Catching Up or Leading the Way

I'm reading a book called Catching Up or Leading the Way: American Education in the Age of Globalization.

My son wanting me to play video games with him wondered what book was getting in the way of his video game bonding time with his Mama. Before I start to look like a selfish mama, I need to point out that I had just finished reading yet another chapter of Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief aloud to him.

I showed him the title and he said: "How you it be about catching up AND leading the way. That's impossible."

I pointed to the word "or" which seemed to clarify things. I then told him that the book was about American Education during our time of globalization. I do speak like this to my kid. Been doing it his whole life. Hasn't hurt him yet.

I then asked him what he thought about American education. I asked him if America is catching up or leading the way.

To which he quickly replied matter-of-factly, "Catching up!"

Being me, I asked for a bit of elaboration.

Being him, he delivered. He explained in a feverish tsunami of words that his teacher said that American is only 200 years old and that there are countries that are 500 years old or 1000 years old and that America is still catching up. There were more iterations and words like weirdish thrown in for good measure.

I didn't correct him and teach him that American innovation is what makes us great and that other countries attempt to catch up with us. I didn't scare him by telling him that the centralization and standardization of education is what will ultimately stifle that innovation. I didn't tell him the history of graphite and its role in the history of 20th century American education. I won't ruin his childhood with facts and realities.

But I'd like to think that I am preparing him for the complexity of reality by talking with him about it in the first place, by making him feel like his opinion matters no matter how adorable it is.