Comments on: America’s Promise, Crisis In Education http://craigalan.wordpress.com/2009/06/19/america%e2%80%99s-promise-crisis-in-education/ Engagement > Alignment> Execution > Results Mon, 28 Dec 2009 09:15:13 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Tribes, Society and Engagement « In Pursuit of Excellence http://craigalan.wordpress.com/2009/06/19/america%e2%80%99s-promise-crisis-in-education/#comment-245 Tribes, Society and Engagement « In Pursuit of Excellence Mon, 10 Aug 2009 08:29:19 +0000 http://craigalan.wordpress.com/?p=338#comment-245 [...] America’s Promise, Crisis in Education. From America’s Alliance: “Many students who ultimately drop out of school say they become disengaged during the middle-school years. The choices young people make at this age could set them on a course for active citizenship and engaged learning – or down a path of risky behavior and potential failure.” [...] [...] America’s Promise, Crisis in Education. From America’s Alliance: “Many students who ultimately drop out of school say they become disengaged during the middle-school years. The choices young people make at this age could set them on a course for active citizenship and engaged learning – or down a path of risky behavior and potential failure.” [...]

]]> By: Craig http://craigalan.wordpress.com/2009/06/19/america%e2%80%99s-promise-crisis-in-education/#comment-142 Craig Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:41:40 +0000 http://craigalan.wordpress.com/?p=338#comment-142 Hi SC-good to see you and thanks for the on-target thoughts. My concern is that the efforts are not addressing the root cause(s) of the issues. High on that list is, I think, the engagement issue. So let’s do the 5-year-old routine….actually, the “Five Whys” root cause analysis tool. Ask “WHY” til you’re told by a parent (or boss) “because I’m the parent (or boss), that’s why!” WHY are students disengaged? Because they see little relevance in their coursework. WHY is the coursework irrelevant (or, WHY do students feel the coursework is irrelevant?) Because there is little direct connection to their needs, current or future. WHY is there little connection? Because the needs have not been clearly identified, then acted upon. (ALSO, because there have been other priority targets set for academia…No Child Left Behind etc) Also high on the list, as SC alludes to, is curriculum that does not strike a chord with all levels of achievers. God forbid if you are a highly gifted, creative student. Pink Floyd’s “Brick In the Wall” comes to mind. Also, societal issues. Parents don’t have time to parent. Also, business and industry’s lack of leadership in partnering with academia to make education value-adding. Come on, folks, we are stakeholders on several levels! Get your noses out of the annual reports. Also, teacher incentives (or lack thereof). Bless their hearts, their rewards are NOT in line with the importance of their role! I don’t have the time to really dive into this at the moment but will be back. PLEASE…educators and business persons alike, continue the thought process. I truly feel this issue is so much more critical than the general public cares to think. Ostriches? Craig Hi SC-good to see you and thanks for the on-target thoughts. My concern is that the efforts are not addressing the root cause(s) of the issues. High on that list is, I think, the engagement issue. So let’s do the 5-year-old routine….actually, the “Five Whys” root cause analysis tool. Ask “WHY” til you’re told by a parent (or boss) “because I’m the parent (or boss), that’s why!”

WHY are students disengaged?
Because they see little relevance in their coursework.

WHY is the coursework irrelevant (or, WHY do students feel the coursework is irrelevant?)
Because there is little direct connection to their needs, current or future.

WHY is there little connection?
Because the needs have not been clearly identified, then acted upon.
(ALSO, because there have been other priority targets set for academia…No Child Left Behind etc)

Also high on the list, as SC alludes to, is curriculum that does not strike a chord with all levels of achievers. God forbid if you are a highly gifted, creative student. Pink Floyd’s “Brick In the Wall” comes to mind.

Also, societal issues. Parents don’t have time to parent.

Also, business and industry’s lack of leadership in partnering with academia to make education value-adding. Come on, folks, we are stakeholders on several levels! Get your noses out of the annual reports.

Also, teacher incentives (or lack thereof). Bless their hearts, their rewards are NOT in line with the importance of their role!

I don’t have the time to really dive into this at the moment but will be back. PLEASE…educators and business persons alike, continue the thought process. I truly feel this issue is so much more critical than the general public cares to think. Ostriches?

Craig

]]> By: Siobhan Curious http://craigalan.wordpress.com/2009/06/19/america%e2%80%99s-promise-crisis-in-education/#comment-141 Siobhan Curious Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:52:21 +0000 http://craigalan.wordpress.com/?p=338#comment-141 Here's my post; let me know your thoughts. http://siobhancurious.wordpress.com/2009/06/19/there-are-worse-things-than-dropping-out-of-school/ Here’s my post; let me know your thoughts.

http://siobhancurious.wordpress.com/2009/06/19/there-are-worse-things-than-dropping-out-of-school/

]]> By: there are worse things than dropping out of school « classroom as microcosm http://craigalan.wordpress.com/2009/06/19/america%e2%80%99s-promise-crisis-in-education/#comment-140 there are worse things than dropping out of school « classroom as microcosm Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:48:08 +0000 http://craigalan.wordpress.com/?p=338#comment-140 [...] are worse things than dropping out of school June 19, 2009 Craig Althof over at In Pursuit of Excellence emailed me the other day with an article from CNN about “dropout prevention programs” [...] [...] are worse things than dropping out of school June 19, 2009 Craig Althof over at In Pursuit of Excellence emailed me the other day with an article from CNN about “dropout prevention programs” [...]

]]> By: Siobhan Curious http://craigalan.wordpress.com/2009/06/19/america%e2%80%99s-promise-crisis-in-education/#comment-139 Siobhan Curious Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:03:57 +0000 http://craigalan.wordpress.com/?p=338#comment-139 I have great respect for Gen. Powell's effort and the mission America's Promise is trying to accomplish. However, as a teacher and otherwise, I've seen the effect of trying to coerce students to stay in school when school is making them miserable. I feel it would be more effective to diversify the school system and provide more options for students who have trouble within our traditional school structure. Our one-size-fits-all classrooms are usually only suitable for students who would do fine no matter what environment they were learning in. A variety of alternative public schools with different methodologies, especially in low-income or troubled areas, might go some way toward solving this problem. I also think there needs to be a shift in social attitudes supported by a change in the system, so that it is easier and more acceptable for students to leave school if they are unhappy and not learning, spend some time in the work force, and return to school whenever they are ready. If disadvantaged students had a wider array of options when it came to their educational trajectory, I think many more of them would complete school. I'll cross-post this comment on my blog and see what others have to say! I have great respect for Gen. Powell’s effort and the mission America’s Promise is trying to accomplish. However, as a teacher and otherwise, I’ve seen the effect of trying to coerce students to stay in school when school is making them miserable.

I feel it would be more effective to diversify the school system and provide more options for students who have trouble within our traditional school structure. Our one-size-fits-all classrooms are usually only suitable for students who would do fine no matter what environment they were learning in. A variety of alternative public schools with different methodologies, especially in low-income or troubled areas, might go some way toward solving this problem.

I also think there needs to be a shift in social attitudes supported by a change in the system, so that it is easier and more acceptable for students to leave school if they are unhappy and not learning, spend some time in the work force, and return to school whenever they are ready.

If disadvantaged students had a wider array of options when it came to their educational trajectory, I think many more of them would complete school.

I’ll cross-post this comment on my blog and see what others have to say!

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