What are the roadblocks? What's stopping true critical thinking from happening? I'll tell you, as a 19 year vet: the standards.

The standards are the ANTITHESIS of engaging students in critical content. Rather than just being the what of teaching, they are the be all and end all. There K-12 system teaches standards to children... Not children WITH standards. It's not mere semantics. It's literally everything. Only in a technical course where a certain number of facts or skilled need to be mastered do you need a clearly listed set of standards. Or if you're making something to spec in a factory. Or if you're Burger King preparing a Whopper. Otherwise, standards are not only unnecessary, they are curiosity and sadly debilitating to teachers and students alike, reducing the classroom to a fast food kitchen.

Thoughts?