An article in Reuters this week introduces a national database of student information. It describes a capitalistic feeding frenzy, as entrepreneurs devise profitable ways to crunch the numbers, and it warns of the risks for corruption and for leaks of sensitive student data. It makes no mention whatsoever, however, of the chilling qualitative implications of the increased focus on hard data.

While I enjoy data and statistics as much as the next nerd, I worry that this technological development punctuates the beginning of the end of education as we know it. From now on, if a student's progress cannot be demonstrated as a measurable increase, it will not be relevant.

Good-bye to nurturing our poets, artists and philosophers!

Read the article: 

K-12 student database jazzes tech startups, spooks parents

reuters.com

(Reuters) - An education technology conference this week in Austin, Texas, will clang with bells and whistles as startups eagerly show off their latest wares.But the most influential new product may...