In northern Minnesota, rural communities have gone through a series of "boom and bust" economical events. Finding sustainability is a great challenge for the remaining people that have tried to make a life in the north woods region. Empty store fronts, abandoned homes, and lots for sale.
Schools have taken the hit as well: district mergers, old school buildings condemned, 2-hr bus rides, administrative turnover...In our own district, 2/4 high schools have been dissolved in the past 3 years. If this is the trend in the northern Minnesota region, one wonders the trend in other small towns across America. How are received funds most effectively used to educate young people in this country? What do young students really need to learn to be successful in this world? Is our traditional education system sustainable? How can our schools help our communities and vice versa?
These are tough questions, questions that are not located in NCLB research. Just as the education system has become held accountable through standardized testing, the education system has become standardized. Maybe the term is industrialized. Industrial education in a century of privatization and information-driven economy. As 2008 showed the world that industry driven by massive corporation top-down operation is no longer relevant, 2008 should have revealed that our education system is also not sustainable when using the same methods. Methods that mimic century-old ideas of industry revolution tactics (think: assembly line and subdivision homes).
Our economic problems in USA are significant, our education problems in USA are significant. Relying on a bailout to keep schools open is not a reliable option. WHAT IS THE ANSWER? What ARE the options? Can public schooling be sustainable long term? How can public schools improve our economical position? If our problems are unique and challenging, are we effectively teaching our youth to be problem solvers? Leaders?
There is hope. First, we have to get over ourselves, think outside the box, think in a way we never thought before. Second, we have to look at the options. What is the cheapest way to educate youth, with minimal staff, minimal transportation, minimal budgets, minimal economic impact? Charter schools have been around for a while. They tend to be unique: teacher and community-formed, singular in purpose (college preparation, arts, science), and attract a certain group of students. States vary in the policy created to support the charter school efforts, and no state has policy so proactive as Minnesota. They work, in small towns where high schools have left due to funding/building issues/bigger district organization.
Among the various types of charters is a model promoted by EdVisions Schools, Inc. This model boasts a project-based learning curriculum and a teacher-led management platform. Autonomy, vision/mission/values focused, team-shared tasks, student-led projects, presentation skill-building, and an environment that thrives on creativity, initiative, and critical thinking-problem solving. These schools are different, even anti-traditional in thinking. While relying on minimal funding, grants, donations, and community support, pbl charter schools are producing students who do not conform rather are transformational. Change agents, community-builders, and relationship champions, questioning the why and how we have been doing things in education and figuring out what we really need to learn and how we need to learn it.
Can a standardized curriculum produce a self-regulated, critical thinking, community-building young person in a broke-down, economically-depressed, addiction-ridden rural small town? HOW? An assembly line produces clones, robots, systems. Human problems and human development cannot be helped by a cloning process with standardized expectations and standardized results. It is time for district, state, and national leaders to get their teaching licenses and assist in really educating our youth, and really working with an education system that works.
Schools have taken the hit as well: district mergers, old school buildings condemned, 2-hr bus rides, administrative turnover...In our own district, 2/4 high schools have been dissolved in the past 3 years. If this is the trend in the northern Minnesota region, one wonders the trend in other small towns across America. How are received funds most effectively used to educate young people in this country? What do young students really need to learn to be successful in this world? Is our traditional education system sustainable? How can our schools help our communities and vice versa?
These are tough questions, questions that are not located in NCLB research. Just as the education system has become held accountable through standardized testing, the education system has become standardized. Maybe the term is industrialized. Industrial education in a century of privatization and information-driven economy. As 2008 showed the world that industry driven by massive corporation top-down operation is no longer relevant, 2008 should have revealed that our education system is also not sustainable when using the same methods. Methods that mimic century-old ideas of industry revolution tactics (think: assembly line and subdivision homes).
Our economic problems in USA are significant, our education problems in USA are significant. Relying on a bailout to keep schools open is not a reliable option. WHAT IS THE ANSWER? What ARE the options? Can public schooling be sustainable long term? How can public schools improve our economical position? If our problems are unique and challenging, are we effectively teaching our youth to be problem solvers? Leaders?
There is hope. First, we have to get over ourselves, think outside the box, think in a way we never thought before. Second, we have to look at the options. What is the cheapest way to educate youth, with minimal staff, minimal transportation, minimal budgets, minimal economic impact? Charter schools have been around for a while. They tend to be unique: teacher and community-formed, singular in purpose (college preparation, arts, science), and attract a certain group of students. States vary in the policy created to support the charter school efforts, and no state has policy so proactive as Minnesota. They work, in small towns where high schools have left due to funding/building issues/bigger district organization.
Among the various types of charters is a model promoted by EdVisions Schools, Inc. This model boasts a project-based learning curriculum and a teacher-led management platform. Autonomy, vision/mission/values focused, team-shared tasks, student-led projects, presentation skill-building, and an environment that thrives on creativity, initiative, and critical thinking-problem solving. These schools are different, even anti-traditional in thinking. While relying on minimal funding, grants, donations, and community support, pbl charter schools are producing students who do not conform rather are transformational. Change agents, community-builders, and relationship champions, questioning the why and how we have been doing things in education and figuring out what we really need to learn and how we need to learn it.
Can a standardized curriculum produce a self-regulated, critical thinking, community-building young person in a broke-down, economically-depressed, addiction-ridden rural small town? HOW? An assembly line produces clones, robots, systems. Human problems and human development cannot be helped by a cloning process with standardized expectations and standardized results. It is time for district, state, and national leaders to get their teaching licenses and assist in really educating our youth, and really working with an education system that works.