First-time readers, this blog is set in the future (sometime after 2020).  This entry assumes the Revenge Revolution has occurred.  For more about the anticipated 5th revolution in the US — the Revenge Revolution — and more about the author, Entry #1.  Note: most characters appear in a number of entries, with many entries building on previous conversations.  You’ll catch on quickly.  Thanks for your time and interest…and comments. 

Scene: Conversation about education starts Entry #153. Jordan and JC, a long-time friend (and frequent character) are having dinner. Time of year – just about when school starts.

Jordan: “To me the board of education mission statements seem awfully complicated. How would you measure results?”

JC: “What I don’t understand is why there is little, if any, emphasis on teaching kids to think. Lots of touchy-feely kinds of words that are politically correct but are hard to measure.”

Jordan: “If we are to make work the idea of ‘teaching kids to think,’ then schools will need to teach core courses and measure progress against the baseline in the core courses.”

JC: “I agree. Kids need to learn the fundamentals of math, English, social studies, history and some basic science. At the same time, society, especially parents, needs to understand not every kid is going to become highly proficient in every course. Like it or not, people have different skills.”

Jordan: “I agree. My skills lean toward math. But I am lousy at the skilled trades. My carpentry is a joke.”

JC: “Little Jordan can’t saw straight?”

Jordan: “Ever watch ‘This Old House‘? I love the show. I also marvel at how much math and physics are used in carpentry. Tom Silva and Norm Abram use math and physics all the time to solve problems.”

JC: “Yes, I do watch it. And here’s what I fund humorous. Norm Abram may be the most famous Jewish carpenter since Jesus.”

Jordan: “Funny.  So maybe we use Norm and Tom as examples why we need to teach all kids certain fundamentals, whether or not they are college bound.”

JC: “What about kids with learning disabilities? How do we teach them?”

Jordan: “We need to teach them to think. Thinking might be at a different level but we want the kids to leverage whatever skills they have.”

JC: “How are we…collective we as you say…going to teach these kids to think? You talking about mainstreaming these kids in regular classes?”

Jordan: “My view is mainstreaming is disruptive to the class. I know that sounds discriminatory but you can’t slow down 90-95% of the students for the sake of 10%, or 5%. We need to think hard about how to educate kids with disabilities.”

JC: “That’s a touchy subject.”

Jordan: “May be. But parents, educators and citizens need to have an honest conversation. I am not an education expert. My expertise, at least according to the people who know me, is providing practical solutions to complex problems. Teaching kids with disabilities is a complex problem. And the current system does not appear to be working.”

JC: “You know someone knows how to teach kids with disabilities to think?”

Jordan: “Not personally.  But, there are people with lots of very practical, valuable educational experience.  My guess is the skills required for teaching kids with disabilities differ from skills required to teach other students.  Why try to mix them?”

JC: “I find it ironic we are focusing on teaching kids with learning disabilities. We all have some kind of learning disability in some subjects.”

Jordan: “Point well taken. So how do we teach me carpentry or teach me how to sing better?”

JC: “I’m learning disabled when it comes to cooking. I just don’t get it.”

Jordan: “What Princess knows how to cook? Ordering in is your idea of cooking. That was too easy.”

JC: “See if I ever invite you to dinner.”

Jordan: “Where would we go, Steak & Shake? Back to topic at hand. Maybe we should take a lesson from the ‘Dummies’ books. Apply the same principle to education.”

JC: “First step might be to change the name from ‘Dummies.'”

Jordan: “Think about this. What if supposedly smart people enrolled in classes for ‘dummies’? Would that remove some of the stigma of not being proficient?”

JC: “You mean if a MIT-guy like you enrolled in a ‘Carpentry for Dummies’ class, other people might be willing to enroll in say ‘Math for Dummies’?”

Jordan: “It just might work.”

JC: “Here’s another idea. What if participants in the ‘dummies classes’ were awarded merit badges, like the Boy Scouts. Your merit badge then becomes something of a badge of honor. You know, like guys show off their trophy for winning some golf tournament.”

Jordan: “Interesting idea. Merit badges for completing a ‘dummies’ class. Eliminates the stigma…reduces it anyway…of not being proficient in a certain skill. And encourages more people to continue with their education.”

JC: “Let’s run that by some people and get their reaction.”

(Continued)

First-time readers, this blog is set in the future (sometime after 2020).  This entry assumes the Revenge Revolution has occurred.  For more about the anticipated 5th revolution in the US — the Revenge Revolution — and more about the author, Entry #1.  Note: most characters appear in a number of entries, with many entries building on previous conversations.  You’ll catch on quickly.  Thanks for your time and interest…and comments. 

Scene: Conversation about education starts Entry #153. Jordan and JC, a long-time friend (and frequent character) are having dinner. Time of year – just about when school starts.

JC: “Using a standard of ‘teaching kids to think’ seems so simple. Do you think it can really work?”

Jordan: “The seeming simplicity is what will make it work. I know that sounds odd but simplicity is the key.”

JC: “The measure is easy to understand. Plus it fits into the 10-second sound bite…with time to spare. I know it is easy to understand but is it really practical?”

Jordan: “What’s not practical about it? Think about your education. What did your English and math teachers instill in you?”

JC: “Some basic facts and methods first, then how to solve problems, which is really how to think.”

Jordan: “I agree, we can’t lose sight of learning the basics. I think everyone agrees on that. Now, in English class, what’s the value of diagramming? To have you speak more clearly…and not split those infinitives?

JC: “To some degree. But diagramming really taught me how to think about sentence construction. To think about how words and phrases worked together to form a unit.”

Jordan: “What about math class? What did you learn?”

JC: “Now that I think about it, both in math and English classes…and other classes as well…I was taught how to approach a problem.”

Jordan: “And how to solve a problem in a logical way. Gee, did learning to think help you in school and help you in addressing life’s problems?”

JC: “Helped me except for dealing with guys – like you, for example.”

Jordan: “I don’t understand women either so I guess we’re even. Seriously, the question for society today — ‘Are we teaching kids how to think?'”

JC: “Probably not teaching them very well, even with all those standardized tests.”

Jordan: “Give me an example.”

JC: “Here’s an easy one that you run into almost every day. How many young people at the cash register know how to make change?”

Jordan: “Not many. Yesterday I had a bill for $4.88. I gave the clerk a $5.00 bill, one dime and three pennies because I wanted a quarter rather than more coins.”

JC: “Do you get a quarter or the deer-in-headlight look?”

Jordan: “Worse. I got back a dime and two pennies. Then I gave her back the change and asked for a quarter and still the ‘Duh’, reaction. I gave up.”

JC: “Do you think the public, you know the general public, can support the idea of ‘teaching kids to think’ as a direction for education?

Jordan: “I hope so. Just for fun, let’s look at mission statements from 3-4 school boards. Curious to see what the boards think the mission of their school system is.”

JC: “Good idea. Look at Charlotte, NC, which you know well. Also, try Westport, CT…another one of your spots…NYC and San Francisco.”

Jordan: “Here’s Charlotte/Mecklenburg’s mission statement. ‘Foster a culture of excellence where proud students and educators become the craftsmen of a beautiful, quality work.'” (http://mcpsweb.org/?page_id=3307)

JC: “Huh? Wonder what that means? Try Westport.”

Jordan: “Their statement is a lot longer. ‘Our Mission is to prepare all students to reach their full potential as life-long learners and socially responsible contributors to our global community. We achieve this by fostering critical and creative thinking and collaborative problem solving through a robust curriculum delivered by engaging and dedicated educators. We are committed to maintaining an environment that supports inquiry and academic excellence, emotional and physical well-being, appreciation of the arts and diverse cultures, integrity and ethical behavior.'” (http://www.westport.k12.ct.us/mission-statement/)

JC: “A mouthful but seems to make more sense. At least Westport talks about ‘critical and creative thinking.’ That seems like a step ahead.”

Jordan: “Let’s look for mission for New York City public schools, which I think is the largest district in the US.”

JC: “It is the largest. What’s the mission statement?”

Jordan: “I don’t know. I found mission statements for specific schools.  For the district, the only mission statement I found was under a tab for ‘early childhood,’ but no general statement.”

JC: “Surely you jest. Really?”

Jordan: “The childhood one seems OK as a start, ‘Every student in New York City deserves an opportunity to have the foundation of skills, knowledge, and approaches to learning needed to be ready for school and, ultimately, college and careers.'”  ( http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/EarlyChildhood/mission)

JC: “So NY has a hidden general mission statement if they have one at all. What about San Francisco? They’re home to a lot of high-tech companies. What’s their mission statement?”

Jordan: “According to the website, the San Francisco school district initiated a community-wide program to develop a curriculum that would address the needs of the future.”  (http://www.sfusd.edu/en/assets/sfusd-staff/about-SFUSD/files/vision-2025-spreads.pdf)

JC: “Did they come up with a simple guiding principle?”

Jordan: “No. They have a booklet with a list of steps. Seems like a good start but still lots of verbiage. However, there is one statement that is very insightful.”

JC: “That is?”

Jordan: “Here’s the essence of quote. ‘If there was one surprise…it was the extent to which a shared vision already exists in our community and how easy it would be for diverse groups…to agree on the types of teaching and learning environments we want to build in San Francisco.'”

JC: “OK, Westport and San Francisco seem to have versions of what we’re talking about. NYC has a version of early students tat seems OK.  Charlotte’s mission is confusing. Here’s what I’m not confused about, I need a break.”

(Continued)

.

For first-time readers, this blog is set in the future (sometime after 2020).  This entry assumes the Revenge Revolution has occurred.  For more information about the anticipated 5th revolution in the US — the Revenge Revolution — and more background about the author, Entry #1.  One another note: almost all characters appear in a number of entries, with many entries building on previous conversations.  You’ll catch on quickly.  Thanks for your time and interest…and comments. 

Scene: Conversation about education starts Entry #153. Jordan and JC, a long-time friend (and frequent character) are having dinner. Time of year – just about when school starts.

Jordan: “You got that argument right. The problem with charter schools is two-fold. #1, far less accountability than public schools. And in some cases virtually no accountability.

JC: “I’ll buy that.  What’s the second problem?”

Jordan: “#2, taxpayer dollars that are collected for use in public schools are diverted to the private sector. The money transfer further erodes the funding for public schools – teachers, buildings, and equipment. The diversion is a vicious cycle with public education suffering more and more.

JC: “Aren’t some charter schools focused on specific subjects or areas of study? That seems like a good idea. Why not let kids who are really good at say math and science go to schools where they can excel?”

Jordan: “You can accomplish the same programs…call them high-intensity study programs…in the public school system. Big cities have done so for years. NY, and probably some others, have an array of special-interest high schools.”

JC: “You’re right. We went to public school and were enrolled in ‘accelerated classes.’ They probably call those classes ‘advanced placement’ now…more politically correct. I guess you and I didn’t need private schools or charter schools to get a good education.”

Jordan: “I understand the taxpayer’s frustration with cost of schools. Rather than increasing taxes, a better approach would be to reduce or eliminate money not being spent very efficiently – like busing, charter schools. Add to that waste the extra money many parents are spending for private schools.”

JC: “If I’ve heard you right tonight, you think the way to start rebuilding public schools is cutting way back on busing and taking the money to create a corps of higher-caliber teachers, like Miss ‘What?’ and Mrs. D.?”

Jordan: “There are people out there who can teach like Miss What? and Mrs. D.  But they’re probably not teaching because of low pay.  We need to recruit those people to become teachers and need to pay them enough so they remain as teachers.”

JC: “Given the political support for charters, how can the rebuilding program get started? There’ll be a lot of resistance.”

Jordan: “Maybe. But the key is generating public support, at which point the politicians will fold. Remember in 2015 how quickly and effectively the Donald changed the tone of the Republicans running for president?”

JC: “Yep. His comments were straightforward, unvarnished, not diplomatic and often over the top…but he got everyone’s attention.”

Jordan: “Trump also made it OK to talk about sensitive issues without the PC-sugar coating.”

JC: “Alright, I guess we need to find someone like the Donald…but a bit less bombastic…to talk about education.”

Jordan: “Let’s get someone to promote a very simple concept for education. You brought it up early in the conversation.”

JC: “You mean Einstein’s comments about education?”

Jordan: “Exactly. ‘Education is not the learning of facts. It’s rather the training of the mind to think.'”

JC: “Did he really say that, or is that some made-up quote on the web?”

Jordan: “Not sure it really matters. It’s a great quote and we should use it. We need to repeat it ’till we memorize it.”

JC: “You can engage your brain and memorize the quote. I’m getting a refill.”

Jordan: “Education is not the learning of facts. It’s rather the training of the mind to think. Education is not the learning of facts. It’s rather the training of the mind to think. Education is not the learning of facts. It’s rather the training of the mind to think.”

JC: “By the way, I checked on the quote while you were trying to memorize it. Some controversy about the exact quote and whether it was taken out of context…but, I think its close enough. The quote is easy to remember and understand. I’m voting we use it.”

(To be continued)

For first-time readers, this blog is set in the future (sometime after 2020).  This entry assumes the Revenge Revolution has occurred.  For more information about the anticipated 5th revolution in the US — the Revenge Revolution — and more background about the author, Entry #1.  One another note: almost all characters appear in a number of entries, with many entries building on previous conversations.  You’ll catch on quickly.  Thanks for your time and interest…and comments. 

Scene: Conversation starts Entry #153. Jordan and JC, a long-time friend (and frequent character) are having dinner. Time of year – just about when school starts.

JC: “OK, let’s just pretend we stop discretionary busing. I know most schools will still need some buses but what really happens if we cut busing?”

Jordan: “Three things happen. #1 kids get more time for schoolwork or just to play. #2, kids get to go school in their neighborhood with their friends. They can start to build a bond with the local school and not some far off school. #3, money becomes available to pay teachers more and/or hire better teachers.”

JC: “How much more money? How much do we spend on busing?”

Jordan: “Here’s the math. For each school bus, the taxpayers buy or lease a bus, hire a driver, buy fuel and hire a mechanic for maintenance and repairs. And, just in case the one bus breaks down or needs maintenance, there is a back-up bus – not one for one but some spares.”

JC: “I understand the costs but it’s not just for one kid. There’s a bunch of kids on a bus.”

Jordan: “For argument sake, let’s assume each bus averages 30 kids. Might be a bit high but reasonable.”

JC: “30 kids is about the same size as an average class.”

Jordan: “Right. So for every $1.00 spend on busing a kid, there is $1.00 less for paying teachers…unless, of course the taxpayers want to increase taxes.”

JC: “Never thought of the cost of busing quite like that. I wonder if taxpayers do?”

Jordan: “Now we need to figure out what each school bus costs per year.”

JC: “Before you Google that, let’s each take a guess.”

Jordan: “Alright. Write your number down and then we’ll compare estimates.”

JC: “I put down $15,000 per bus per year. So if my math is right, for 30 kids that equates to $500 per year per student.”

Jordan: “I’m going a little higher, $20,000, which works out to be $667 per student per year.”

JC: “Let’s see how we did.”

Jordan: “Here’s the DoE (Department of Education) website. Based on the trend line, it looks as if $1,000 per student per year is more accurate.”

JC: “So we were both low. For every student, taxpayers are spending $1,000 per year to bus kids? And in some places, the number’s a lot higher. Spending that much money on busing seems like a waste.  Like throwing money in the trash can.”

Jordan: “We agree that some busing is necessary. But let’s assume that 50.0% of busing is discretionary. Might be higher but 50.0% is a reasonable estimate.”

JC: “If half the busing is discretionary, then for each bus with 30 kids, about $15,000 per year is wasted. Taxpayers, really the school board, could redirect the money to pay every existing teacher $15,000 more per year. And not have to raise taxes!! Busing is even dumber than I thought.”

Jordan: “You got that right. I wonder how many parents would gladly make the following trade: stop busing your kids for more qualified teachers at the neighborhood school.”

JC: “Seems like a no-brainer to me. Plus the kids can spend more time at school studying, participating in extracurricular activities or just goofing off with friends.”

Jordan: “What baffles me is why kids in grammar school have to commute 30-60 or even 90 minutes a day? When I worked in Manhattan and we lived in Connecticut, my commute was not much longer.”

JC: “Plus the kids are sitting on a bus and not walking to school or riding a bike to school. So tell me again, why are we busing these kids?”

Jordan: “People who proposed busing as a solution were likely well intentioned…at least I think they were. But these same people neither thought through the consequences nor really understood the cause of the problem.”

JC: “You’ve said several times that the cause of low performing schools is not poverty per se.”

Jordan: “It’s not poverty per se. And yes, I agree many kids do not have good role models at home.”

JC: “Which begs the question, ‘Why bus kids to another school rather than attract better teachers to the neighborhood school?'”

Jordan: “I understand busing was done initially because schools were segregated…and schools in lower-income neighborhoods, especially black neighborhoods, were inferior.”

JC: “After busing became more widespread, did educational scores improve for kids being bussed?”

Jordan: “Probably, but I think only temporarily. One of the unintended consequences was busing ended up eroding confidence in and support of public schools.”

JC: “You mean because more parents sent their kids to private schools rather than being bussed?”

Jordan: “Charlotte (NC) is a good example. After busing between neighborhoods started more parents sent kids to private schools and religious schools…along with a big jump in home schooling.”

JC: “What about charter schools? Are they a good alternative?”

Jordan: “Another non-solution that addresses the symptoms, not the cause. Charters are a darling of many Republican politicians. Charters were promoted as better than public schools because…”

JC: “…because students attending want to learn, because charters offer better-qualified teachers…and of course, charters have no unions – the cause of most problems with public schools.”

Jordan: “You take a sour pill today? By the way, I agree with your comments. In my view, the problem with charter schools is twofold.”

JC: “Hold that thought. I need to take a break.”

—————

Links to downloads of other topics,

• 15 05 23 Do They Really Understand Entries #121-#130 (Discuses policies in government and private industry)
• Insight into General Motors (Multiple Entries) — (Spans many years pre and post bankruptcy)

For first-time readers, this blog is set in the future (sometime after 2020).  This entry assumes the Revenge Revolution has occurred.  For more information about the anticipated 5th revolution in the US — the Revenge Revolution — and more background about the author, Entry #1.  One another note: almost all characters appear in a number of entries, with many entries building on previous conversations.  You’ll catch on quickly.  Thanks for your time and interest…and comments. 

Scene: Continuation of Entry #153. Jordan and JC, a long-time friend (and frequent character) are having dinner. Time of year – just about when school starts.

JC: “So you think the way to improve education is double teachers’ salaries and show respect for the teaching profession?”

Jordan: “If forced to a 10-second sound bite, ‘yes,’ double salaries and show respect. But you and I know the solution is more complicated.”

JC: “You mean like students wanting to learn?”

Jordan: “When talking about students wanting to learn, a bunch of clichés come to mind. ‘You can lead a horse to water…’ ‘You can’t move anything by pushing on a string.’ And some others.”

JC: “Understand what you mean. But how do you intend to change these kids minds…have them want to learn?”

Jordan: “That’s where good teachers come in. The decision to learn starts at home but…”

JC: “…but in many cases, there is no encouragement at home. Plus, some kids don’t seem to understand the importance of learning, especially how it affects them long-term.”

Jordan: “No matter what we do, there will be some kids who resist education. Teachers can be inspirational for some and reinforce the inspiration for others. But there is some percentage that will resist learning…at least publicly.”

JC: “I know we talked about this earlier but I still remember how excited I used to get before English and math classes. I loved those classes.”

Jordan: “I hear ya. Did I ever tell you what happened in 8^th grade math?”

JC: “Mrs. D your teacher?”

Jordan: “Yes. Remember the Cootie Bug game?”

JC: “Had some sort of bug-like thing, didn’t it?”

Jordan: “Right. Mrs. D had an extra-credit program called the Cootie Club. The program was designed to last the entire year. When you finished a section of extra-credit work, you were given part of the Cootie Bug.”

JC: “Let me guess. You finished early.”

Jordan: “Finished all the coursework and all the extra credit material by mid-October.”

JC: “The whole year’s work and extra-credit stuff by mid-October? What’d she do with you then?”

Jordan: “Made me a teaching assistant, helping other kids and grading papers.”

JC: “That’s great. But you were inspired before class even started. You loved math.”

Jordan: “True and she let me run at my own pace…as fast as I wanted. She was a true inspiration for me.”

JC: “OK, but what about kids whose parents are so encouraging or who live in lower-income areas?”

Jordan: “It’s not as if my parents were wealthy. You know we had a good mix of students in that school.”

JC: “The kids were not poor by anyone’s standards.”

Jordan: “Agreed.”

JC: “Then how do we establish respect for teachers?”

Jordan: “Two steps. #1 is the president, whoever it is, needs to reinforce…and I mean reinforce constantly…the importance of teachers in educating our children. He or she should use the bully pulpit and pound in the country’s collective head why we need to support teachers.”

JC: “JFK made volunteering OK for recent college grads by promoting the Peace Corps. We still have the Peace Corps all these years later. What’s the second point?”

Jordan: “All income groups need to focus on the importance of a quality public education. I should add all ethnic groups.”

JC: “What do we do about poor performing schools, especially in lower-income neighborhoods? Shouldn’t those kids be transferred to other schools?”

Jordan: “I know that’s a popular idea…but it’s wrong. Moving the kids to another location does not address the real problem.”

JC: “Why not?”

Jordan: “Reminds me of how some companies deal with lower-performing employees. They move the employees to another department. What’s been accomplished? Nothing.”

JC: “Are you saying busing the kids to a better performing school isn’t a solution?”

Jordan: “You got it. Busing the kids treats the symptom, not the cause.”

JC: “You want to teach kids in their neighborhood, even if the school is under-performing.”

Jordan: “We…another societal we…need to fix the problem at the location. To shuffle kids all around town is unfair to kids being bussed. Unfair to kids who should be going to a school in their neighborhood but are being bussed. It’s also unfair to taxpayers to spend money on a solution that does not address the problem. Take the money spent on busses and diesel fuel and hire better teachers!!”

JC: “I need to think about that idea — cut way back on busing and use the money for teachers.”  (To be continued)

—————————————

Links to downloads of other topics,

• 15 05 23 Do They Really Understand Entries #121-#130 (Discuses policies in government and private industry)
• Insight into General Motors (Multiple Entries) — (Spans many years pre and post bankruptcy)