“this last best hope of earth” Abraham Lincoln
Teach Our National Heritage"
We have a blessed legacy, one we can be proud of. We send a message to our children when as a district we hold a holiday like Presidents Day with less importance than other national holidays. February 16th is set aside to honor those who served as president in years, past men like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Yet this is only a holiday if the weather holds up and we don’t use it to make up for a lost day during the year. This focus is not lost on our children. Our curriculum should include American patriots and our children should come home with an understanding of great American’s like Martin Luther King, Alexander Hamilton and Theodore Roosevelt. Let us not forgot our heritage in generations to come.
The Ladder of Education
The focus of our education should be four fold:
- Reading & Writing in English
The national motto “E pluribus unum” out of many one, focuses on the unity of us all. We live in a nation that is rich in background. We want to take the best that everyone has to offer but without a common language of communication we will not remain intact. How can we? Life without English proficiency in the United States is a life of low-skilled, low-paying jobs. Studies of Census data show that an immigrant's income rises about 30% as a result of learning English. Knowledge of English leads to the realization of the American dream of increased economic opportunity and the ability to become a more productive member of society, which benefits everyone.
- Mathematics
Mathematics should continue to be emphasized but our schools should educate our children in economics as well. Focus their understanding on interest so they can earn it instead of pay it. What a powerful tool it would be to have a child that understands interest before graduation rather than learning by sad experience in over extended credit. A gift of financial freedom to our children can not be undervalued.
- Science
We live in an age of incredible progress possible because of the innovation. Let us instill the love of science, let us focus on teaching our children the beauty of science. The better or children understand the laws of nature the better they will understand our environment, our resources and how we can best harness what this world has given us.
- Social Studies
It has been said that if we forgot the mistakes of the past we are doomed to repeat them. The only way this can be avoided is to understand the world we now live in and the world events that occurred to make it that way. How did the United States succeed in becoming a world power and conversely what happened to the USSR? What were wars fought over? Understanding inflation, immigration, and how innovation changed our lives.
These basics in education with give our children the core to a successful future. This will provide a solid foundation upon which our children can rely on as they venture forth into the world.
TAKS
Our teaching curriculum does an excellent job of teaching our children to succeed at TAKS. While it improved credited accomplishments of students unintended consequences have resulted. The valuable time prepping students for tests rather then teaching them content. Improving in specific areas yet leaving potentially important areas of preparation for higher education alone. The pressure of performance at the state levels gives the impression that the judgment has been compromised in order to achieve higher results.
Representative Rob Eissler suggested the following solutions which merit consideration:
- Phase out TAKS and replace with end of course exams in the four core subject areas. By testing student learning in a specific course, a teacher can focus on the full breadth of the subject matter exposing students to a richer curriculum.
- Align the tests with the course subject matter and require the end of course exam to count as 15% of the student's grade. This will allow students and teachers to spend time on learning subject matter rather than in test preparation.
- Maintain accountability for schools while provide multiple pathways to graduation for students by allowing a student to satisfy requirements based on a cumulative score across core subject areas rather than a single pass/fail test.
- Encourage college readiness by allowing successful completion of dual credit courses, AP/IB or similar college level avenues to substitute for end of course graduation requirements.
Value What’s Taught In The Home
As a parent it can be discouraging to have a child come home repeating lessons they have learned regarding ecological issues and never mention the balance of industry. Every issue has two sides. Most of us would like to see a fair approach to issues that is not indoctrination. It is also reasonable to expect that the material presented in the class room reflect the subject matter being taught. Material that does not reflect or improve upon what is being lectured on has no place in the classroom. This becomes particularly important when the material brought into class is not only not relevant but also provocative or demeaning of the values taught in a child’s home.
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