Education reform is a big topic these days. The sad part is that "reform" is mostly discussed by those who are not in power to do anything about it. After researching the candidates for our new Sate Superintendent of Public Instruction, I had decided to no longer support the Republican candidate that we currently have in office, but to support a new comer instead. Why? Well, I am anxious to see some reform of my own.
Recently our local high school students were given a test, it was a workforce preparedness test. The report that I received through the grapevine is that most of the students at the high school did not pass this test.
Back in December I was invited to present my workforce development program to school administrators from across the area. At least ten high schools were represented I was told. Most left right after lunch and right before we spoke. I had brought two of my students with me to speak about the impact that the program had upon them and their preparation for their future. My students did not let me down, they were amazing. I was so proud of them. The college that I was working with then said that in about a week they would follow-up with the schools to see who wanted to sign up for the program.
I waited for nearly three months. E-mailing and phoning about every three weeks to see where we were at, and how many schools had signed up. The college never actually contacted the schools, they waited for the schools to contact them! That did not happen. My two biggest clients, the pilot schools, did not even call. It was speculated that because I personally could not teach the courses for them, that they did not feel the course would be nearly as effective (can't be in ten places at once over a hundred miles). So my new dilema...how do you clone me?
It seemed too that if I became more assertive, by requiring a certain number of schools to sign up for certification of instructors, that I was seen as agressive and therefore the college did not want to work with me at all (this tends to happen more often with women than with men). So here were are...a nation in crisis. A workforce in crisis! And no one seems to sense the urgency of it all? I am absolutely beside myself! How come no one is being more assertive about this issue? Those of us who are...are now black balled. How come these schools are not banging down my door begging for the solutions, which they know I have?!
So, I decided to design, develop and publish the curriculum on my own...the curriculum that is proven to work. And I am making every connection possible at the State level to get this program into the schools. Yes, I will be assertive. Yes, I might be aggressive. Now is not the time to sit back and say, "This is the way that we have always done it." If you do things the same way that you have always done them, then don't be surprised when you get the same results that you have always gotten!!
I personally am ready to change our educational system and the first item of business is to quit testing our students to death and start giving the new learning real world application. Teach these students how to fail! Allow them to fall in the safety of the classroom if not within the safety of their own homes (where this type of learning should be taking place!). Then, show them, ask them, teach them how to dust themselves off and GET-BACK-UP! Allow them to figure out how it works, let them make mistakes and give them consequences both good and bad.
This is a part of learning too, not just seeing how you can regurgitate information back to me. As an educator require that the student knows what can be done with the information and then allow the student to brainstorm NEW possibilities! We need another GREAT generation, not a mediocre one. This can only be done through truly great educators. Take the teaching to a new level, raise the bar and do not ever be afraid of where this might take you!