IDEAS FOR EDUCATION REFORM
Standardized testing
Private schools don’t have it and do well! The biggest indicator is parental involvement in student success. We need paid time off for parents for training to help their children.
Career training was standard in high schools over 50 years ago. Why expect all kids to go to college when many of them don’t want it or need it for career choice? Students should be given a career path to graduate with a successful career.
Homeschool Success
Homeschool curriculum usually takes 3 hours, (excluding extracurricular and exercise), whereas public school takes 7 hours. Where is all the wasted time?
Play is a part of development, yet we’ve gotten away from this. Children need time to think and be creative. Many years ago students in kindergarten/first grade had lots of time to play, a daily nap (kinder), and academics. Kids did well!
Overtraining is overwhelming for teachers and rarely beneficial.
Bureaucracy
There is too much paperwork and expectations put on teachers/staff without the additional time and help to complete. Little by little it’s added up to where it’s too much! There is increased teacher burnout and not enough time for creativity. We keep doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Ask the people in the trenches, teachers, what works.
Collaboration
There’s not enough time to collaborate with colleagues and share best practices. Teachers say these practices have made the most difference in improving their teaching careers. A top down approach doesn’t work. When a teacher respects administration, they’ll go to the ends of the earth for them! It's the same with students and teachers!
Mentors need to be in the same school and readily available. They need to be given time to help. This makes the most difference in teacher improvement.
Student discipline is out of control - much of this is due to the things listed here but also less consequences. Students should not be allowed in classrooms who are out of control. This is not good or safe for teachers and other students. It sets a precedence that it’s ok. There needs to be more alternative schools with therapy and parent training and support until they are ready to return to the classroom. This is one of the number one reasons teachers are leaving the career in droves and there's a teacher shortage.
Class sizes are too large, there are too many classes teachers are required to teach and the school day is too long. If the school day was half as long, teachers would have more time to plan, grade, and collaborate. This would make them better teachers and in turn students would do better. More time doesn’t equal better! In countries that are performing in the top tier, such as Finland, teachers teach 4 hours a day. Teachers' lessons are superior because they have more time to plan and students therefore need less time in the classroom. A flipped classroom technique could also be beneficial- https://bokcenter.harvard.edu/flipped-classrooms#:~:text=A%20flipped%20classroom%20is%20structured,that%20involve%20higher%20order%20thinking.
Time for Teachers
Teachers need more conference periods, breaks, and support. All of this creates less burnout and retention of good teachers.
Compensation
There is not enough pay in education to attract and retain the best teachers and staff. Teachers should make similar pay to high end careers. We will continue to face a teacher shortage if not.
Project-Based Learning and Fun
School is not fun anymore! It should be fun. Teachers and students should look forward to it!
Schools should have more fieldtrips and more time outside where kids explore. Kindergarten in Germany is outside in rain or shine. Project-based learning and student choice is also a huge indicator of student motivation.
Teacher Retention
Teachers, staff, and students are burned out. Teachers are leaving or planning to leave education in vast numbers. If this wasn’t the case, many would work past retirement age if they were happy. Teachers and staff are burned out = students are burned out.
Simplify
Stop making it so complicated! Simplify it! Each year, the amount of district rules, bulletins, bills, etc. adds up to more! Less is more. This doesn’t mean you don’t work hard, but when you love what you do, it doesn’t feel like work!
Administrators
Supportive administrators retain and attract the best staff. Toxic administrators do the opposite and unfortunately there are too many of these. Ensuring there are great administrators is imperative!
Parent Advocacy and Involvement
Parents account for 50% of a child's development, but they aren’t utilized enough. Blame is put on teachers. Help teachers more, stop blaming! Anti-parent board members are being recalled nationwide. Parents are fed up with many of the things listed above and these things need to change or this will continue. Many parents and other community members have become board members to improve education.
School Choice
Schools that do well in all of these things will attract more students. Schools that don’t will decline and possibly need to be re-imagined. Many excellent public schools have waiting lists of students. How can we replicate these schools?
California Educational Opportunity Act
We are working with the leaders of the CEO act to bring $17,000 to each student to go to the school of their choice in CA.
Learn about the Children's Education Opportunity at educationopportunity.org
Outdoor Schools
Dream school: Timbernook, outdoor play & learning experiences (visit timbernook.com)
Learn more about the connection of sensory experiences and outdoor learning: The-1000-hours-outside-podcast
Focus on the Positive!
One of the best schools we’ve seen did high fives and feedback at the beginning of staff meetings, Teachers and staff felt like family and the turnover rate is lower in schools like this. This same school had one of the best administrators - he worked hard, never lost his cool, and cared deeply. Teachers and staff will go to the ends of the earth for leaders like this. We need more leaders like this!
Meet Students Where They Are
We need to meet student’s emotional needs. This means sitting with them, hugging, talking, and putting class work aside until they’re ready to learn. Class work cannot be done if these needs are not met first.
Support The Arts
Music and arts should be standard all the way up in K-12 as well as bilingual education.
There should be a credentialed teacher librarian in every K-12 school. Most schools do not have librarians. Research has proven over and over the academic benefits of having teacher librarians in every school as well as a current, vast library collection.
Parents are pulling their children out of school left and right and homeschooling them or putting them in private schools. Drop-outs have increased as well, especially during and after the pandemic. Parents say they don’t like the discipline issues on campuses or the way schools are being run. They ask for advice on where to send their children.
