Sean Kershaw's Weblog
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November 15, 2006
Is the clock ticking on "public education"
...and apologies again (if anyone is checking) on the fact that I've checked out the past couple of weeks.
As we discussed at our Annual Meeting, the public is really at a tipping point when it comes to public education. They value it immensely (and are willing to pay more for it), but don't trust or like what they see. The new math results will only fuel this fire.
This leaves two questions for me:
1) What is the larger purpose/role for public education that will motivate whatever changes need to take place. I don't mean "education is important so we should spend more money". I would like to think -- or argue -- that we can't sit around and coo about Thomas Jefferson's historic quote about the importance of public education in "informing the public's discretion" and not see the current fundamental role that education plays in a democracy. Is there something about this fundamental democratic role for education that can motivate leaders to make significant change before the public gives up on education entirely?
2) At what point will we realize that students have to be motivated to learn -- not just be told to "do better" through testing.
I think MAP 150 will help with both issues.
Posted by Sean Kershaw at November 15, 2006 4:23 AM