Heralded by Nathaniel Branden’s 1969 The Psychology of Self-Esteem, it seemed like a logical, easy fix that would right academics and behavior, too, so countless teachers and parents jumped on the self-esteem bandwagon. Its central idea as described by journalist Alina Kartman: “Self-esteem becomes the key to success and failure.”
To get the job done, the enactment of education-related legislation to foster self-esteem via task forces took hold. First in line, California to turn itself into “a state of self-esteem because self-esteem is a social vaccine…” The belief: Those with high self-esteem are productive and require fewer public support/services, thus creating a more competitive America.
As writer Janelle Cox put it: “Numerous studies have established a strong correlation between high self-esteem and academic achievement… Overall, fostering students’ self-esteem is essential for empowering them to reach their full potential both emotionally and academically.”
A cure-all with far-reaching consequences, that included…
- Controlling and overprotective helicopter parents, who micromanage their children’s lives to ensure their success and protect them from failure and disappointment.
- Over-involved lawnmower parents who remove roadblocks and challenges to spare their children failure.
- Participation trophies, handed out, regardless of merit, leading to kids who expect unearned rewards.
- Equity-based grading with red pens replaced with softer-colored ones, no-zero policies, acceptance of late work, retakes/do-overs, lower standards, and grade inflation, leaving students unprepared for the workplace, college, and/or real life.
- Finds NACAC, more than 50% and rising of U.S. high schools no longer report class rankings to reduce competition and hurt feelings.
- Removal of the titles valedictorian and salutatorian “to eliminate a toxic level of competitiveness.”
- Out-of-control student behavior, including kicking, yelling, even physical violence, “with,” writes Education Week’s Olina Banerji, “students emboldened to disrespect or clearly ignore their teachers.” Teachers reportedly blame administrators who hand out rewards instead of serious discipline and parents who step in to protect their kids from disciplinary action and/or insist they be promoted to the next grade, worthy or not.
- 2024 NAEP 2024 reading scores down nationally in both 4th and 8th grades, with 33% of 8th graders reading below the NAEP Basic level—more than ever before. 2024 NAEP 4th grade math scores up nationally by 2 points, BUT flat and troubling for 8th graders gven their 2022 8-point drop.
- Safe spaces on college campuses “to foster well-being, provide validation for students’ experiences, and create an inclusive community where students feel valued and supported.”
- Young people thinking they’re exceptional, even gifted, when not. Says UNH’s Paul Harvey, “Many of our 36- to 40-year-olds (Generation Y) have a strong resistance toward negative feedback… an inflated view of themselves, and … a strong sense of entitlement…”
- The oft-heard mantra, “I deserve it,” be it free college tuition, health care, day care, bus rides, and more, as if there really is such a thing as a free lunch.
And so, written back in 1996 but in great need of repeating today, four from political commentator Charles Sykes’s “14 Rules for Students:”
Rule #1: Life is not fair. Get used to it…
Rule #2: The real world won’t care as much about your self-esteem as much as your school does. It’ll expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself… Usually, when inflated self-esteem meets reality, kids complain that it’s not fair.
Rule #5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity… Your parents called it opportunity. They weren’t embarrassed making minimum wage, either…
Rule #8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers. Life hasn’t. In some schools, they’ll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. Failing grades have been abolished and class valedictorians scrapped, lest anyone’s feelings be hurt. Effort is as important as results. This, of course, bears not the slightest resemblance to anything in real life.
Pass it on…
~ With thanks, Carol
