History Headscratchers / ThePeanutsMovie

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** That was a scantron test and, thanks to No Child Left Behind, those can be some real SeriousBusiness. [[labelnote:Explanation for non-Americans]] No Child Left Behind – abbreviated NCLB, passed in 2002 under UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush – was an attempt to improve American public schools up to the level of Europe's and East Asia's by creating national standards for basic academic subjects and requiring schools to report on how well students are learning. Unfortunately, the law was fundamentally flawed. For one, although central control of schools is standard in most of the world, it's a BerserkButton in the fiercely individualistic USA for a number of historic and cultural reasons; this meant the law continued to leave local school boards in charge but shifted accountability elsewhere. Second, its only way to measure "progress" was through standardized testing – again not an issue in Europe or Asia where such tests are routine and involve actual writing, especially to graduate and/or get into university… but American standardized tests are of the fill-in-the-bubble rote memorization variety seen in this movie, which don't actually prove you've learned anything. Third, despite NCLB's stated goal of improving racial disparities, the law ''punished'' underperforming schools (almost always poor and not-White) by cutting their funding and mandating state takeovers… which nearly always led to the racial achievement gap ''getting worse''. Points two and three resulted in standardized tests becoming '''''extremely''''' important, even moreso once states began tying teachers' salaries to the test scores – meaning teachers in poor districts spent valuable class time showing kids how to take the tests rather than on useful subjects, to keep from getting fired. Fourth, and perhaps most crucially, little to no money was ever allocated to implement the law the way its creators envisioned – NCLB is where the term "unfunded mandate" comes from – meaning all schools got for incentive was sticks and no carrots, and constant standardized tests are the cheapest way to do that. The law was extraordinarily unpopular with pretty much everyone except politicians and teachers' unions (though the latter soon turned on it thanks to the pay issue), and after two years in a row where increasing numbers of kids walked out of standardized tests in protest (or parents opted them out), it was repealed in 2015.[[/labelnote]]

** Dumb luck
** To elaborate, the movie makes no attempt to hide the fact that Peppermint made her answer choices in order to make a smiley face while Chuck's were rushed answers to get his test in on time. The only difference is, Patty was lucky enough that her art project coincided with the actual test answers.

** That was a scantron test and, thanks to No Child Left Behind, those can be some real SeriousBusiness.[[labelnote:Explanation for non-Americans]] No Child Left Behind – abbreviated NCLB, passed in 2002 under UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush – was an attempt to improve American public schools up to the level of Europe's and East Asia's by creating national standards for basic academic subjects and requiring schools to report on how well students are learning. Unfortunately, the law was fundamentally flawed. For one, although central control of schools is standard in most of the world, it's a BerserkButton in the fiercely individualistic USA for a number of historic and cultural reasons; this meant the law continued to leave local school boards in charge but shifted accountability elsewhere. Second, its only way to measure "progress" was through standardized testing – again not an issue in Europe or Asia where such tests are routine, especially to graduate and/or get into university… but American standardized tests are of the fill-in-the-bubble rote memorization variety seen in this movie, which don't actually prove you've learned anything. Third, despite NCLB's stated desire to improve racial disparities, the law ''punished'' underperforming schools (almost always poor and not-White) by cutting their funding and mandating state takeovers… which nearly always resulted in the racial achievement gap ''getting worse''. Points two and three resulted in standardized tests becoming '''''extremely''''' important, even moreso once states began tying teachers' salaries to the test scores – meaning teachers in poor districts spent valuable class time showing kids how to take the tests rather than on useful subjects. Fourth, and perhaps most crucially, little to no money was ever allocated to implement the law the way its creators envisioned – NCLB is where the term "unfunded mandate" comes from – meaning all schools got for incentive was sticks and no carrots, and constant standardized tests are the cheapest way to do that. The law was extraordinarily unpopular with pretty much everyone except politicians and teachers' unions (though the latter soon turned on it thanks to the pay issue), and after two years where increasing numbers of kids walked out of standardized tests in protest (or parents opted them out), it was repealed in 2015.[[/labelnote]]

* If there is an assembly specifically held for Charlie Brown, why does he seat in the public, and gets called to go to the stage? Shouldn't he go to the stage directly?

* Charlie Brown pulled out The Little Red-Haired Girl's name from the fish bow to pick as a partner for a book report assignment. Erm.... shouldn't this mean he now knows what her real name is? Why does he keep calling her "The Little Red-Haired Girl" from there and out?
** Chuck's self-esteem is so low he probably doesn't feel worthy even calling her by her name. From an storytelling perspective though...let's be honest. After all these years do we REALLY want to know her name? we'd still be calling her 'The Little Red-Haired Girl'
** The Little Red-Haired Girl's name was Heather in some of the old specials, and through a freeze frame of the test scores list show that's her name in this movie too.

* Why does Charlie Brown run to the bus to ask the Little Redhaired Girl a question when he could have more easily written it in a letter?

** Must've been one hell of a hard test to have to have gone to that extent. And considering the fact that Charlie Brown is never allowed to succeed at anything.

** That was a scantron test and thanks to No Child Left Behind those can be some real serious business.

** Marcie reads a letter from the principal, clearly indicating the school was at least involved in the assembly. And Charlie Brown didn't just get a perfect score; he's the first kid in history to get a perfect score. (May just be within the school, but still.)

** Must've been one hell of a hard test to have to have gone to that extent. And considering the fact that Charlie Brown is never allowed to succeed at anything.

* How does getting a perfect score on a test suddenly make Charlie Brown a celebrity? Okay, being popular among his classmates is one thing, but the fact that an assembly is held, he gets a medal, and there's a brief mention that people will be calling this day "Charlie Brown day"? Kids can only do so much - some of that stuff had to be done by the adults.

** There are some things that a person needs to be told in person, when he or she can see the person being asked face to face and witness the sincerity in his or her voice and body language. Chuck most likely knew if he asked in a letter, he'd forever be wondering if she meant what she wrote, or was just saying it to spare his feelings.

* Why does Charlie Brown run to the bus to ask the Little Redhaired Girl a question when he could have more easily written it in a letter?

** Maybe her departure was sudden and unexpected, since her family was tending to a sick relative. If that was the case, maybe she was gone longer than expected as well. Admittedly it doesn't make a lot of sense for the teacher to assign Charlie Brown all the work. Possibly the idea was for them to discuss the book over the phone, but Chuck was too shy to call her.

* Why is Charlie Brown allowed to partner up with someone who's out of town the entire time the report is supposed to be worked on? Even assuming there wasn't any reason the book report was in pairs to begin with, that basically amounts to one student doing another's work, which is generally considered a bad thing. Did she just not let the teacher know how long she'd be gone despite letting the other kids know?

** Chuck's self-esteem is so low he probably doesn't feel worthy even calling her by her name. From an storytelling perspective though...let's be honest. After all these years do we REALLY want to know her name? we'd still be calling her 'The Little Red-Haired Girl'

* Charlie Brown pulled out The Little Red-Haired Girl's name from the fish bow to pick as a partner for a book report assignment. Erm.... shouldn't this mean he now knows what her real name is? Why does he keep calling her "The Little Red-Haired Girl" from there and out?