The Sound of Change for K-12 Education

As exciting as some previous political conventions might have been, they pale in comparison to what has transpired in Denver this week. There has been a lot of talk about change, and we certainly need change in our public schools. If we are to rebuild our economy for a 21st-century world, we need to dramatically ratchet up the calibre of the K-12 education we offer our children.

There is no doubt that some children get a world-class education in this country, but not every child. That has to change. Most U.S. educators  would probably agree that the best result of NCLB has been highlighting the inequities in how our schools are funded and the importance of highly qualified teachers in generating strong educational outcomes.

All children can learn. We must create schools with that fundamental premise at the heart of curriculum and assessment. It is our moral obligation to fund education at the level it needs to be funded to give all our country’s children the skill set they need to compete in a global economy.

 Even if we take a more isolationist view and set our sights on graduating students who are equipped to make  high-level contributions just to our own institutions, there is much work to be done to recruit, mentor and keep highly qualified professional teachers - the single most important part of the education equation. We need to create clear, standards-based educational goals and objectives that cross all curriculum and topic areas. We need to make it easier to replace sub-standard teachers with excellent teachers. We need to replace what is no longer working for us in the old institutions with schools and education centers focused on creating a love for learning and critical thinking skills that continue to grow and develop over a lifetime.

Keith Krueger, CEO of Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), tells us that the U.S. Department of Education ranked 55 industry sectors by how they use technology. Guess where education ranked? Dead last. #55. That should shock everyone in this country, no matter what their political affiliation. If there is anything all citizens can agree on it is the need to create strong schools that educate all our children. As Keith said so poignantly:

“We need to make sure that their schools are as technology-rich as their lives outside of school are.”

None of this is news. With some notable exceptions, we have lacked the political stamina to reform our schools. Our world standing particularly in the areas of math, science and technology continues to fall. When will we stop talking about the need for change and make the change?

I’d say the time is now. Barack Obama has a clear vision of what we need to do to change the educational outcomes for our country’s chldren. It’s not incremental change. We’ve been tinkering around the edges for a long time. It is robust and systemic change that we need. To make it happen and to be sustainable and scalable, we need all hands on deck.

Last night I heard the clarion call from a leader who can take us where we need to go. The challenge has gone out. The only question remaining is whether or not we have the political will to make it happen. Are you ready to commit?

Check this out for first-hand convention reports from educators and policy makers. Many thanks to Rita Ferrandino for being a voice for education in Denver this week.

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Posted in: K-12 Education |