Education as kumbaya
Recently the Times Dispatch reported a new plan by the Chesterfield Board of Education for the future of its beleaguered K-12 system. According to news reports, students should be prepared in the 21st century (which began 13 years ago) to solve problems critically, be productive leaders, exhibit core values of leadership and service. Had the board included work for world peace and solve the problem of world hunger, graduates of this system would be well prepared to answer questions asked of Miss America contestants. An examination of the plan shows it to be more of the usual educrat rubbish rather than a serious discussion of the problems of K-12 education.
Pupils in Chesterfield will be able to solve problems and be productive citizens. To achieve this end, the plan puts strong emphasis on interdisciplinary learning. In my experience students must have a significant grasp of the fundamentals of each discipline before being able to integrate concepts. Who will teach an interdisciplinary course? Will teachers be expected to be expert in several disciplines or will these be team taught? During my career at Governor’s School I taught a course with a science colleague that combined environmental science, economics, and government. The course was discontinued because the school could not afford the cost of two teachers in one classroom.
The Chesterfield plan places heavy emphasis on technology as an instructional tool. My experience in education demonstrated to me that many computer experts are not up to the job of integrating computers with subject matter. The amount of data in economics (see rfe.org) demonstrates the huge job it would be to find the information, translate it for use in a class room of differing abilities, and effectively use it as a teaching tool. This task would overwhelm most instructors teaching multiple subjects.
Chesterfield seems to want to replace academic rigor in a discipline with some type of “feel good,” “everyone does well” system. This fits in perfectly with the way too many children are raised today. They join a Little League team, go 0-for-4, the team loses 10-to-0, but everybody receives a trophy. Failure is not pleasant but it is part of a learning experience. Chesterfield’s apparent embrace of a “friendship” between student and teacher would undermine both academic rigor and discipline.
In recent years, Chesterfield, along with most districts in Virginia, has decreased staffing levels, and frozen pay since the 2008-2009 school year. During the past four years inflation has compounded at approximately 2% per annum while the cost of health care has had an annual rate increase of at least 5% . To remain in teaching, Chesterfield offers its staff as incentive a rapidly decreasing standard of living. Governor Bob and his misogynist, plutocrat-loving Republicans have further undermined educators’ financial futures by withholding $640 million of the state’s contribution to the Virginia Retirement System.
I know of no successful enterprise that has succeeded over the long-term without offering its staff the prospect of a better life. The fantasy proposed by the educrats in Chesterfield never addresses the fundamental problem in Education: money. Is teaching a viable career or is it something akin to being an airline stewardess in the 1960′s — something you did until you got married or went back to university to prepare of a “real” job. I’ll bet that the employees of Bain Capital worked hard because they were compensated. Why should school teachers play be different rules? Don’t the fundamental rules of Capitalism not apply to education?
– Les Schreiber
Chesterfield has been a “rah-rah” supporter of growth, right?
We in Spotsylvania have been there, done that – and two significant thing happened.
1. – the costs of schools skyrocketed both capital facilities and operations.
2. – the new folks wanted a plethora of “feel good” , “quality of life” courses there kids could take and like instead of harder core academic subjects.
I do respect the idea of “interdisciplinary” courses but my view is that only 1/3 or less of kids are actually fully proficient in basic math and science concepts.
They run like hell with their parents encouragement so they can not get hit with poor grades.
If we’re going to fix things – the FIRST thing is to get the kids back to math and science – like their global counterparts who are going to suck up jobs while our kids end up flipping burgers and driving if we do not get back to this.
Also, in Europe there are two tracks – College and Technical and technical is pretty darn robust in may respect requiring the same skills in math and science but then tailored to the career track.
Forgive me but I’m not sure that interdisciplinary is High School. It’s community college, technical schools, etc AFTER you’ve got a fundamental but robust background in math and science – and literacy.. In other words you not only understand the math and science concepts – you can correctly articulate them.. and synthesize them ..to realize the various interdisciplinary paths.
What I LIKE A LOT in high schools and middle schools are projects like robots which are real life and require a comprehensive set of skills and team approch.
I also think schools are going to fundamentally change how they do business – quickly -IMO.
The last two bastions holding out from the computer age IMHO are education and health care and we’re on the cusp of a wild ride, again IMHO.
In an online world – nothing should any kid back that has solid core fundamentals. Opportunity is huge.
here’s the chart Va and Chesterfield should be paying attention to:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/46413846/
and this one from the Nations Report Card:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/stt2009/2010460VA8.pdf
It’s pretty scary when even the educators in Chesterfield County are joining hands and singing kumbaya. I don’t think there’s much hope of salvaging the current educational system in its current incarnation.
http://www.traileraddict.com/clip/animal-house/guitar-smash
“Chesterfield seems to want to replace academic rigor in a discipline with some type of “feel good,” “everyone does well” system. This fits in perfectly with the way too many children are raised today. They join a Little League team, go 0-for-4, the team loses 10-to-0, but everybody receives a trophy.”.
Actually, that is good preparation for a future where those who study hard, sacrifice and make a lot a money are reviled for their success. You know, a future where students who break their backs getting good grades in engineering while graduating in four years should have no advantage in outcome over students who take basket weaving while spending six years to get their bachelor’s degree.
Across all areas of society we have decided that winning is either the result of faulty rules or luck. So, winners need not benefit from being winners and losers need not feel bad about themselves for failing to win.
You’ve nailed it!!!
No school in Va is prevented from using benchmarks beyond the SOLs.
When you have situations where parents are advising their kids to avoid the tougher classes because it could “hurt” their chances at college – it’s NOT the school’s fault.
we are in a massive blame game from schools to transportation to governance in general – and the truth is – it is WE that are the problem.
We blame the schools when the schools spend money on what parents and kids want – electives, sports, etc and at the same time parents and kids run away from academic rigor.
The schools are serving their “customers”.
Anyone who thinks privatization will “fix” this is playing with a 51-card deck IMHO. We simply refuse to deal with the realities.
Don the Ripper,
These kids need to blog at Bacon’s Rebellion. You work your heart out, there’s no whining and your reward is more abuse.
Too true. The JA Bacon School of Humility is always open for business.
what’s pretty shocking and most are oblivious of it is that 75% of our kids cannot qualify for a blue-collar type job with our Armed Forces.
http://www.missionreadiness.org/2012/summer/
our own kids cannot qualify for our own Armed Forces…
ouch!
Boy, does that speak volumes! And who’s fault is that? The Governor’s?
the problem is nationwide but I will say that Kaine did try to deal with some of the issues with early childhood education.
Kids who start 1st grade and are behind – usually do not have good parental support – and need additional services. And when they get them, they do work but the problem is schools have a lot of parental pressure to provide a wide range of electives, sports and Gov school and baccalaureate programs etc and these programs DO compete against K-6 needs.
Do you know what Federal Funding consists of – the federal funding that conservatives say we should cut: It’s early education money for specialists to help kids who are behind in k-3.
If Conservatives get their way – this money will go away and we’ll end up with more kids not graduating.
You can “fix” a kid in K-3 who is behind dirt cheap than trying to fix him in the 9th grade or when he’s dropping out.
They do this is Europe and Japan. We prefer the dumbass path.
A big part of the problem is the education bureaucracy. A number of years ago it was suggested Fairfax County Public Schools hire extra reading and math teachers to help K-3 kids who weren’t mastering reading and arithmetic. A number of people felt that might not only help those kids who were struggling, but also reduce special ed costs. The idea went no where as it challenged the special ed bureaucracy. Funding is available for special ed, but not for some additional help for what can be the general education student.
Another case in point. The FCPS educrats love the online textbook program it selected. But teachers, students and parents hate it.
We need to fire a full two-thirds of all school employees not in the classroom, maintaining the buildings or driving the buses.