Time Magazine: How to Bring Our Schools Out of the 20th Century

A post from David Warlick also reminds me how encouraged I was when A Nation At Risk report was released. The buzz was everywhere. Twenty-three years later, what observable difference do we see? How did that substantially change our classrooms?

I'm going to share the Time article, How to Bring Our Schools Out of the 20th Century, with the NASD staff far and wide. I believe that it says what many people have been thinking. I know that it echos my feelings.

I had a conversation yesterday with a curriculum professional. She stated that the pressure for increased achievement is tremendous. I asked her where the pressure originated and she said that the Pennsylvania Department of Education was the primary source. She explained that it is no longer sufficient to provide excellent educational opportunities and expect that students take advantage of them. She said that THE DISTRICT was responsible to ensure that every student took advantage of the opportunities and not the student.

The pressure and focus on test scores and the "perceived achievement" that the scores suppossedly signify is exactly the problem IMHO. (Wow, that was a mouthful.) This nation is totally distracted by test scores while the rest of the world prepares their workforce for a new global economy. As Jim Gates says, "the race is on!"

It's fun to be looking at such challenges ahead. It's fun to be living in a time when change is so rapid.

KP

Tags: web2.0, collaboration, 21st Century Skills, school reform