Monday
11Aug2008
Meme: 5 things policy-makers ought to know
August 11, 2008
Cathy Nelson tagged me with this meme, originally started by Nancy Flanagan, so here goes:
Five Things Policy-Makers Ought to Know:
1. If you're going to mandate a new initiative, then you need to FUND that initiative. Do not expect schools/districts to find money for your newly legislated requirements, just because you 'said so.' NCLB's ridiculous requirements have meant the elimination of too many programs that made kids think creatively and critically beyond the narrow parameters of the TEST.
2. Assessment and accountability can be measured in many ways beyond standardized testing. Robots can pass tests. That doesn't mean they can think on their own. AYP doesn't consider the intangibles that make kids want to learn. Effective teachers have myriad (not necessarily "score-able") ways to encourage and evaluate student learning.
3. Walk the walk before you shoot your mouth off: every wannabe BoE member and/or central office administrator should be required to substitute teach for at least a month -- at the elementary, middle, and high school levels -- so they know what it's really like in the trenches.
4. There should be term limits for ALL elected/appointed policy-makers. Entrenched doesn't always mean enlightened. 'We've always done it that way' is not a viable rationale for any decision. Times change, cultures change, and new viewpoints often bring new solutions.
5. Effective -- and fully-funded -- library programs need to be an integral part of every school. No, you can't get all the info you need on the InterWeb. You need school librarians to guide your students and teachers to the best resources, and to the skills/strategies that will help them become informed citizens.
I tag Sara Kelly Johns, Kristin Fontichiaro, and Francey Harris.
Technorati Tags: education, meme, 5things
Five Things Policy-Makers Ought to Know:
1. If you're going to mandate a new initiative, then you need to FUND that initiative. Do not expect schools/districts to find money for your newly legislated requirements, just because you 'said so.' NCLB's ridiculous requirements have meant the elimination of too many programs that made kids think creatively and critically beyond the narrow parameters of the TEST.
2. Assessment and accountability can be measured in many ways beyond standardized testing. Robots can pass tests. That doesn't mean they can think on their own. AYP doesn't consider the intangibles that make kids want to learn. Effective teachers have myriad (not necessarily "score-able") ways to encourage and evaluate student learning.
3. Walk the walk before you shoot your mouth off: every wannabe BoE member and/or central office administrator should be required to substitute teach for at least a month -- at the elementary, middle, and high school levels -- so they know what it's really like in the trenches.
4. There should be term limits for ALL elected/appointed policy-makers. Entrenched doesn't always mean enlightened. 'We've always done it that way' is not a viable rationale for any decision. Times change, cultures change, and new viewpoints often bring new solutions.
5. Effective -- and fully-funded -- library programs need to be an integral part of every school. No, you can't get all the info you need on the InterWeb. You need school librarians to guide your students and teachers to the best resources, and to the skills/strategies that will help them become informed citizens.
I tag Sara Kelly Johns, Kristin Fontichiaro, and Francey Harris.
Technorati Tags: education, meme, 5things
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