I have received strong opinions or comments when I share posts on this blog on Facebook. It is frustrating sometimes to see how strong an individual takes a stand, yet evidence is sorely lacking. We can easily get misinformed especially when we listen to only what we want to hear, and read what we only want to see. We are very comfortable when our knowledge matches what we want to believe. This applies to issues that are very significant to us. Take, for instance, how well we think our own children are doing in school.
A recent representative national survey in the United States of parents and guardians of children enrolled in public schools shows how far our perception is from reality.
Parents like to believe that their children are doing well in their school. The reality is that most children are not reaching proficiency in both math and reading.
What is surprising, however, is when parents are made to think about the future. Here, their perception seems closer to reality. When asked if their children are ready for college, the numbers for perception and reality are closer to each other.
We seem to be more careful with our opinions and perceptions when there is clearly a possibility that we can be proven right or wrong.
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