Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D<\/p>\n
The recent gains by Republican candidates on the Boards of Education in the local counties represent an opportunity for significant change that must not be squandered The public education system needs a major overhaul. Before any changes are made, a clear and prioritized set of goals must be established. Only then can realistic and specific plans and actions be chosen to meet those goals. What should the goals be? The essential function of education in any society should be the training of children to be productive, self- supporting members who maintain the values and beliefs necessary to maintain that society. Failure to accomplish this will result in the destruction of that society. How do we accomplish this?<\/p>\n
First, public schools must prioritize traditional academic skills like reading, writing and math. This can only be accomplished when school administrators and teachers are held responsible and rewarded for improved student achievement. This will require setting specific goals and ensuring that other nontraditional subjects are not taught until the basic skill levels are achieved. This will require allocating instructional time based on the student\u2019s achievement level. The goal of education must return to maximizing each student\u2019s ability–not the goal of equal outcome. Like it or not, human beings are born with differing abilities. That is just the way it is. Societies that are successful, maximize each person\u2019s innate abilities, not demand \u201cequity\u201d(i.e. everyone performing at the same level).<\/p>\n
Second, education must teach the values and beliefs that have made that society successful if that society is to continue. That does not mean ignoring things from the past that needed or may still need improvement. No society is perfect, but America has provided greater freedoms and economic opportunity to more people than any other country. The values of the country must be taught and respected. Teachers unwilling to do so must be fired. Indoctrination of non-American values must cease. Allowing Critical Race Theory instruction, transgender instruction, requiring teachers to use pronouns inconsistent with the student\u2019s biological gender, etc. must not be allowed.<\/p>\n
Third, a recent report by the Heritage foundation, showed that over the past twenty years, the number of school administrative staff has increased by 87% nationally; while the number of students increased by 8.5% and the number of teachers by 7.6%. Local Boards of Education should review the allocation of resources to make sure that the focus returns to classroom instruction, not a bloated bureaucracy.<\/p>\n
Fourth, a large percentage of teachers leave because of disruptive unruly students that are not effectively dealt with by the school administration. Special schools should be established where disruptive students are required to display acceptable behavior. This used to be called \u201cReform Schools\u201d.<\/p>\n
Can these objectives be accomplished? Only time will tell. The entrenched education system will not change without the determination and courage of the Board of Education members. Board of Education members (or their designees) and parents should be allowed to monitor the audio of all classes. There should be nothing to hide.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D The recent gains by Republican candidates on the Boards of Education in the local counties represent an opportunity for significant change that must not be squandered The public education system needs a major overhaul. Before … Continue reading