Re: Education Initiatives

[Robert Probasco <rcp@uidaho.edu>]

On Wed, 3 Feb 1999, Ken Medlin wrote:  [snip]
> Over a 30 year period, conditions continued to deteriorate. 
> Where was our leadership to stem the tide?
> Who should act, who DID act? 

About six years ago, I was conversing with Moscow's school superintendent
when he claimed he was powerless to correct some inanity because of state
regulations.  I asked for chapter and verse of the regs, as I was sure our
local legislators would be willing to spearhead the necessary corrections.

The super became mumble-mouthed, and changed the subject.  Conclusion:
there were no confining regs, just a knee-jerk reaction to blame the
problem he did not want to address on Big Brother.  Taking action requires
changing the status quo, thereby disturbing some complacent persons.

I perceive this sad scenario as the best reason to oppose more state and
federal control of our educational miasma: non-local control provides an
easy scapegoat to avoid correcting the continuing problems in our schools.

Until the 1960s, local administrators and teachers knew they had the
support of most local parents, and they acted in the best interests of the
community (and the students, though we didn't always think so).  Now, the
persons who accept administrative jobs know the primary objective is to
avoid costly lawsuits, logic be damned.  Of course, we brought it on
ourselves, by allowing the courts to dictate what could or could not
happen in the classroom.

I believe it is time to stop asking, "What is wrong with our school?"  

Instead, ask, "How can we best prepare our children for their future."

By exploring this question, we might discover our current schools
contribute more to the problem than to the solution.  Or not.
 
But if we are trying to patch up a broken system that is beyond
reclamation, we are spinning our wheels.  So what's new?  Perhaps the
150-year-old experiment in factory-line education is reaching the end of
its useful life, and we should move to the next evolution.
  ----------------
Have you ever viewed the Dept. of Ed. edifice in Washington, D.C.?  It is
a massive marble mausoleum, just south of the mall.  They don't teach
students there, they just grind out more regulations and policy positions
(and grant-worthy projects), the better to justify their existence.

I invite you to browse the ED web sites of Idaho and the US government. 
If you find something of substance, let me know.

  http://www.state.id.us/HOME/education.htm
  http://www.ed.gov/

Challenge: find any regulations concerning textbooks or retention or
social promotion or homework or accreditation.  Enjoy.

Bob Probasco		rcp@uidaho.edu