"I Just Wanna Be Average" By Mike Rose

In "I Just Wanna Be Average" talks about how himself, Mike Rose, was placed in the "vocational education" program at his high school. While in this "vocational education" program Rose began to learn some dead end skills from his teachers that were to often unprepared, underprepared, or incompetent. Rose contends that those students in the "vocational" track have been written off but some show unrealized potential and specifies reasons why the school system allows them to fail.

The quote that struck out to me was when a student by the name of Ken Harvey was asked by the teacher an opinion about parable talents, about achievement, and working hard. Ken stated that "he just wants to be average" (page 3, "I Just Wanna Be Average" by Mike Rose.) Like Mike Rose this statement startled me for the simple fact that who just wants to be an average person. The school system is built that if you don't excel in the "normal" classes you are viewed as "slow" or just an "average" student trying to get by with minimal effort.

The term that is central to the text is "vocational education" program (page 2, "I Just Wanna Be Average" by Mike Rose.) The term "vocational education" program to me is providing the student with basic job-skills necessary for him to be "average" in society. The main goal is provide training to students who are deemed by the school system not able to gain adequate knowledge to get a better job in society. They provide them with the basic knowledge, information, facts etc. to get an average job which in turn affords them an average lifestyle.

These "vocational education" classes use various tests, such as the Stanford-Binet for placement in tracks which are deemed essential for the student in question. However like Rose some of these students fall through the cracks and are placed in these tracks, remaining there for extended periods of time. If you were a student like Rose after awhile you would begin to be bored with the subject matter if it was handed down to you in a "watered down" like manner.

The key component out of all of this is that nobody should want to be a "average" person period. Everyone should set high standards for oneself and go above and beyond the means established to get them. However, sometimes the school system places limits on who or how far a certain individual can go. School systems forget how powerful a layered or important knowledge is. It can take you from your present situation and place no limits on were you want to go. You shouldn't want to be "average" you should want to be "GREAT!''