How to Help Your Primary School Student

The most important way to help your child's performance in school is to be interested and readily and often show interest.  It is important to show appreciation for your child's achievements and even more important, that you appreciate their efforts regardless of results.  You need to praise your child for creativity and provide opportunities outside of school and also encourage the school to provide opportunities  for students to play freely and with as few rules as necessary to allow safety and civility toward others.

As a parent or grandparent you are an example to your child.  Anything you criticize, and that includes school curriculum and teachers, will be treated by the students with less respect than if you save your criticisms for private times and turn them into constructive comments  to the teachers and schools.  Primary children will copy your beliefs and examples, so you want to be careful of everything you say and do around your child.  They should leave for school each day feeling that they are heading to a happy place, and if you detect that they are not happy, you should find out why and work with the school to eliminate the unhappy event.

It is important to help your child with their homework (or ask the teacher for suggestions if you do not understand it) but that you not do the homework for them.  Reading to  or with your child each day remains an important activity and by primary school, children will notice if you read daily and will develop a deep desire to read like you do.You should let your student know that you expect them to be in school unless they are ill, in which case they should stay home for the sake of the other kids, and that they should be on time.  They will be watching you to be sure that these things are important to you and they will follow your example.  You should be sure that your child keeps up with vaccination schedules and encourage all parents to follow suit for the sake of the other children in the school.

Each child needs to be sent to school with a good breakfast and provision should be made for lunch.  All public schools have breakfast and lunch programs for students who can not afford it, and schools try to minimize drawing attention to children who need to get free and reduced price lunches. 

Schools have rules designed to promote learning, provide safety, and protect children.  Parents should insist that their child follow the rules.  If you disagree with the rules then you should discuss that with your child's school, not your child.  Teachers and other school employees sometimes make errors, thinking there is a fight when children are playing or mistaking which student threw the snowball for instance.  Again, you should take the problem to the school and have the student called in after the experience is explained to the school. 

Finally, parents should listen to what the school says and try to evaluate the information they may give you without prejudice.  They are there to help you and help your student.  It has to be very hard to accept some of the things schools tell parents about their children, but if the school tells you your student has a problem with academics or behavior or whatever else they may find, evaluate the information they give you carefully, discuss it with other family and professionals and see if their information has merit.  Do your own investigation to see what you think and how others handle similar situations and talk to the school professionals.  Come to a fair conclusion and then expect everyone to carry out their responsibilities.

You will notice that much of the above relies on conversation with the school.  Schools exist to help students learn and grow.  Schools are increasingly responsible to the community for their students and if you do not like the help you've been able to get from your community school from many conversations, look around and see what other avenues are available.  Here in Michigan if your local school is not living up to standards, you may have the option of charter schools, defined as public for profit schools that go across school district lines and get their financial support from the state, and schools of choice, where you can request to attend schools outside of your local area with the state funds going to the new school instead of the old.  Within a school district you may also be able to choose one of several schools and you can investigate what may be available in virtual schools.  So other school options are available and you need to work to see that your child is in the best option available to him.

How Can You Help Your Child with Their Education

Before I head into a topic that I will be spending several days discussing, I'd like to point you to a website recommended by one of our readers that I found interesting and in line with my beliefs.  Check out :

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204422404576596630897409182.html?mod=WSJ_Careers_CareerJournal_5

Now, on with today's topic which has been a question I've been asked often as I've written.

First, as soon as you think about becoming pregnant, begin eating a well balanced diet rich in folic acid and take the vitamins recommended by your doctor.  Also, check with your doctor to be sure all of your medications are safe for pregnancy.  Then, when you think you are pregnant, head early to your doctor and go as often as she says.  Also, if you drink or do drugs, stop all such activity immediately.  This will give your child the best chance of being born healthy.


At least as soon as your baby is born, begin reading to your child daily.  Talk constantly to them not in baby talk but in adult talk from the moment they are born or before.  Give them all of the love and attention you can.  Provide opportunities for them to play from their earliest moments.  Babies love repetition, so you can read the same book over and over (interestingly, when my 12 year old granddaughter visited last month, I asked her to choose a book to read and she chose her favorite from her earliest years Caps for Sale), you can tell them all that you do, you can treat them as a person.  Give them the gift of regularity, a schedule if you will.  Make sure they have plenty of sleep, plenty of food, and plenty of exercise.  Finally, limit their exposure to tv and other electronics.  These things will get them ready for a successful school experience and none of this takes excessive money.  It takes only time and interest.


Tomorrow I will talk about elementary school, then high school and finally post secondary.  Then I will hit on the other topic people have asked about, suggestions for how to proceed with the National Red Flag for Education Day on January 10.

Education in Singapore and Korea

We often look to Asia when we're looking for the best education.  Singapore and South Korea are consistently high scorers on international tests so we think they must have some good education ideas.  It's pretty common knowledge that students there spend more time in school with longer days and more days each year so we automatically assume our students need more time in school.  A deeper look, however, will reveal that parents in South Korea are not so happy about education in their country.  Most send their children to public school by day and to special programs either online or in what we would call tutorial sessions at night and on week-ends.  Those sessions are often longer hours and more rigorous than the public schools.  In fact, South Korea now outlaws the tutorials after 10 P.M. for younger students as students will go late into the night every night day after day many times.  Many still attempt to operate late illegally.  Students often sleep during their public school classes.

Like is often the case here, these schools operate on a "teach to the test" basis.  The students come out with little or no ability to do the critical thinking and problem solving needed in the real world but stocked with facts that will be on the test.  Educators there are looking toward the U.S. to help them find ways to insure that their students are ready for careers and life skills.

This is why we need to look toward Europe, especially Finland, instead of Asia for solutions to our education problems.  We need children who can think for themselves, not children who have been inundated with facts only.  We need children who are prepared to enhance their democracy with their ideas, not those who can be easily indoctrinated with the thoughts of others.  We need an education system that's fully funded and able to hire the best teachers who are given the freedom to guide their students in a variety of ways toward the goal of happy children with the ability to think. 

Education Funding Revisited

Early on I wrote a post about the necessity of increased funding for schools.  Michigan's politicians have been constantly busy working on anti-education (maybe it's anti-union but it's effect is anti-education) legislation.  It is time to stop and evaluate the results of all that has gone on.  An announcement in the Grand Rapids Press and on all television stations in the area last night informed people that a large Muskegon County school is asking for take-over by the state.  The people of the state need to realize that this request is largely because of cut after cut in the per student education funding.  This is the first school district that has actually asked to be taken over although others have been taken over because they ultimately failed.  I think this state may be at the point where other school districts will be asking for takeover as well. 

Lack of funding is the direct reason for the request but other changes in the education reform laws make it more advantageous to go to this extreme.  With recent changes in state law, emergency managers can now throw out contracts, do away with local school board oversight, and make many other such changes.  I have to ask myself and any citizens of the state of Michigan must ask themselves at this point if they want their children to attend underfunded, low morale schools who are run by the state.  It's time to take back education in Michigan!

When Schould Technology Be Used in Schools?

Child psychologists generally agree that children younger than two, although they are very able to use ipads and smart phones, should not.  At that age the brain is still in development.  They also believe that children should be carefully monitored and strictly limited until they enter school. 

Once children get to elementary school there is a big difference in how different people feel about children using technology.  One large group of parents and educators believes that in elementary school children should be working on their creative skills and that can be hindered by computer/calculator/cell phone use.  Some schools go as far as totally banning such use during school hours.  The other sector believes that if students use technology correctly their educational experience will be enhanced.  Still others believe like I do that young students need to be developing their creative side, need lots of opportunities for free play and should use computers in the classroom only where it will enhance the experience.  Examples would be the language teacher who uses Skype to share language and culture with students in other countries or the math teacher that allows students to use a calculator function to check their math homework after they have done it the hard way.

By the time students have reached middle school, students will need to start using computers more in the classroom, researching and writing papers, advanced math, and as we discussed earlier.  By the time students graduate they need to be very familiar with all of the kinds of programs that they will need in their careers or further education.

Virtual education also has a place as an adjunct to public schools.  Research shows, however, that it can not stand alone without much support from parents or on site teachers and even then it is iffy.  It is imperative that the provider be carefully checked out to be sure the programs are well thought out and the teachers are certified and responsive.

I support all efforts to use technology to help teachers and administrators save time.  Many are not familiar enough with software programs, however, and adequate training must be done to insure that all feel comfortable with the software and are not intimidated by it. 

Technology as a Tool for Schools and Teachers

Communication probably receives the most benefit from technology.  Using databases of phone numbers and email addresses, schools can inform parents when problems arise, sending email notices when schools are cancelled and when children are sick or emergencies occur.  Parents can be informed when their child is having any kind of a problem and most schools have sites where parents can sign in and find everything from homework assignments to student grades.  Bus drivers can notify authorities of accidents they may come across or let the school know if students will be delayed by problems on the road.  Schools can increase parent participation by making sure each parent is informed about meetings that will be held.  Teachers can electronically communicate with the office without sending a student out of the room.  Lockdowns if they must occur can be managed by technological devices.  For communications purposes, technology has caused a major change.

That's only the tip of the iceberg, however.  Energy savings and safety have been enhanced.  Buildings can be better connected, accounting is enhanced and organizing and presenting material and programs can be improved and less preparation time may be wasted.  While teacher evaluations are becoming increasingly more comprehensive, some of the time in preparation can be  shortened through technology.

Teachers can use technology both as an enhancement to their classrooms and a time saver.  Ideas and materials for improving and energizing their classrooms are as close as their computer.  There are a number of programs including but not exclusively power point that can be used for making lessons at home and using them in the classroom often from year to year with only minor changes each year/class.  White boards full of information can be transferred to your computer and the computer full of information can be transferred to the white board.  Work done at home can easily be transferred to the classroom.  Grading programs can help with the time factor of evaluations.  It is easy to communicate with other teachers and share ideas.  Web sites, tweets and blogs abound with excellent information to help peer communications.  It is easy to communicate with experts and to keep up with new knowledge. 

This only scratches the surface on ways technology has changed and continues to change for the school and administration.  How it is used varies by district and classroom and in part that is determined by the care with which the school chose a tech administrator.  Since this is a fast changing field, schools would be well served to be sure they have the best person on staff to help the staff, and teachers would be well served to use technology to help energize and stimulate their teaching.

Tomorrow we'll take a look at whether all this technology is good for the classroom.  In fact, the jury is still out on many aspects of it.

Technology - Virtual Classes

Many states have requirements that students take one class "on the computer" before high school graduation.  Some states even require two or more.  These classes are usually structured using two teachers, one that may be any place and may have no actual real contact with the student.  This teacher will be responsible for and an expert in what is taught, doing the grading and interacting with the student in a timely manner to answer questions, sometimes designing but always providing assignments and doing evaluation.  Since this teacher has no actual face to face contact with the student, the other teacher is responsible for making sure the student is doing the work themselves in a timely manner and making sure the student has access to the computer as needed.  The two teachers may talk about the student's progress and problems.  Ideally both teachers are certified but it may be that neither are.

This can be an effective method of instruction and is certainly cheaper for the school district as each teacher can be responsible for more students.  It is also used sometimes for home schooling as the parent serves as the supervisory teacher and the expert provides the subject manner and evaluation.  This may be effective if the student is basically self-motivated.

Recently several school districts have been experimenting with a blended technique using computers for the basic materials two or three days a week and having another teacher supplement in person the rest of the days.  It was hoped that this would provide both a cheaper way of educating and the "personal touch" of a classroom teacher.

Studies have shown that both of these types of virtual education do indeed save money.  Corresponding studies do not show an equality in the education received, however.  Students who participate in an educational format that is mostly virtual or blended are shown to be more likely to not graduate or have their graduation delayed.  Students who are not self-motivated find it more difficult to stay focused.  It is also not condusive for use with most special needs students.  It has the requirement that students have good and frequent access to computers and the internet.  All students who complete one or more classes will have demonstrated that they have at least some knowledge of computers.

Tomorrow - technology for the schools and teachers.

Technology in our Schools - Student Perspective

I will be writing about Technology for the next three or four days.  Today's post will barely touch on the possibilities for using technology in the classroom.  It's quick and easy to understand using computers for research and writing papers.  We also frequently hear about using calculators or computers to easily solve mathematics problems.  Skype and other conferencing technologies allow students around the globe to communicate in different languages and share ideas and culture.  Programs allow students to show creativity in art, music and writing.  Add to that the skill aspect of technology, using them to directly affect career skills, and another student benefit is created.

Technology is more than computers and programs today, however.  It allows students to have fun during  regular activities; for example they can push a button or buzzer to indicate correct answers and find it better than raising their hand.  It can give immediate feedback to students with quizzes or homework, allowing learning deficits to be immediately corrected.

There are many other ways students can use technology in their education.  Student use is only one aspect however.  We'll be checking out virtual classrooms, the use of technology by the teachers and the institution of the school, and finally we'll check look at whether all this technology is good for education.  Stay tuned.

The Lunch Program

 I'm sure many of you have heard, pizza sauce can now be considered a vegetable for hot lunch purposes.  I can remember when ketchup was deemed a vegetable during the Reagan era and what a stink there was about that.  It was a time when there wasn't even such an obesity crisis.  I'm urging Congress to set valuable standards for hot lunch programs, offering all students a healthy meal and setting an example.  Since good nutrition promotes health and brain function, you'll be helping students become even higher performing students as well.

While we're considering nutrition in the schools, let's consider the rest of the picture.  There are schools that are setting a good example across the board with their lunches, snacks and beverages but there are those that still offer sugary drinks and candy snacks.  Many also offer alternative lunches that are more like what you'd find in the fast food restaurants.  I have no objections to alternatives; in fact, I support offering the students more than one variety of NUTRITIOUS meal each day.  I think schools should always set a good example, and foods are no exception.  I hear from some that kids will throw or trade away the food that's good for them.  My response is that they will see the examples of good food and know the difference.  If they're hungry enough they will eat it.  Meanwhile, there should be low pressure times when the school helps their students learn the values of various food.  As adults we need to strive to help our children be as healthy as possible by encouraging healthy eating.

Grades

To grade or no to grade, that is not the only question when it comes to grading public school students.  Some people feel that students learn more if not grades are not granted; others feel students must be graded or they will not work hard.  Both can find research supporting their opinions.  I believe that which method works best depends on the personality of the student and the relevance of whatever the subject is to the needs and desires of that student.

Many in education feel that the self-confidence and self-esteem of the student will be affected if the student's grades are not the best.  That is the primary reason for grade inflation.  The problem is that if all students are doing very well, often getting all As, how are future employers to determine which students have the skills they need?  I believe that each student has his/her own strengths and weaknesses and an employer has the right to expect an A student to be above average in that subject.  The school can ensure the self-esteem of the student by working hard to help students achieve the best they can in every subject area  and letting the student know that their work ethic in doing so is as valuable as the grade. 

As important as "to grade or to grade" option is whether or not all students should receive the same diploma.  These days students with special needs can get special help.  For instance, as student with dyslexia can have tests read aloud to them; students that are blind can have tests read to them; mainstreamed special education students can have tests read to them, etc.  This may actually give special needs students a leg up over regular students.  I know of one teacher who complained that the special education students in her classroom were having tests read aloud by a special education teacher.  That was okay, but these students were doing much better on tests that the rest of the class.  Upon investigation she found out that on multiple choice questions she was giving them 2 rather than 4 choices and on fill in the blank questions she gave them 2 choices.  Is that fair to the student, to the rest of the class and to the employer?  I also know of one dyslexic student decided on her own that even though she was entitled to have everything read to her, she would have to live in a world where she read in her own slow way and that she needed to work overtime to do the best she could on her own.  That student not only managed to become fluent enough by the time she arrived in college that she got almost all grades of A and but she has a very successful start to her career. 

My point here is that wherever possible I believe we need to urge and encourage students to work extra hard on their own and we will see spectacular results.  I think that students who automatically get to take the easy road will expect the easy road in the rest of their life, and that's not likely to be a good road.

So my solution is to grade and grade fairly but use the grades as a tool to help a student improve and work hard, not as proof that the student can't compete.

Getting Ready for Adulthood

When students leave school they should be ready for adulthood.  Both parents and schools should be involved in the process of "growing up", but when parents fail, the school must pick up the slack.  What specifically am I referring to?

Schools and parents both need to require manners, promptness, politeness, reliability and respect from students.  They need to require students to be in school every day unless they have an appropriate reason like illness, they need to require students to be prompt, and they need to require respect between students and between students and teachers.  Teachers need to model these characteristics and parents should also.

You may wonder why schools are hesitant to demand these characteristics.  Schools are concerned about keeping students in school as well as parental support.  These are valid concerns.  However, if you look at what has happened to work ethic and service in this country, I think it shows a necessity for these characteristics.  How often do we wait for repair people to arrive to fix things only to have them decide to come another day and not inform us?  How often are sales people rude and abrupt? How often is work shoddy or incomplete?  How often are students missing these characteristics? 

I believe we must be emphatic in demanding the best from our students not only in learning the facts but also in demanding the best work ethic and personal characteristics that they can promote.

Ponderings on Education

It's been a week since I've blogged about education and you may have wondered why. There is a reason and I'll try to explain it below.

A week ago I received an invitation to watch a 1 1/2 hour movie online about worldwide education.  I gladly did so without a moment's hesitation.  While I'm glad I watched the movie, its content made me question much of what I'd thought about education.  The basic premise was that education is designed to meet the needs of big business and government and is often detrimental to the newly educated, removing them from the heritage and culture that they knew.  Similar to the way Native Americans were treated in the U.S., students from around the world are removed from the influence of their local area, sometimes even from forces as powerful as their language, and indoctrinated into the beliefs and circumstances of corporations and governments. 

While this movie concentrated on the country of India, it talked of the way churches and philanthropic groups went to the rural most poor areas and established schools based on Christian teachings and the English language.  Education in these schools was designed to indoctrinate children so each came out identical, cookie cutter style.  This was presented as the way to improve oneself in an area where water, food, and housing is in very short supply.  Many of these students were encouraged to go on to further their lives in large metropolitan areas of India.  The idea of careers as teachers, lawyers, doctors and even direct sales held the lure of great wealth as presented.  Once they arrived in large cities, they found they couldn't keep up with the studies, they weren't familiar enough with the culture of the large cities to succeed, and they couldn't return home as they no longer had knowledge of the customs and culture of their home area so they could live there.  They became the lower class in the slums of the cities with only a very small percentage being able to thrive.

As the movie went on, it showed other cultures, including the indigenous people from our country in similar situations and I realized that it is a fact that we are increasingly preparing all students nearly the same cookie cutter fashion with the emphasis on corporate/governmental needs instead of individual student and community needs.  I needed to ponder on what this meant.

So, for a week I pondered.  I thought of the people of our country and the education  they got in my day and the education they get today.  I thought of the need for safety and how that means preparing for the community in which you live.  I remembered the summer this country family spent in New York City and how unprepared we were for many of the problems we encountered.  For instance, we did not know the safe areas of the city, did not properly safeguard our possessions, and were shocked when the university where we were staying called their lawyer before they called 911 when our son was injured.  I remember spending two weeks in Chile in a poor rural area (at least by U.S. standards) and yet seeing how extremely happy the people were and how grateful for minor kindnesses most were.

My conclusion is that like an earlier blog about needing nature, we also need stimulation from our own customs and situations.  It's all tied together, the need for self and it needs to recognized by the school.  It is a positive step to consult with business to provide education for the jobs that exist and will exist, but we cannot ignore the community and the nature that surrounds the community.  It's more than just jobs that people need.  It's a total happiness, joy in life and in their situation in life.  In each community the school needs to be a part of that community nurtured by the members of the community growing in ways respected by the community.  Local areas seem to know best those things that bring happiness yet the educators need to bring an accepting attitude and a willingness to combine nature, culture, and the knowledge needed to move forward in that community.

I'm ready to move on again.  Tomorrow I'm going to suggest some additional teachings we need to provide within our schools.

Favorite and Best Educators

Tonight I will tell you about my favorite teachers and those that I think were the best and I'll tell you why.  I'd like to have you tell me about yours as well and I hope in a later post that I might be able to draw some conclusions from what we think makes a good teacher.

My best teacher was Mrs. Doty who taught me in both fourth and sixth grades.  Mrs. Doty was noted as a tough teacher who didn't waste time and had high standards.  She was also a fair teacher who used a variety of methods for evaluation and recognized and acknowledged the strengths and weaknesses of children.  I was one of those students who finished my work quickly and well and she was careful to make sure all in the class who needed it always had new and challenging work to do when we were done with assignments.  She used the old school methods to teach making sure we all knew our math facts, our handwriting was good, rote was the norm, but she also made room for outdoor education and other fun activities.  It should be noted that many of my classmates didn't like Mrs. Doty because of the high standards she demanded.

In high school I had another excellent teacher named Mr. Lorch.  Mr. Lorch was the band director.  He made sure that  parents were involved not only through concerts but also to provide funds.  We used funds raised by "band parents" to buy uniforms, go to band camp and annually attend the U of M band day on a football day.  We attended parades in the area and band contests with different programs created and practiced for each event.  He was very knowledgeable about the instruments, music history, composing, reading music and other related topics.  I was not particularly talented but he made us all try as hard as we could.  You would call him an inspiring teacher and I do not know of any student who did not like him.

So what made them good teachers?  Let me hear about your favorites and see if there appear to be common threads.  Press the comment button to send your comments.

A Look at the Education System in Finland

The education system of Finland is generally considered one of the best in the world and there are reasons why.  Forty years ago more or less the people of Finland took a long hard look at their country and how they were going to survive and prosper in a world when they had few natural resources of a magnitude that would help them provide for themselves.  They came up with a unique source  - the intelligence of their people.  That became one of their highest priorities and has remained so since.

Finland provides free and open education to all for the voluntary kindgergarten (age 6) and nine years of basic education.  This includes a free hot lunch and, since medical care is free for all, all children enter as healthy as possible.  After and before school activities and special education are also provided.  Guidelines of what should be accomplished in each grade are provided but methodology and evaluation is left to local authorities and especially to individual teachers.  School starts in mid-August and lasts 190 days until early June.

Beyond basic education students can enter vocational training where they are prepared in 3 years to begin a specific vocation.  Many also go on to upper secondary education where graduates can attend either a University which is more academic or artistic or a Polytechnical school which is based more on labor needs and R&D.  Higher level degrees are available in either of these options.

So the mechanics are not so much different that here in the U.S.A.  What makes their program more successful?  Below are a few examples and at the end I will recommend an article which adds more detail:
1)  Rather than privatizing schools, controlling methodology, and constantly testing kids, Finland chose to do what it needed to provide top-notch teachers.  Teachers come from the university level and all teachers must have a master's degree.  Candidates are carefully selected and the majority of students applying for teacher education are not accepted.  Teachers are very respected by society as they are the best they have.
2)  In their opinion the goal is economic growth, education drives economic growth and therefore, investment in education is a primary investment for the future growth.
3)  Funding is ongoing and sustainable, allowing schools to concentrate of teaching students.
4)  Since there is only one mandated exam at the end of basic education, teachers can better determine what, how, and when to teach individual subjects within their grade level.  Time is not wasted preparing for tests.
5)  Every effort has been made to remove the political aspect from Finnish education.  On the national level both parties cooperate to provide what's needed for the best possible education and because it's education that provides economic opportunity, it continues to improve.
6)  Business, labor and government cooperate to keep education strong and changing as world conditions
demand.  This not only means business input into what's needed in any given province, but it also means voluntary cooperation by teachers unions as they are treated as part of the improvement process.

The above is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to differences between Finland and the U.S. in education.  An easy to read and more comprehensive comparison can be found at

http://bertmaes.wordpress.com/2010/02/24/why-is-education-in-finland-that-good-10-reform-principles-behind-the-success/


We need to learn from others where we can.  Please add your comments at the end of this post.

What It's Like to be a Public School Teacher Today

As usual many of the specifics of tonight's blog deal with Michigan education.

First there is the trainiing necessary to be a teacher.  Today at least a four year teaching degree will be necessary and it will specify grade levels and/or subject areas where it will be valid.  Even if you attend a state university where your tuition is subsidized, you will likely graduate with some level of student loans to repay.  You also will be very lucky to find a teaching position in Michigan as we have a glut of teachers in most subject areas.  If you had the bright idea of continuing on for a master's degree before you begin teaching, you may find that you have priced yourself out of the teaching market in Michigan as many schools are so broke they can not afford the small amount additional for a better qualified teacher.

Not long after you start paying back your loan, you'd better be prepared to go back to school part time  as you must earn 18 hours of additional class work within 5 years at your own expense usually.  Even after you have earned the 18 hours, plan on keeping up with new methods and ideas by taking 6 more hours each 5 years.  What you have is called a continuing certificate and it means you must both continue taking classes and continue teaching to keep your certificate up-to-date and forever paying for the classes you will need to take.

Assuming your have the education and teaching position, you will now have your own classroom where you are responsible for larger and larger classes.  There were once limits on class size that were reasonable.  Those limits left with the money to pay for more teachers.  Also gone is your ability to decide what the children should learn, how it should be taught, when it should be taught and how the learning should be evaluated.  If you thought that was what you went to school to improve, well, your hands, your mind, your creativity and your time are tied by state regulations.  You should not blame this on your school administration, however, because they are tied by what the state now requires of them as well.

Now, if you thought teaching was all you were hired to do, look at the list in front of you.  You must handle money for various things ranging from lunches to books to school activities, you must deal with parents who will not only chide you for not teaching the way they want, but will also complain about too much (or too little) homework, behavior problems within and outside of the classroom, items that their child has lost, and a myraid of other minor problems.  You must try to find ways to help special needs children in your classroom without disrupting the education of other students.  You must plan your lessons, see that you have the materials to carry the plans out (paying for materials from your salary if the school doesn't have the supplies you need) and evaluate the success of the lesson.  At the same time, you must be sure that you are teaching things that will appear on the state test in ways that will get the best scores possible.  You must assure that you have things in place to handle bullying and other problems in  the classroom or out.  You must kkeep up with ways to use the latest technology in your classroom.  You must try to find help for children who can't pay attention because of lack of food, home problems or medical issues.  The list goes on and on.

The children in your classroom are likely not much like they were when you went to school.  They are used to lots of technology and fast pace of video games.  To keep them interested is no easy task.  Many just do not want to be at school.  They are also not as respectful of their teachers.  Many have heard stories from their parents of bad teachers, boring lessons and other problems.  When they hear this at home, their respect goes out the window.

Parents too have problems that interfere with classroom learning.  Lack of time is now a big problem for many parents, and school and the children often lose out.  While there are many good parents out there, they too sometimes have a lack of respect for school personnel.  They read stories of large salaries and benefits, "professionals" who  have never taught who denigrate all teachers and they see falling test scores.  They see the teachers with summers off, but they don't see all the work teachers do in the summer preparing for the next school year.  Can you blame parents for questioning?

Finally, there's compensation.   In the last few years what was a decent living has gone down with the recession.  Many have not had a salary increase in some time, medical insurance covers less and costs more (yes, most teachers paid a portion of their insurance premium even before the state mandated it and if they did not, they had bargained a lower salary), very new teachers have a downsized pension option and older teachers have to pay a greater amount of their pension (but they paid part before) and as education funding has decreased, teachers pay more and more for education materials from their pockets.  Teacher salaries are public information and I urge each of you to check the pay of teachers in your school district.  Those few teacher salaries that are pointed out in the newspaper as excessive are not the reult of direct teaching salaries but additional paid activities like coaching or teaching driver's ed.

This is just the beginning of the problems faced by a public school teacher.  I would not recommend teaching to anyone at this time and I believe that teachers who teach in areas that can be easily transfered to the public sector are leaving.  I am hoping that soon we will see the restoration of interest and respect for educators that will make the field of education one that attracts the best graduates for the best reasons.

At the same time, teaching has its advantages.  If you thoroughly enjoy children, it can offer a great sense of satisfaction.  Each time you see a light bulb going off in a child's head when they first understand a new concept, a teacher gets a gold star feeling for the day.  We the public need to be sure we do all we can to increase these feelings within our public school teachers.

Tomorrow I'll try to find a more positive topic.  Meanwhile, please be sure to comment on this controversial post.

What Should We Be Teaching Our Children that We're Not?

In the course of reading an email from a friend of mine, I was reminded of a short but sincere talk we'd heard the week before as we stood waiting to be photographed at the bicentennial of the Battle of Tippecanoe.  Attendance at the event was sparse even though it was well publicized and it was a beautiful day to attend an outdoor commemoration with re-enactors and lots of organized activities at the original site of the battle.  Gary Foreman of Native Sun Productions, in attendance to film the action, jumped up on the memorial and in a loud voice with flying hands punctuating the air reminded us all of the importance of igniting interest in such events among the younger generation.  Use it or lose it - get the kids here or we will forever lose their interest in preserving such sites of local or regional historical interest.  Gary was correct.  If we feel these historical sites and activities have value, we need to get our students involved and participating in activities like that bicentennial commemoration.

It also brings to mind a book I am currently reading.  The book Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv details story after story of how we are failing our children and their future by not giving children the chance to fully experience nature.  He not only shows that play and knowledge of nature promotes quiet and peace of mind in a stressful society but he promotes it as a source of creativity and problem solving.  While he advocates for totally free play where children can design and build forts, climb trees, etc. he is cognant of the safety issue and the lack of large enough tracts of wildness in most areas.  Even a patch of outdoors outside of the window where students study can help relax children.  A good idea he advocates is for students where there is little opportunity for natural activities, plant a garden plot or even container gardening, providing food and knowledge of how food is produced as well.  If you add to that all the other current books that say recess in school is a necessity as a time and place where students can get renewed and socialized and show their creative side, the need seems overwhelming.

What I hear is more the reality in schools today is quite the opposite, however.  In the quest for better test grades, recesses are being shortened or erased.  Lunch hour is often not even lunch half hour in many schools.  Our children may be improving test scores in these additional minutes but they may also lose acuity, focus and problem solving skills. 

Both of these people advocate for authentic experiences that are missing in schools today and both can be provided in any school setting with work and teacher creativity.  Schools need to recognize the need for all such real activities, provide the time for these genuine learning experiences and the drive for better test scores should account for some types of learning that shouldn't be evaluated by the test experience.

Tomorrow - Topic unknown.  Be sure to add your comments by pressing the comment button below.

The Role of Federal, State and Local Governments in Education

In the case of K-12 education for many years it was the local government that reigned supreme.  Local schools raised most of the money and made most of the decisions.  They were able to mould what was taught to the needs, thoughts and mores of the people in each community.  While it was a good thing to meet the needs of the community, it meant a large disparity in what was provided by each community because of importance placed on enducation and the financial status of the community.  It was also difficult to provide for special needs children and classes that would only be taken by a limited number of students.

This gave rise to the intermediate school district that was supported by a larger area, often a county in Michigan, and made it easier to provide special classes.  Schools in the intermediate district could have one place where they could get information and knowledge on how to better administer their districts.  Local needs could still be met and authority remained with the local areas.

I think local school districts realized that they would lose much local control when the state began funding schools, but I am not sure they realized how much control they would lose.  For their share of funding, the school had to provide proof of the education that was provided and state testing began.  Then to be sure that education was even throughout the state, methods began to be standardized throughout the state.  What was seen at this point was that no matter what was done, there was always variation in how schools performed on the tests.

Meanwhile, the federal government stepped in with their ideas of fairness.  They provided funds to try to even conditions between schools.  Some problems were analyzed and additional funds were provided for students with reading deficits, problems such as poverty or divorced parents, as well as medical care and food programs designed to help students although not directly provided to schools.  Grants were frequently awarded for programs to try and test new methods.  Then came No Child Left Behind which involved funds and associated evaluations to make sure all children had the same education goals.

When I look at the more recent state and federal efforts, what I see is a well-intentioned attempt to level opportunities for all children.  In many cases the result, however, is removing the creativity from the classroom for the student.  In the test heavy environment that now prevails, where do we put the encouragement for students to solve problems, interact verbally and in writing with others, and to develop their creativity?  Why do teachers have to have a four year degree and much additional on a continuing basis when they haven't much opportunity to interject their own strengths and abilities in the classroom, but must concentrate on rote learning for the tests?  Emphasis on testing needs to be scaled back so that the best of students and teachers can come to the fore.

As far as post-secondary education, none of these three entities should have much say in what and how to teach.  Businesses are the ones who should make their needs known.  I would not advocate for free university education, but we need to have governments provide more support, especially in all areas involving science and math (including technology).  The emphasis in universities needs to be put back on the academic and funding should follow suit.  As discussed in another post, we need to provide enough support that students do not leave with unrealistic debt and that means funding support increases on the federal and state level.

Tomorrow - What Have We Forgotten to Teach our Children?  Don't forget to leave comments by pressing the comment button below.

Private, Charter, Christian and Home Schools

In Michigan at least there has been much talk about these alternatives to public schools.  We have had a limited number of charter schools for many years.  These schools receive the same foundation grants as public schools and also administer the same state tests, allowing for some comparison in learning.  Entry to these schools is by request and beyond that by lottery, giving all students a fair chance for entry.  Students must provide their own transportation which does limit entry somewhat by area.  Charter schools may not charge any tuition and are increasing in number.

Much evaluation has been done on the results from charter schools.  Like all testing programs, there is much to account for in evaluating the effectiveness of charter schools.  After reading many different evaluations which all seem to account for different deviations in student populations, my conclusion is that there are good and there are bad charter schools but overall the results are similiar to public schools.

I do have some experience with charter schools.  My grandchildren attended a Heritage Academy for three years.  My impression was that the teachers were dedicated and effective and they seemed to get a good start at their schooling.  I was also impressed with the level of parent involvement.  On the other hand, an inordinate number of parents seemed to claim religious objections to shots and vaccinations to the point that it seemed it might affect the safety of the other children.

Private and Christian Schools are out of my range, but they should have certified teachers and parents need to carefully check on how well previous students have done and whether it prepares students for life.  While many in this category provide scholarships or partial funding for those who have limited means, parents must find their own tuition.  In Michigan public schools frequently help with transportation and special classes.

Home schooling is becoming more popular all the time and it can be effective if handled correctly and often brings the family closer together.  There has been some talk of funding or partially funding home schooling and I believe that some states do provide some funding.  Since parents make the choice for home schooling, I am personally not in favor of providing funds but I would like to see public schools reach out to home schoolers and offer some help with good practices.  They could, for instance, invite home school parents to in-service programs where they might join with public school teachers to learn new methods.

The two downsides of home schooling are that the students will not be socially active with their peers on a day to day basis and they will be lacking the additional perspective of a caring teacher.  Many home school families have joined into groups even having home school buildings, giving students social interaction and additional perspectives.  Home school parents need to be sure they have good materials for the students and should carefully evaluate student progress.  At the earliest sign of problems, they should seek help from public schools.

Tomorrow -  What Is the Role of the Federal, State, and Local Governments in Education

Testing - Is It Reaching Its Goal or Are We Testing Too Much

First, we need to discuss why we test.  Primarily we test to see if we are reaching the goals we have set for our students.  Properly used we can then make some assumptions about what may need to be retaught or which teaching methods work for which child.  However, we often then use the results for categorizing students, teachers or schools.  Parents may assume the child is not smart and what the child should choose for a career.  Schools are ranked good or bad, maybe even taken over by the state, based on their test scores.  Teachers may be compensated partly by the scores of their students.  Those are all pretty big assumptions and decisions that may be made based on a few test results.

With test results causing such major decisions, is it any wonder that we hear so much about teaching to the test?  Is it surprising that students are afraid to miss test days and that parents are reminded on that day to make sure their child has a good breakfast and makes it to school on time?  Is it surprising to hear that some schools even cheat on the tests?  What's wrong with that picture?

It is in my opinion nearly impossible to determine how much a student has learned based solely on test scores.  Some students are not good test takers no matter how well they know the material being tested.  Some students may not feel well on test day.  Some students work slower than others or are bothered by actions of others around them.  Just as some students are better verbal learners and some are better with written tasks, some students will test better with written essays, some with multiple choice or short answer and some with true and flase or oral evaluations.  Most students work better without the extreme stress we sometimes put on students on testing days.  A good teacher wants to vary how students are evaluated.

As far as whether its fair to evaluate teachers and schools based on student test scores, the answer to me is a pretty solid no.  Students come to school with such different preparation both from the previous school aspect but also from home environment.  Some schools are designated as places where many schools will send children with certain special needs and should not be expected to perform as well as others.  There's always the possibility of manipulation of scores as well.

In short, I prefer testing only as part of an overall evaluation program designed to find and alleviate student deficiencies.  We need to find other ways to evaluate schools and teachers.

Tomorrow we'll tap Christian Schools, home schools, charter schools and private schools.

How Important Is Pre-K Education

First of all, parents are the first and should be the most important pre-K teachers.  Families care for the children for the first three years with little input from public schools.  They are the ones responsible for the nutrition that will get the student started right.  They are the ones who should talk to the children from the moment of birth, who should read to them every day, who need to make sure their medical needs are met, who give the hugs and  kisses that will tell the children they are important and loved, and who will see that the child has adequate sleep and a great environment. 

If children do not get the care they need for the first three years, pre-K school becomes almost essential.  Even if they get great care, they should attend pre-K classes for at least a year.  As a former kindergarten teacher I can attest to the fact that you can quite easily tell which children attended pre-K.  Studies have shown that the boost students get from early education lasts throughout their primary years and into upper grades.

Students that attend a good pre-K program will not only enter school with a background that will help them with their reading skills and math skills, but even more important  are the social and emotional skills.  They will enter school more able to listen and learn and to work with others.  They will know what is expected of them as students.  This means that from the moment they enter school they will be prepared to maximize their possibilities.

Thus, the answer is that monies spent on pre-K be more than returned by the value gained by our students.

For tomorrow, Testing:  Is It Accomplishing Its Goal or Is It too Much?

Teacher Tenure

The issue of teacher tenure elicits strong feelings both pro and con.  Some feel that tenure allows ineffective teachers to remain in their classrooms even though there are better teachers available.  Others feel that without tenure schools will continuously turn over their staff so they can keep costs down.  Personally, I feel strongly both ways.

Over the years I have known teachers who consistently arrive at school late and who feel that they can take vacations during the school year.  I've also known teachers who have used inappropriate substances while in their classrooms and those who have been ineffective teachers.  I've received notes from teachers filled with spelling and grammar errors and even bulletin boards and lessons with incorrect information.  Tenure was often the reason these teachers remained in the classroom and I feel that kids would have been better off if they could have had better teachers.

On the other hand, I feel that teachers have a right to a career.  If they have good behavior, can set a good example for students, have the knowledge base, and are effective teachers they should have some assurance of continuing in their career.  Without tenure any security is gone.  I know some teachers fear that in Michigan where seniority is no longer in play that a teacher's salary is now considered when renewing teacher positions.  After all, if a beginning teacher makes several thousand dollars less than an established teacher, you can hire more teachers for less money.  To me this is unfair to the teacher. 

My solution involves keeping seniority and tenure being more careful to hire the best teachers available (and right now there are a lot of available teachers in Michigan).  Schools should be able to have a longer time to supervise beginning teachers before granting tenure and should be available with guidance and evaluations more frequently.  Once tenure has been granted, schools need to keep up the evaluations and when they see problems develop offer a plan for improvement with definite steps of acceptance.  If the teacher can not meet these steps over a year-long period and with the help of mentor teachers, they should lose their tenure.  There are, of course, also some legal points where tenure should be stripped immediately.  In the event the staff must be downsized, you should have all effective teachers and  lay offs should be based on seniority within qualified areas.

Tomorrow:  Is Pre-K Education Necessary?

Just How Much Does Class Size Matter?

Research shows that class size is one of the proven means of improving education results.  It helps students learn in early elementary, is even more important in late elementary, and holds true for middle and high school as well.  The results are more dramatic for poor and minority students than others .  Yet these students are less likely to have small class sizes.  It is a proven and effective strategy for improvement recognized by students, parents, teachers, school administrators, and the government. 

In addition to immediate educational benefits, smaller class sizes in early years result in lower drop-out rates, fewer behavior problems then and in the future, fewer repeated grades and higher college entrance scores.  

Not only do smaller class sizes help improve education results, but it has also been proven to be an effective way of improving the health and well-being of children, reducing medical costs and hospital visits.

With all of this, why do class sizes continue to rise?  It's money, of course.  Maybe we need to think of the added costs and benefits, however.  It is estimated that counting decreased costs from medical expenses, fewer drop-out students with their costs, students completing their classes in less time, the increased cost from smaller class sizes would be covered. 

While these are my opinions, I would suggest that you check the following website that contains more information and research on the topic:

http://www.classsizematters.org

Tomorrow night:  The Pros and Cons of Teacher Tenure.

Education Funding - Part 2

So, from yesterday, you know we need a steady, reliable source of funding and we need to put a very high priority on education funding and we need to do it yesterday.  Today I'll cover some of what I consider funding problems.

Here's one that seems ridiculous to me.  Why is it that we sometimes use the carrot and stick approach which is acceptable but sometimes it goes something like this:  To determine if you are teaching your kids well, we'll test them.  If they don't improve on the test, then we'll mark you as a failing school.  Failing schools may be subject to takeover by the state or to reduced funding by the state.  However, most often these failing schools have a disproportionate number of students below the poverty line, a disproportionate percentage of students with learning disabilities and special needs, and more disfunctional families.  It takes an especially dedicated and trained teacher to deal with these children and it takes more money.  It also takes more supplies and social workers and school psychologists, and all kinds of things.  So why do we threaten them with loss of funds? Should we not be checking to see if they need additional funding?

Very often goverment funds come with red tape and strings.  You must apply for the funds and often you must have certain prerequisite conditions met.  This often means certain districts or even states can not apply.  While some oversight of the funds is necessary, this often means that schools that desperately need additional funds are the very ones that have the most difficulty getting the funds they need.

I guess what I'm saying is that, just as we try to give students positive reinforcement, we need to give failing schools reinforcement and that needs to be the financing necessary to deal with the problems found in each school.

Finally, here are my thoughts on education salaries.  We want the best possible educators for our students.  This education is going to provide careers for the children who will lead our nation.  The old adage "You get what you pay for" fits here.  In many states, average teacher salaries and benefits have fallen from barely adequate to very inadequate. I believe in almost all cases teachers would be better off financially to look for other opportunities.  The other adage "Those who can, will.  Those who can't teach." does not provide for the quality of teacher we need and, while teaching often provides a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment, you can't raise a family without financial means.  We are losing great teachers.

Bus drivers, custodians and sometimes others are often contracted employees now with little loyalty to the school.  If we want the best, then we'd better pay salaries in ranges to attract the best.  We'd be wise to forego the contractors in most cases as we want people who contribute to our education communities.

It is time to give all of our education employees credit for professionalism and salaries to complement that professionalism.  Tomorrow's topic will be Are Class Sizes Important?

Education Funding

It's difficult to discuss education funding in a blog like this as the majority of education funding is provided by states or local districts.  With the assumption that education is important enough that we need the best possible materials and teachers, much of what I say here will be in reference to Michigan where I live.  However, there are many comparable problems in most states.

In Michigan school funding for operating expenses was basically changed from mostly local funding with property taxes to state funding with property tax (lowered to a flat 6 mils on homesteads) subsidized with sales tax and lottery funds in 1994.  The state would then provide an amount fixed each year as a foundation grant for each child.  For some of the poorer schools this meant an immediate and permanent source of increased revenue.  Since each school had a different millage and a different number of dollars behind each student, the new law would provide an amount beyond the foundation grant for those schools who had more dollars behind each child (in 1994) than the new foundation grant would provide.  The goal was to gradually bring the school districts with a low amount of dollars behind each child up to where each school district had the same amount of money for each child.  It also meant that individual school districts would not be constantly going to the voters for operating millage.

For many years this new method did improve funding.  We all know that the late 1990's were good years financially for our country and the dollars were there to provide for a good education.  Michigan was able to increase the foundation grant each year and most schools found themselves with enough money to provide increasing technology, hold or decrease the student-teacher ratio, provide books and materials as needed and increase funding for school personnel. At the same time, tax rates on property were lowered for many citizens.

Then before it hit the rest of the nation, Michigan was embroiled in the recession.  Sales  tax revenues plummeted.  Housing values decreased and tax dollars from that fell in relation to 1994 dollars.  Michigan found it difficult to find the money to balance its budget in many areas.  Initially an effort was made to keep school funding stable, but in the last five or six years, the foundation grant has decreased each year.  Not only that, but the sources of funding became so unstable that dollars were subtracted mid-year after school budgets were set and partially used. 

Early on schools could develop their own budgets and priorities and if there was money left, they could develop "rainy day funds" for their district.  These "rainy day funds" helped get over rough patches early in the recession, but now almost ten years later the problem persists.  This year the foundation grant was again cut, although at a lower rate than has been true prior.  Rainy day funds are much less full and in many cases schools must borrow to have enough to start the school year and survive until the first state aid payment comes.

So, what's happened in these reduced fund years?  Each school district makes its own choices, but here's a list of things I've noticed in schools I know.  1)  Class sizes are larger.  2)  Less effective in-service sessions are being held.  3)  More and more aspects of the school are contracted out.  4)  Libraries/media centers are less  often staffed by librarians and sometimes closed.  5)  Staff is being laid off.  There are fewer teachers, custodians, lunch people, paraprofessionals, bus drivers etc.  This also means more unemployment  and underemployment in the state and in turn fewer taxes for the school aid fund.  6)  Our colleges and universities continue to churn out teachers, but most have to leave this state to find employment.  7) Sports and other extra-curricular activities are often more restricted or student funded.  8)  Teachers and support personnel find their salaries trimmed and their benefits less, to the point that morale has deterioriated.

There are also non-monetary changes that have been affected by the changes in school funding.  Primarily the state now has more effect on what and how things are taught.  There is much less time and attention spent on local and cultural activities and more on student testing.

I would propose that the money generated for the school aid fund be untouchable for anything other than PreK - 12 education, that the foundation immediately be increased by at least 10% and that it must always be set and never lowered mid-year.  I would suggest that education become a high priority item with adequate funding as it is only with a well-educated work force that we can provide careers for our children that are satisfying and provide them with enough money to improve their standard of living and provide taxes for future government needs.

Operating millage funding is not the sole funding source of our K-12 schools, however.  Tomorrow, I will tackle other funding options and federal tax dollars in education.

What Is a Good Education?

First of all, let's go for a GREAT education.  We can't do enough to educate our children.

education:  the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life.

A GREAT EDUCATION!  It moves a child forward as far as they can go, helps them learn as much as possible, challenges them and does this while preserving the happiness and good feelings of the child.  The parents are probably the most important in providing a great education preK.  Once they reach school age, the parents are still responsible for many of the things that are requirements for a great education, nutritious food, adequate sleep, medical care, a stable and supportive home environment, and a strong emphasis on the importance of education.  Without these, a great education becomes much more difficult, although others can help provide them.

This blog, however, is primarily about the school experience, preK through post-graduation.  What does a great education look like from a school's perspective?  Since all schools should want the best for the child, we have a number of questions that should be asked.  Is there one teaching method that will provide a great education or one series of books and materials for all children? (No)  Should we expect the same results from all children? (No)  Should the interests and abilities of the students influence how a great education is provided and/or defined?  (Yes)  What if any of the requirements that are not provided by parents should the school provide? (Whatever possible)  Will a knowledge based test tell if a great education has been provided? (No) Can the area of the country or customs of the area change the nature of a great education? (Yes)

From my answers in parenthesis above, you should get the idea that I feel each individual child is important and unique in their own right and each has different requirements.  We'll be talking about different ways to work toward that GREAT education.

There will be no posts Friday, Saturday and Sunday this week, but next week we'll get into the actual issues.  We'll spend at least Monday and probably more on School Funding.

Who Should Be Concerned about Education?

Logically this post should have been the post for yesterday, but what's done is done.  I'm sure I'll make more mistakes.

There is an easy answer to this question - EVERYBODY!  In fact, education is  a win-win situation for almost everyone.  Here's how.

Students, in school you get to be with your friends and develop your mind and your interests.  How lucky!  Older students, are you feeling like you're bored, maybe thinking of dropping out (or maybe you have already).  Go ahead, but buy yourself a sturdy used lawn chair and go sit permanently on the nearest corner.  It'll probably be the best job you'll ever get.  Are you getting a little sore from sitting in that lawn chair all day?  Our society allows you to go back to school and get a GED (If you don't know how to get a GED, go to your local school or library to get help).  You can then continue on your way to whatever job you want and you can think big.  You can be whatever you want in our society.  You can trade your lawn chair for a camp stool for awhile and work in a low level position in the field you choose as you work up the education ladder.  I know single parents who have followed the 'GED, work where you can' method to get the education they need for a successful career.  If you work hard enough and smart enough, it will happen.

Parents and grandparents, I know you all want your children to be successful.  Education is the path to your goal.  Be glad you have a few minutes off while the kids are in school each day, and help your child and yourself by doing something to help your child's education.  It may be spending time reading or playing.  It may be time helping at school or with sports teams.  Whatever you do to help your child, it's an investment in your future.  The more good education your children get, the less likely they are to end up in your basement when they're 30.  You are their first and most important teacher.

People without children, you are still in a win-win situation.  Those kids getting good educations are less likely to be creating mischief and more likely to be able to have a good career and contribute taxes and social security for the benefit of us all.  As Hillary Clinton has made famous, it takes a village . . .

Businesses, all too often in my state of Michigan I see a tug and pull between you and education.   Businesses you provide much of the tax base and want lower taxes.  Schools, you need the tax money to provide a good educational system.  Since one can not exist without the other, you should be walking hand in hand.  Businesses, you should work closely with schools to be sure they are providing workers with the skills you need.  You should be providing support, mentors and interns and other opportunities.  Schools, you should be out in the business community, talking, welcoming and finding out what the business community needs and then tailoring parts of the curriculum to meet those needs.  You should be soliciting help and carefully use that help when it's given.  When you both work together, we will indeed have a win-win education system.

Politicians, you have a unique and vital position in the development and success of our education system.  It is you who have a strong role in deciding how to fund all governmental services.  You also have much to say about what is taught and how it is taught.  In return a great educational system will provide a more fully employed electorate, greater funds for governmental services, and a more contented populace.  It may even be a factor in your return to office!

Finally,  school employees are also in a win-win situation.  From the highest administrators to the bathroom cleaners, what better careers could you have than one that helps children every day and where future is primary, and you get a fair wage (or at least before the recession you got a good wage).  It's work that's important and difficult and you should be commended for it.

So education helps us all.  Show your support on the Red Flag for Education Day January 10.

Tomorrow's topic will be What is a Good Education?

Post High School Education: Are Students Getting the Training They Need

As the students who graduated from college last spring reach the six month post graduation milestone and start having to pay back their loans, student loans seem to be a major topic now.    The loans are only one aspect of this problem, however.

Are we counseling students correctly before they graduate from high school?  Parents and school personnel should consider a minimum of the following questions:

What are the students interests and abilities?  What kind of career opportunities are available with these?  How would you expect these careers to fare in the future?  Will there be jobs available when the student finishes training or education in these careers?  What kind of a salary can be expected in these jobs?  What is the maximum the student should borrow for this type of career - determined before the education begins?  What type of school would be best for developing the career and which school?  What will the costs be at this college/career training facility?  Can the school provide proof that the majority of their students complete the program and find employment when they're done?

Just listening to people at Occupy Wall Street it quickly becomes obvious that many of the occupiers have chosen college majors (English, art, French, history, etc.) where jobs are scarce.  In addition many have borrowed far more than they can easily repay.  Parents and school personnel should discuss options while in high school.  The student, however, is the one ultimately responsible.  It is not a free ride.  While a four year degree on the average more than pays for itself over a lifetime, an education without corresponding opportunity can be a recipe for a difficult life.

Funding for all levels of education  and the loans that have to be repaid will be left for another day.

I promised at least a partial list of topics tonight.  Here goes:

Is Pre-K Education Necessary?
Rote Learning
Teaching to the Test
Merit Pay for Teachers
How Can We Better Fund Education?
What Provisions Should Be Made for Special Needs Children?
Are Class Sizes Important?
Charter, Private, Religious, Public and Home Schooling
Is there Too Much Testing?
Is There a Shortage of Teachers?
Bullying in our Schools
Technology in the Schools
What is Finland (generally considered the best schooling) Doing Right?
What Part of Education Should Be Handled at Federal, State and Local Levels?
The Role of Parents in the Education of Their Children
School Administration

For tomorrow:  Who Should Be Interested in Education Issues?

Welcome

Welcome to the first blog I've ever written.  I haven't read many either, so please be patient with someone outside of her comfort zone.  Most of what I write will be my opinions usually supported by some research and what I've heard and seen.  I'm writing because I'm very concerned about what is or maybe isn't going on in education today.  I'm not blogging for personal gain but because as a grandmother I want my grandchildren to experience the best we have to offer in the way of education.

Not only am I going to post to this blog nearly every day for the next two months and I have a plan of action to try to bring some attention to the problems education is facing.  My goal is to have a large percentage of our population participate in a National Red Flag for Education Day on January 10, 2012 by wearing something red and attaching to it two or more "flags".  On one side of the flag write a problem with education in a few words and on the other your favorite solution.  After wearing them all day, send one to President Obama and the other to your state governor.  If we can get a large number of these "flags" out to them, it should become clear that we need to put more of a priority on education.  It does not require as much as attending a rally in Washington or your state capitol and if we can get a very large number of people to participate may be even more effective.  Of course, to be successful in this there will be snail mail letters going out to many of the organizations involved in any way with education (and that's a lot of letters) to ask for their support.

There's a second reason to blog as well.  We need a dialogue in the U.S. about education, what is right with it, and what is wrong with it and what are the solutions available.  I hope that many of you will respond with your ideas and maybe we can get a discussion going.

My first blog for a dialogue will be tomorrow and will begin with the problem of the day, Post High School Education:  Are Students Getting The Training They Need at a Cost They Can Afford?  It will also have many of the topics that I will cover with your input in the next nine weeks.

Thanks for listening.  Hope you'll come back tomorrow and bring your friends.