Barbara Chambers
Reforming Schools and/or Reinventing Schools
What is school reform?
School reform in the public school system includes a number of programs and policies that are established by policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels. Reforms are procedural changes that relate to how the school operates. Many reform proposals have focused on smaller class sizes, high teacher pay coupled with improved teacher training, more preschool programs, and more technology in the classroom. (www.theheartlandinstitute.org). However, based on A Nation at Risk report (1983) some advocates felt that an emphasis on more required credits in academic courses, more testing, longer school year and an increase in teacher salaries did not produce the results expected. By 1990 a second wave of school reform was put in place, only this time the emphasis was based on performance outcome and accountability, hence, the NCLB law 2002.
Why are public education schools all ways in the process of reform? Clearly, we haven’t significantly closed the achievement gap between black and white students, and rich and poor students. The NCLB Act mandates that all states receiving Title 1 funding (currently all 50 states) must report annual yearly progress (AYP) on the academic performance and progress of students particularly in low-performing schools. Each state must develop content and academic standards in language arts, mathematics and science grades 3-8 and high school. Other provisions were made which could be reviewed on (www.publiceducation.org).
Researcher Frederick Hess believes that reform exist in two ways, the “status quo reformer,” and the “common sense reformer.” Excerpts from his book Common Sense School Reform reveals that the public school education system is indeed in need of great reform and that the practices applied in the industrial era have become obsolete today. For example, treating teachers like assembly line workers, providing mandated training with little value, no rewards for excellence and no opportunity for career advancement. His spin on “status quo reformer” although it may not apply to all school districts has become a serious problem for many and includes some of the following:
· Lack clear objectives and tools for authoritative leadership.
· Believe that by providing more money, and more spending will fix many problems.
· Shy away from job security and accountability
· Believe that educators are already doing all they can, and that improvement is just a matter of mending a curricula, changing school or class size or tossing in a dash of training.
On the other hand, Hess believes the “common sense reformer” has a more practical, no nonsense approach which focuses on accountability and flexibility. His form of reinventing schools includes some of the following:
· People will do their best when goals are clear and they know how they are being evaluated.
· School culture is one of great expectation, excellence is rewarded and failure in not tolerated.
· Great schools are a product of hard work, genius, commitment and skill and not legislated into existence.
· True reform requires transforming “can’t do” culture into one of competence, and students mastery of essential material.
· Flexibility requires managing schools and education effectively, providing rewards for excellence, and serving community needs and being fiscally responsible.
· School choice and competition is good because it will produce accountability.
According to Marty Nemko’s article, Reinventing the High School Curriculum, school reform is needed because schools have “managed to leach the life out of so many kids.” His suggestions for reinventing high school curriculum is as follows:
· Replace one year of the four years required English to Language for Life. This course would focus on newspapers/magazines, voter handbooks, consumer contracts, employee and product assembly manuals and how-to books.
· Replace one year of History/Government to Psychology for Life. The focus would be on conflict resolution, coping with anxieties, teasing/cliquishness, self-esteem, drug abuse and sexuality.
· Replace one year of math to Math for Life, creating real-life scenarios such as how to calculate and estimate mortgage payments etc.
· Replace one year of Science to Information Literacy and allow students to gain optimal use of Internet, libraries, and interviewing to obtain desired information.
Reforming and or/reinventing schools requires more than just making fundamental changes to the school environment. True reform involves a commitment from administrators, teachers, students, parents and policy leaders. It is promoting a school culture that is flexibility in its operational procedures and accountable in delivery of its instructional programs. Perhaps, periodic follow-ups may help to remedy failure.
Cited References:
www.martynemko.com
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