When guests come to visit CCA, I often take them to the wall over there, with the posted results of your fitness testing. The Presidential Fitness Test, which Mr. Buller and Mrs. Blecke have you perform, used to be a part of education in just about every school. I remember taking it when I was a kid in the 1980’s, trying as hard as I could to meet the Presidential Standards.
The test was actually started way back in the Eisenhower administration in the 1950’s and was implemented in some fashion in schools, until it was brought to an end in 2012. So why did so many schools stop using the test?
Well, the answer is a little complicated, but a big part of it was that the grown-ups thought we should award progress—each child improving for himself—not excellence, where each child is measured against a high and difficult standard. The problem is that we shouldn’t have to pick between progress and excellence.
At CCA, we think individual progress is important, too; we’re proud of each of you for getting faster, stronger, better. And we also know that not every one of you will meet the Presidential Standards. But, in a sense, that’s exactly why they are important.
Vince Lombardi, one of the greatest football coaches of all time, said: “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” Don’t fret if you don’t achieve the Presidential Standards; it’s only a failure if you don’t even try to meet them.
Have a wonderful day.
