Is anybody else upset at the latest tactics our Federal government is resorting to in an attempt to get schools to comply with their latest initiative for "fixing" education?

Yesterday's Washington Post carried an article where, as it describes, the Obama Administration is using $4 Billion in additional funding to "strong-arm the education establishment to accept more charter schools and performance pay for teachers."

So, last month is was national education standards; this month it's teacher pay and charter schools (which, BTW, tend to be more-or-less independent from their resident districts, so how would "national standards" work in autonomous charters?).

Am I the only one that is concerned about this unending litany of "solutions" when the establishment has yet to really identify the problem -- or more importantly, the CAUSE?

If we can't -- or aren't willing to -- ask, "What problem are we trying to solve?" then how do we expect to come up with a real solution?

What problem are we trying to solve by implementing more charter schools?  Sure, there are many that really do produce better students, have safer environments, and keep parents and teachers happy. But a large number of them fail or see their charters revoked.

Link teacher pay to performance?  How can we do that when a great deal of teacher "performance" is hampered by unruly, disruptive kids who don't know any better or weren't taught what they need to succeed in a classroom environment?  Most newbie teachers won't last long enough to figure out how to survive in the educational jungle, and those that do frequently end up burned out and demoralized.  I don't know about you, but you can't pay me enough to stay in a job where I can't "succeed" or don't feel like my time is accomplishing anything.

Before we start throwing yet MORE money at the problem, why can't we step back and take a look at what is really going on. What are the needs of the students, the teachers, the principals and administrators. I'm willing to bet most of them, if you asked, aren't going to say, "Gee, we should become a CHARTER school."

However, there seems to be only a limited set of correct answers our government expects. Anything else, and you forfeit $4 Billion.  Sorry...you lose. Or rather, our kids do, which means we ALL do.

This post is long overdue.  I promised on July 4th, I'd write it the very next day.

Funny how real life has a way of messing with our plans, huh?

So, another "Independence Day" has come and gone; another year in our country's lifespan.  I had a very eye-opening personal experience that to me shows we are getting farther and farther from what our country was founded for in the first place.

During 4th of July dinner, when we were playing Sousa marches in the backyard, pursuing the American pasttime of searing flesh over hot coals, and listening to the far (and not so far) off booms of the M-80's exploding around the neighborhood, we got into a discussion with the kids about the true meaning of this national holiday.

Middle daughter, who has just finished 5th grade, at the top of her class AND in an advanced program has gained THIS understanding of Independence Day (I paraphrase, but you'll get the idea):

• The 4th of July is when America was born.  It's when all 50 states and all 13 colonies were finally "together."  She went further to explain that this was symbolized by our flag which finally had our 50 states and 13 colonies all repsented on it.
• Next I asked her about the Declaration of Independence.  Well, she'd heard of it. They talked about it in class.  "We learned it was important. It declared our freedom."  I asked her about freedom from WHOM and she told me, well, they never "got to" that in class.

Is this troubling anyone else?  I had a chat with a dear friend of mine the year that eldest daughter was going into 5th grade because I had concerns about what my kids were learning -- or not -- in school.  This former Assistant Superintendent assured me that 5th grade was when the kids would really start learning the important things about our country.  I had fond memories of my own 5th grade, where we did reports on each of the Presidents of the United States, did our states' reports and studies, and generally learned the basics about civics such as the three branches of our nation's government.

Apparently our kids today don't get that -- or at least -- not yet?  They have studied the lifecycles of slugs and isopods (fancy word for "sowbug").  They did 5 weeks on ancient civilizations and played a fantasy game with it (my daughter's group were the Mesopotamians). They've studied Native American tripes several years in a row...but what have they learned about the United States, how we came to be, why -- not much.  Oh, but they were shown a video that explains the "facts" of Global Warming -- Al Gor's "An Inconvenient Truth" no less!  I guess since he was Vice President that helps them relate to our government and our country's leaders, right?

I'm not trying to knock "other knowledge" because I'm sure they are learning things that are both valuable and interesting. But, I'm not sure how slugs and isopods will help my kids be better citizens, learn to judge why they live in this country, what's important about it, and how our government, laws and legislation work. Maybe they'll say about that: "Well, we knew it was important but we didn't 'get to' what was important about it." There is key learning here that just isn't happening. 

Sad commentary for our great nation on its 233rd birthday. That too many of its young people don't get a chance to know you, America, why people fought and died -- and continue to do so -- because they still believe what our Founding Fathers believed. The Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave.

Yesterday I received in the mail a copy of Scott Oki's latest book, Outrageous Learning, an Education Manifesto.

I couldn't wait to read it as it's all about the former Microsofter's ideas for transforming our public education system (something near and dear to my heart, particularly today!)

I've already finished it.  Scott opens the book with some great points; things he can get away with saying, which are the same things that get me into trouble.   For example:

"We lament the downward path of our K-12 public school education system. The United States spends $500 billion a year just maintaining the public school systems we have now.  We devote billions more public and private dollars each year to try to improve and fix them...There are too many indicators that we are on a negative spiral; and...we accelerate down the path toward mediocrity...or worse."

I couldn't agree more. What's worse is the next paragraph where he asks the question I lament over so often:

"So, where is the public outrage?  I believe the lack of sufficient emotional energy to make a positive diference in public education is due to the fact that we, as individuals, feel powerless to fix a problem that is a multi-headed hydra of gargantuan size."

Again, I agree, where IS the public outrage? Why do we accept this as the best we can do?  Even the Hydra was vanquished by Hercules; changing the education system will take a Herculean effort, of that you can be sure.

But, what better thing to devote our energies and emotions to? If we are "ok" with, as Oki points out, that our current generation is less educated than its parents were, for the first time in history, then we should just continue to go our merry ways, pretend all is well, and be ready to accept that we deserve the mediocrity we are all too often getting . And soon, we will be overtaken by all the other countries out there who recognize children are vital human capital: our future workforce, future leaders, seeds of the next generations and invest accordingly in preparing them for that future.

As Oki points out, we're going to have to have a major mindset change if anything is to appreciably improve. I find it ironic that I said the same thing in a post from the other day which today I was asked to remove from this blog because it angered two of the five people who actually read it. But, my goal in writing it wasn't to embarrass any particular individuals or entities, rather to express my frustration at the "system" which is the same system Oki seeks to reform in many of the same ways I've been suggesting. I've made my apologies for causing other people distress because positive outcomes for all is what drives me to do what I do and say what I say.

I'm glad there are other people that are saying the same things; perhaps if enough of us say the same things, to enough people, with enough passion and committment, we WILL see a change. After all, aren't our KIDS worth it?