Man, have I’ve been shaken up a bit.
I’ve spent the last few days reading a book about school reform at a high school in Watts. It has had me on the internet doing all sorts of research on Charters and reform efforts.
Then I spent tonight at an event at my children’s charter school where they were awarded and nationally recognized for consistent academic progress.
My head is swirling so that I can’t even find the words I need right now to communicate all that I’m thinking.
I will speak more of both the book and the evening’s events later.
For right now I’m wondering:
If schools and school systems are run from the top down, how come we never try to start reform at the top?
Right now, what I am sure I know is:
1. Schools NEED (or they will “fail)
- excellent, dedicated, TRAINED teachers and staff that work cohesively toward the same goal
- an active, involved community that may extend beyond just parents
- STUDENT BASED curriculum with decisions for instruction made by educators (see #1)
2. There are teachers, parents, administrators and community members out there who either already are or are willing to do whatever it takes to be part of successful schools. More people need to know about them.
3. As much as I thought I’d moved on, the feeling deep in my gut for the last few days tells me, I just might not be finished “being” in education.
Damn.
