There Once Was A Little Red School House

 

   The days of the Little Red School house are long gone. The world has become extraordinarily complex and education has taken on many new roles and responsibilities.

   A great deal of discussion has come to the surface recently regarding what should and should not be taught in schools. There has been talk about the need to improve the quality of education. In many states it has become a hot topic. And given the type of election we seem to be facing this year, it probably will remain so until after the November election.

  Student test scores when compared to those from around the world are not encouraging. True. In recent years. the COVID virus has had a significant impact upon student learning but efforts by the federal government to improve scores have met with limited success.

  One should maybe remember, from their own history class, that our founding fathers and the Constitution were silent on education, leaving it to the states to determine how children should and would be educated and what they would learn.

   Experts try to explain why one of the richest nations in the world has difficulty competing with other countries when it comes to student performance on standardized tests.

   No question that if students are to remain competitive in the world with other students, we need to make some significant and substantial changes. Yes, money will help, but some of the solutions may be right in their own backyard. And it may begin with a simple attitude adjustment, by parents and politicians.

   The family is still the single most important key in a child's education. If we look at countries where student performance is high, the common elements are strong family values for education and involvement in the child's program at school. A child's education is a high priority because they will eventually become the future scientists, engineers, doctors, and yes, even teachers. Parents willingly attend school conferences and take interest in what children are learning. They become involved in their programs even before the child enters school. Parents and cultural expectations to be successful are high.

   The educational system in the United States is locked in tradition. School calendars are still based upon the agrarian calendar. Don't students learn during summer or are they busy working on the farm?

   The average length of the school year is 177 days. The average school day is approximately 6 hours, not counting the time spent on the school bus.

   Here is the scary part. Of the six hours in the day, only about 3 1/2 hours are actually spent in instruction. After a lunch count, announcements, school breakfast. Interruptions from the office and a few text messages sent from friends sitting in the back of the room, there is not much time for learning.

   One only needs to look to the coach for after school sports. The average practice length is 2 1/2 hours with no interruptions. There are no announcements from the office, no texting, and…no cell phones allowed. And if it is a practice before a game, can you imagine how much a math teacher would be able to achieve?

  For those of you that know a bit about my career as a teacher and educator, one of the issues that always concerned me was that fact that we all, both child and adult, learn at a different rate and need different amounts of time to learn and process. What happens to the child who needs more than 45 minutes of class time or more than 177 days to learn what is being taught each year? It's a simple explanation of why some fall behind and then become discouraged.

   I was not going to mention the current environment where schools have become battle grounds for violence, drugs, and a number of the ills our society has become so accustomed to hearing about on a daily basis. But at a recent discussion around our family dinner table, my daughter spoke of her concerns about the unknowns of the upcoming school year, the harassment teachers receive from community members and the lack of overall community support. Is it any wonder why there are so many teacher vacancies. And again, as a reminder, teachers are the people who teach our future doctors, scientists, lawyers, car repair, electricians, plumbers, nurses, etc.………..

   One last thought. When you look at countries with high achieving students one thing that they have in common is the public perception of teachers. They are well respected, held in high esteem and were often the best and brightest when they were in school and teacher training. While some may still picture the teacher as a school marm in that little red schoolhouse, teaching is a science and is far too important. The future of our country depends upon their success.