In America, we reward individuals who branch out and specialize in a particular arena. The filling of niches is what makes a country rich and wonderful (heck, the same can be said for the planet), and we often celebrate individuals who have mastered a tiny set of skills. In America, we love fisherman, farmers, artists, mathematicians, scientists, and everything in between.
Why is this simply not the case in high school? If a kid doesn't have an interest in factoring polynomials, he is labeled as lazy or incompetent. If a kid doesn't enjoy Shakespeare but rather "the Twilight series," she is given a D. If teenagers show an interest in something other than school, they simply are not celebrated like their adult counterparts. How dare we demand that every kid between the ages of 13 and 18 be passionate about and succeed in exactly the same subjects? That goal is simply un-American!
Ryan Teves
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Author of "In Defense of the American Teen."