Educator’s Thoughts on School Reform

I am an educator. My experience spans 40 years. I have seen good schools and bad schools. I have worked with good principles. I have been involved in committees to develop curriculum, improvement school discipline, design student handbooks, in corporate technology in the classroom, and design protocols for in school research. I have taught in private parochial schools and public schools. I have taught in small schools and big schools. I have taught in single-sex to schools and coed schools. I have taught special ed kids, inclusion classes, regular classrooms and gifted children. I have taught elementary school, secondary school, college classes and graduate school education classes. I feel my experience provides me with the needed perspective to discuss school reform.

There is an attack on schools, teachers and students. The attack comes from politicians would’ve been swept into office based on promises to improve education. Unfortunately what I see is an attempt not to improve education for to create a political plank for future political programs. I fear they carry an agenda that will not benefit the students in the schools. There are issues that need to be addressed in the school and community. The general dissatisfaction with the state of education has created this atmosphere of negative school reform. Education is not cheap. Education is not solely the responsibility of the classroom teacher.

I had used this blog to offer some thoughts on how to be a good classroom teacher. Now I wish to use this blog to present my thinking on how we can improve education in this country. I welcome the readers’ comments and ideas. Improving education is a collaborative effort. School reform will need the input and help of members of the educational community, parents community, business community, political community and the student community. Sharing ideas lead to solutions that solve problems.

As a brainstorming exercise, I offer the following suggestions for school reform. I will use this outline as a guide to express my ideas on school reform.

School Reform

Philosophy

• Nurturing Environment.
• Pass on of Culture
• Place of learning
• not a daycare center
• lifelong learners

Teacher Preparation Programs

• improve teacher preparation programs
• improved on-site teacher evaluation

School Climate

• class size
• home/school interaction
• safe/nurturing environment

Involvement

• parents
• community
• business
• local politicians

Improved Instruction

• technology
• instructional materials
• continued teacher education
• in-service presentations

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