It is that time of year again. The teachers at Lady Bird Elementary School are preping their student fliers for this years standardized testing also known as the CST's, or the California Soaring Tests. Every year the young birdies of California are tested and measured against all of the other little birdies in California based on their ability to soar. After years of debate, analysis, funding, and program improvement, many educated fliers have mixed ideas and opinions regarding the success of this practice.
A relatively new but enthusiastic instructor was overheard chirping about the matter with a more veteran instructor. Both were questioning current practices and strategies, goals and results, and the effects they were noticing in their flying classes.
Miss Bluebird said to Mrs. Buzzard, "I just don't know what to do anymore. No matter what strategies I use or how I motivate my little birdies, I just can't seem to get them all to that proficient or advanced level of soaring. What is your secret, Ms. Buzzie? You always seem to take it in stride.....I mean glide."
Mrs. Buzzard smiled and replied, "I've learned not to get my feathers too ruffled over the years when it comes to government mandates. I've seen 'em come, and I've seen 'em go. No matter what those eggheaded turkeys at the state level demand or change, one things remains the same. The birds."
Miss Bluebird twittered, "What do you mean? The birds. How can they be the same? They all seem so different."
"Exactly!" crowed Ms. Buzzie. Every little birdie is different and has different needs when it comes to learning to fly. That's what the state will never get."
"Believe me, Ms. Buzzie, I know how different they are. They all want to fly........I just can't get them all to soar. The eagles are fine. It seems like they are ready to soar almost as soon as they hatch. The ducks and the geese are great fliers, but they just won't soar. And then, they just up and fly away sometime around October or November, just when they seem to be making progress. I don't see them again until the spring. By then I just don't have enough time to teach them everything about soaring that they missed while they were gone! The song birds can fly, but they are more interested in singing; the parrots just mimic what I try to tell them; the owls won't even look at me half the time, always turning their heads around backwards. The penguins can't even get off the ground. No matter what I do they just waddle all over the place when they should be flying. And the ostriches! Don't even get me started on the ostriches! I have called the parents of every single ostrich in my class and all they do is run home and bury their heads in the sand! What am I doing wrong?" Miss Bluebird screeched.
"It's not you, sweetie....I mean tweetie, it's the standards." Mrs. Buzzard calmingly tweeted. "Every bird is unique and precious. Believe it or not, they can all do something special. The problem is those turkeys at the state! Every since they started focusing on nothing but soaring, we have had to force each little bird to try to be an eagle even if it wasn't. The problem with that is only the eagles can be eagles and all the others never even get a chance to be great at what they were meant to be. Many of them get burnt out and end up at the KFC, if ya' know what I mean. Breaks my my heart when I think about the way it used to be."
"The way it used to be? What do you mean? It hasn't always been this way?" Miss Bluebird was as confused as a bird who had flown right smack into a window.
Mrs. Buzzard continued, "There was a time when flying schools were more locally controlled. Parents and local officials made most of the important decisions when it came to educating their young hatchlings. They knew what they needed and how best to get them to succeed."
"But how did that help them all to soar?"
"Oh, it didn't. But every little birdie did succeed. I know the state won't admit it, but birds can be successful, even if they can't soar like an eagle." Ms. Buzzie flapped. "You see those ducks and geese? They don't soar because they can fly thousands of miles at a time. They work together and create formations that ease the burden of flying into the wind. They take turns leading and always help the birds that fly behind. The geese and the ducks go places that the eagles never go."
Miss Bluebird blinked and hopped around nervously.............
"The song birds all have different songs to sing, beautiful songs that make the world a better place; the parrots can imitate any sound and can even mimic human speech; the owls can see and hunt at night, noislessly, I might add," Mrs. Buzzard proclaimed from her perch.
"But the penguins? What about the penguins?" Miss Bluebird trilled.
"Honey, I'm gonna let you in on a little secret.........penguins can swim!" Ms. Buzzie clucked.
"Swim?"
Mrs. Buzzard continued, "Yes, they swim. Expertly! No bird or other animal can keep up with them once you let them get in the water. It is an amazing sight to see! I'd like to see an eagle try that......even better, how about one of those turkeys running the state!"
"And the ostriches?"
"They run!" Ms. Buzzie whistled! "Run like the wind! They are one of the fastest land animals of their size! And speaking of size.......have you ever seen the size of the eggs they lay? It scrambles my mind just thinking about it."
Miss Bluebird pecked around before she spoke again, "I don't understand, Ms. Buzzie........why do the turkeys want every bird to soar like an eagle when they can individually do all of these amazing things?"
Mrs. Buzzard smoothed her feathers and spoke, "I know. I have spent many sleepless hours in my nest wondering when those turkeys are going to see the light. But you know what they say..............................?"
"How can you soar with the eagles when you surrounded by turkeys?"
"Good point. Mrs. Buzzard, good point."
