A few organizations have attempted to answer The Good School Question. Each asks, "What epitomizes a great learning center?" "How might we, as a society, give birth to quality institutions?" The solutions are many. All of the associations speak of guiding principles. A few also strongly favor Principal or Teacher Leadership. The various alliances advance the premise; our first and foremost priority must be our children. In prose, beautifully composed, mission statements submit, adult wants cannot come before the needs of our offspring. Yet, after careful examination it is difficult to discern this truth. Many aspirations. Many a mirage. How might we know which is which? Once reviewed, every one of us will decide what works well in education and how might we execute a plan. Will principles, Principals, or pedagogy lead learners to salvation.
I am but one who will stand strong to ensure an equal education for all. All who do or plan to, will express themselves in various ways. Some will March. Others will Rally or gather in Conference. Several have, do, or expect to act locally. Countless change what they can for children within the dynamics that define their family. Nationwide, innumerable Americans join hands and embrace a common cause. Let us Save Our Schools.
"The principle goal of education is to create men who are capable of doing new things, not simply of repeating what other generations have done - men who are creative, inventive and discoverers" ~ Jean Piaget [Swiss Psychologist. Pioneer in the study of child intelligence. 1896-1980]
"The purpose of education is to enable us to develop to the fullest that which is inside us" ~ Norman Cousins [Essayist, Editor associated with Saturday Evening Post 1912-1990]
"America's noble experiment, universal education for all" may have become but an idealized theory. In practice it long seemed the impossible dream. However, for the hopeful this statement was a reverie, although the veracity was virtually unrecognizable at best. Still the notion lived on. The powerful prose marveled many. That is all but believers in a for-profit privatized educational system. Today, corporate aficionados have conquered. Commerce controls School District Administrators. It shapes decisions made. Countless elementary and secondary school campuses are transformed in accordance. Big business buys and sells city classrooms. Our forefathers would have thought present-day headlines could only appear in fictional accounts. Nonetheless banners blare, "This Class Is Brought to You By. [fill in the corporate enterprise of your choice]"
Since I was a child he hounded me. She stalked me. I was bullied, intimidated, tormented not by a single person, but by a throng of thoughts. Why did another child, adolescent, nay adult ever bully me. What was it about me that kept me safe from harm or a persecutor's pointed proclamations?
Eva was young, full of life, eager to learn. She was enthusiastic. These traits were attractive to all the youthful men in her High School class. Many courted the vibrant lass. Eric won her attention. Each was looking for love. Throughout their lives, these adolescents felt less than connected to their respective families. School was a social forum, a place where it was possible to relate to peers, if not the curriculum. Perhaps, that is why, at such a tender age Eric and Eva mistakenly thought lust, the chemical energy experienced during their every exchange, was deeper than a mere physical desire. The two embraced and baby made three.
In recent years, parents appear to be less able, or available, to assist with their child's education. Moms work outside the home. Dad is away at the office. Either or each, flies off on business trips. Even when the family is together, they run from one activity to another. Few families dine together. Less eat home cooked meals. There is so much pressure and it is not in the cooker.
Stress fills the lives of everyone, young and old. Among teens the problem many be more profound. Depression affects twenty percent of teens. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among adolescents and teenagers. According to the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH), about 8 out of every 100,000 teenagers committed suicide in 2000. Needham High School Principal, Paul Richards yearns to change these statistics. Mister Richards is among many educators that have introduced programs to help reduce the strain, yoga classes among these.
It is official Brown versus Board of Education has been reversed. Providing equal education opportunities to all children, regardless of race, color, or creed is no longer a priority. The 1954 Court decision that invalidated the principle of 'separate but equal' was overturned on June 28, 2007. This day will live in infamy. In another of the many recent 5 to 4 split decisions, the neoconservative Supreme Court canceled the promise made to students of color.
Days ago the news reports were filled with images and icons. Illusions and delusions were delivered to an expectant public. Paris Hilton appeared on every screen. Cable, network, and local stations covered her body and her burgeoning tensions. She is in jail. She is legally out of prison. The hotel heiress is partying at home or piteous in court. America was fixated. People pondered; wresting with facts and figures all pertaining to Paris.
Most, mired in the misery of this young celebrity missed a discussion relating to another false impression, American students are achieving. Uniform standards are in place in our nation's schools. Pupils are performing. States and Districts accountable. Actually, according to The New York Times,"States Found to Vary Widely on Education."
Many deem the school system is broken. Improvement will come when elementary, middle, and high schools operate as businesses do. Educational institutions need a plan. Districts must select the best teachers and require these mentors to shape their students. Standardized curriculums sensitive to the calendar and standardized test, policymakers posit, will serve our children well. Principals and parents, all but students speak in harmony. These experts in education speak in unison. Today, philanthropists concur. Corporate Chief Executives also sing in chorus. Adults concerned with accurate calculations and "matters of consequence" adopt the stance, "It is just that simple."
Sadly, our schools and districts mirror the shortsightedness that permeates our society. Solutions are simple and never novel. We, as a people, rarely learn from our mistakes. We repeat what was done, even if it did not work well in the past. New York City Schools are an example of this.
Today, the New York City School District offered "experienced" educators a gift; they are giving those that are willing to teach math or science in the inner city schools, a home, or at least the down payment on an abode. New York City schools are in crisis, and are taking action. Actually, they are reacting. For I believe that actions are expressions of love, we react when we fear. New York Schools, the Teachers Union, and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg are running scared. Thus, they seek solutions, shortsighted as these may be.
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