Sean Kershaw's Weblog
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January 23, 2007
I'm also blogging at TPT's site
I'm also providing infrequent commentary at TPT's "Brain Trust" site.
My most recent blog post, Thoughts on Education, is a set of questions related to the education proposals from the Governor, and reactions to them from the DFL.
TPT doesn't currently allow comments to be attached to blog entries there, but since I do here on my blog, I'm reposting my words and invite your comments.
I wrote:
We're at the point in the session where comments like this are mostly just trying to read the tea leaves - so I'll keep my thoughts short.
Reviewing the last week's conversation on education from somewhat of a distance, I'm left with two questions that I wish were front-and-center in the minds of legislators and the media who cover them. I'm glad we're talking about education, it just seems like the conversation should be smarter.
- What is lost if we do nothing on education? Many DFL reactions implied that we are doing pretty good already - so why the talk for radical changes from the Governor. A system that succeeds for one half the students is not good enough - not given the fundamental role that education plays in our democracy and economy. (See more from me on this at my blog.) This might mean that half the system stays about the same, but it should compel us to consider significant changes for the remaining students who fail in our current system of high school. I totally understand the DFL's need to be skeptical of anything put forward by the other party and the other branch of government, but I wish it came with a greater sense of urgency about changing the status quo.
- Will the proposals work - to scale?! Changing the status quo is going to take more than pilot projects put forward by the Governor or anyone - and I'm still compelled by the argument that we are likely to need new schools as much as changing the schools we have. Are the proposals put forward by anyone premised on evidence that they will work - or in the very least an absence of evidence that they don't work? And do they offer the chance to achieve the scale of change we'll need. We should know by now that money won't work on its own. In fact - no single solution will work on its own.
Posted by Sean Kershaw at January 23, 2007 6:44 AM
Comments
A TIME FOR GIVING
Children are the focus of the community and this unifying focus could be used positively.
We could serve children and ourselves growth and prosperity if we accelerate investing in our age 3-6 most disadvantaged children. A partial focus on children is already used by the private sector to grow and prosper. Investments in a continuous improvement in our community focus on children will require that first-things-first be done right the first time. Let's draft this public premise from the following 100 word start:
The Truth
Without the gift of Early Reading Skills all children are behind before they even start kindergarten.
The Gift
Only an individual gift delivers early reading skills at age 3, 4 and 5. This gift is the key to opportunity. It is society’s best (effective and lowest cost) approach to preparing the most at-risk children to want opportunities, choices and engagement.
The Focus
When 100% of the children start kindergarten ready to read English the urban school has the resources to meet the Adequate Yearly Progress Requirement of No Child Left Behind. The principal is totally vested in this desired outcome.
Many important societal issues are addressed when the community commits to giving the gift of 100% early literacy, one-size-fits-one, to its collective self. The gift is ethical, moral, proven economic, and elusive. Our society has never prepared 100% of the children in urban areas to start kindergarten ready-to-read. Education and government could ask for the focused gift for the most disadvantaged children through the voice of the powerful effective citizen.
On the world stage a very powerful body of volunteers suggests we should be creating literacy for our own good. The 9-11 Commission Report, on page 377, defines, I quote, “the agenda of opportunity for the world to be literacy as freedom." The most powerful in the USA should be open to make good on this promise of freedom to at least 100% of the age 3-6 disadvantaged children.
As schools and governments tell us they don't have the money; we can now say, yes you do! Just go to the Blogspot; http://ulticharnetwork.blogspot.com/ and start to work it out. Or go to www.usavalues-character.org and opt in for a gift of needed dedicated resources.
USA VALUES–CDP, Character Development Programs promotes truth; 1) The gift of Early Reading Skills (the FIRST value) is required for all age 3–6 children before they start kindergarten; 2) This individual gift is the key to opportunity; schools and government will never replace the individual in this effort at this age; 3) The gift is the most effective and lowest cost approach to preparing at-risk children for opportunities; 4) The principal is vested in 100% of the children starting kindergarten ready-to-read.
CDP is a 501(C)(3) business expecting to link families, paid volunteers, early childhood learning and faith-base resources, schools, corporations and agencies to first deliver 100% of the children to be ready-to-read starting in kindergarten.
Sincerely,
Thomas D. Wolfgram
Posted by: Tom Wolfgram | February 6, 2007 1:16 PM