nobody would argue that a tone-deaf child with no interest in music could be the next Mozart with enough effort.

3. '''If children aren't doing well, the solution is more money.'''  This is true in a very, '''very''' limited sense.  If a school has severe deficiencies in basic facilities--not enough desks, or not enough books, for instance--then investing money in these necessities has been shown to have an effect.  Beyond this point, however, the claim moves into myth territory; in schools which already have adequate basic facilities, the investment of ever-increasing sums of money has produced negligible gains in terms of student achievement.

3. '''If children aren't doing well, the solution is more money.'''  This is true in a very, '''very''' limited sense.  If a school has severe deficiencies in basic facilities--not enough desks, or not enough books, for instance--then investing money in these necessities has been shown to have an effect.  Beyond this point, however, the claim moves into myth territory; in schools which already have adequate basic facilities, the investment of ever-increasing sums of money has produced negligible gains in terms of student achievement. <ref>http://www.edreform.com/index.cfm?fuseAction=document&documentID=665#The%20Relationship%20Between%20Spending%20and%20Achievement</ref>

4. '''Unconditional self esteem is something schools should cultivate.'''  The current obsession with "self esteem"...and the notion that it is something that is ''given,'' rather than ''earned''...has had very real and very negative consequences.  Students are taught that esteem is not linked to performance; in many cases, students who have not done the required work and who lack the required skills to do well are promoted to the next grade for fear of damaging their self esteem.  This overlooks the fact that a student who lacks the skills to understand a class or do the work is likely to suffer equal or greater loss of self esteem; plainly put, it's humiliating for a student to be the "class dummy."

4. '''Unconditional self esteem is something schools should cultivate.'''  The current obsession with "self esteem"...and the notion that it is something that is ''given,'' rather than ''earned''...has had very real and very negative consequences.  Students are taught that esteem is not linked to performance; in many cases, students who have not done the required work and who lack the required skills to do well are promoted to the next grade for fear of damaging their self esteem.  This overlooks the fact that a student who lacks the skills to understand a class or do the work is likely to suffer equal or greater loss of self esteem; plainly put, it's humiliating for a student to be the "class dummy."