Susan Ohanian One Size's Few Analysis

Susan Ohanian has a crystal clear opinion on educational standards: they don’t work. In her book, “One Size Fits Few,” Ohanian shares this point-of-view with plenty of personal experience, research and case studies to back her up. The title alone says so much: there is no “one size” when it comes to education. “Standardistos,” as she refers to them, all seem to agree that a standardized education system would make things easier. However, this group of people, be them fellow educators, politicians, administrators, seem to be forgetting the reality of the issue… Every child is different. Ohanian (1999) states “Those aren’t children, those are numbers” on page one and for the next 151 pages, does all she can, on paper, to prove to you that this is true. Her stories are poignant, her research concise, she has a …show more content…
Yes, of course, Americans want the best and the brightest but at what cost? Literally. Because financial gains in education are slim so while resources – financial, material, etc. – decline, standards and assessments continue to grow. Where is the balance? “Standards,” that are high already, might work but only for those students who have every other need satisfied and who can devote time, money and energy into focusing and staying “on level” with the support of family. Not every child in America has that luxury. Overall, Ohanian’s book makes you think. It makes you truly consider the importance of education and the importance of the role of teachers. To think that educators could one day all be, essentially, robots who operate off the same lesson plans and the same scripts just to meet over-the-top expectations set by people who have never stepped foot in the classroom... Is that where we’re headed? “…stop promising to deliver the Standardisto product on schedule. Stop, and just be there for the child-for however long it takes,” (Ohanian, 1999, p. 152).
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