That’s Right, Do More of the Same

In a recent post I expressed some concern about the ideology being employed in public education. I would suggest that most educators involved in public education feel they are doing the ‘right thing’ every day. In most public schools that means preparing young people to take tests – NOT to succeed in an ever changing, technological world.

In some areas of the country the idea of lengthening the school day has been proposed as a way to help ‘failing’ schools. The idea being proposed is to give these schools more time to prepare young people for the tests they must take – and teach subjects that have been dropped from the curriculum (like art, music and drama).

It seems to me that the issue isn’t how long the day is but what is being done during the day that matters. If educators don’t change what they are doing – how they teach – then just giving them more time isn’t going to solve much. In fact, it will probably just make matters worse.

Here’s an article that articulates this ‘solution’ in the New York Times:

Failing Schools See a Solution in Longer Day
by DIANA JEAN SCHEMO
Published: March 26, 2007
FALL RIVER, Mass. — States and school districts nationwide are moving to lengthen the day at struggling schools, spurred by grim test results suggesting that more than 10,000 schools are likely to be declared failing under federal law next year.

In some places, like New Mexico, the extra time is being used to ‘tutor’ young people in the subjects they are struggling with.

I’m not sure I really understand why teachers don’t see that teaching is an equal part in the equation of learning. Why is it just the learner that is the ‘problem?’

This one just might work!