What are schools about?

    K-12 schools are the universals of education for our children- the common experience of all citizens for adult life as Jefferson envisioned it.  The original goals were to assure that all participants have sufficient knowledge to share in democratic processes and values.  In colonial periods, it was to allow individual access to the Bible.  However, as the country and economy grew the goals became infused with the need for skills of the industrial workplace and consumerism.  At present, there is an emerging view that K-12 must be sufficiently rigorous to allow success in further education. State Legislators are considering college aptitude exams for all high school students and Obama has argued that a high school graduate should be ready for at least one additional year of study or training.  At the same time, Federal Law enforces a goal of meeting proficiencies for all students regardless of race or socioeconomics, although it leaves the selection of those proficiencies to individual states.  But as experienced by the child, K-12 is an experience of cultural traditions, socialization activities and organizations, group affiliations and loyalties.  For the student, accumulation of these is equal in importance and sometimes in conflict with the achievement of the Jeffersonian vision. When we lose public education, will we lose our democracy?

Comments

[Jona Henry]

Just finished reading Sec. of Education's comments about teacher prep and was highly supportive. For one, when a person mentioned using "data" to achieve better student results, my mind clicked shut immediately as it sounded like paperwork, boring facts/figures that had nothing to do with living breathing humans. HOWEVER, if explained simply and eased into it, I think a teacher would find that it actually can be of benefit to both the students and yourself. Why don't you contribute any "data" here that has helped you with your class prep/goals/achievement?? Could help alot of others!!