Education seems to be getting a bad rap in some circles and to a certain extent, it is well deserved. Our public schools only offer one curriculum, only one type of degree.
But what if you can’t do well in school the way it works today? What are you supposed to do?
The only option many of our kids see is to drop out and that leads to lots more problems with unemployment, gangs, drugs – wasted lives and wasted potentials.
We’ve lost track of our real purpose in education: to provide the skills and understandings needed for our children to become productive and satisfied members of our society, living ‘the good life’ with their family and friends.
In addition to offering only one degree we don’t provide an understanding of their Purpose in Life to guide them in making good decisions in their life.
All of our programs are designed to help the kids achieve some ‘passing grade’ level of achievement to entitle them to that ONE degree. Never mind that our DNA proves that every one of us is completely unique. Never mind that in some areas 50% or more of the kids drop out and never get that degree and end up with a criminal record that further reduces their chances to achieve that good life.
Let’s start with Step 1; becoming fluent in basic reading.
Fluency comes from repetition. Great coaches have their players practice the same plays over and over, week after week for the whole season to get better and stay sharp. Reading simple sentences is the first ‘play’ you have to learn to get along well in our society.
Reading the same simple words in different types of simple sentences over and over, day after day, week after week until that level of reading requires no thinking at all leads to fluency. Then you can move to the next level of simple words and sentences and then on to other subjects.
They must have the ability to learn at the next level which they can’t do if they don’t have the ability to read well.
A clear sign of fluency is to pronounce every word exactly as it should be pronounced and read every sentence just the way it should be read. We recognize the lack of a good education immediately when people don’t speak and read fluently.
We should have degrees at each level of attainment. This isn’t about taking a test and getting a ‘passing grade’. The ability to read and speak fluently is WAY too important to accept anything less than absolute fluency! This is step one in our goal of ‘No Child Left Behind’. Every child should be taught to the highest level at which they are capable.
What those new degrees would show is that this person has achieved a certain level of fluency. But more importantly, it will show that they will stick with it to do their absolute best. That is what we want to know. They are clearly able to perform most jobs and our government and employers should change their standards for hiring to recognize the level of education that they have achieved and what that means about the types of jobs they can perform.
How can we as a society think that a teacher is not good because a kid can only learn up to a certain level?
How can we think that a kid can’t learn a subject when they haven’t yet become fluent in reading the material?
How can we insist that all kids must be able to do this exact curriculum that we keep cramming more and more into or it is the fault of our teachers and school administrators?
That is the amazing level of thinking in the standards we are now giving our schools. Amazingly BAD!
Kids that appear unable to handle school now will be able to do much more when they are first fluent in reading. Kids that are taught and rewarded for their successes with degrees will be much more likely to stay in school.
Businesses will be happier to have more good employees to choose from and to help support our public education system and our nation.
Teachers will be much happier when parents understand what they are doing and when they aren’t being criticized no matter how dedicated they are.
Parents will be happier when their kids are given the respect they deserve for doing their best and when they stay in school because they can achieve successes and get the understandings they need to live a good life.
Politicians will be happier when changes they make in our educational standards and systems produce better results.
This is simple and it is a win-win.
Jerry W. Willis
http://thelifeofyourdreamsbooks.com
I have a brother-in-law I love. He has a wonderful sense of humor and a very strong interest in the political issues of our country. He obviously has a lot of time on his hands because he is retired. But what does he do? He works like mad to send out humor about political issues of the day to his family and friends. I’ll bet he is just like me in that he ‘works’ longer hours now than when he had a job, yet he loves every minute of it. Life is good when you are doing what you love!