One of the commentators on the Jonathan Kozol posting issued the following challenge to me:
"So Mr. Menin--your assignment, if you choose to accept it--is to write an essay (or better yet, a series of essays) in which you describe your vision of the perfect school--or entire school system, if you want to be really bold.
The idea is that you are starting from scratch and you have whatever resources you need to set things up anyway you think is best.
You should address as many aspects of the educational process as possible, including (in no particular order): (1)programing/curriculum; (2)types of assessments (both as a placement/teaching tool and for evaluating the progress of students); (3) the facilities (both physical plant and resources); (4)teaching models (what teacher training would include and how classrooms would be managed); (5) how schools would be funded; and (6) any other topics you deem important (no issue is taboo)."
I accept. Over the next week, I will try to respond to this question as thoughtfully and pragmatically as possible, highlighting values and ideas that may already exist in Newburyport's schools, or could become part of the culture of our schools.
I will use the label "Vision" so that readers will be able to use the postings index to find all the postings gathered in one spot.
It's been my privilege to serve on the School Committee since 2002. As schools try to make do with less, I've advocated for community engagement, process transparency, open and informed conversation; using best practices and exploring creative use of revenues and assets. I've spoken honestly in service to all of our children. The Schools are not just a budget item, they are a public conversation about who we are and where we are going.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
1 comment:
Please feel free to comment, or ask questions in your comments that are relevant to the upcoming election for School Committee, or my positions on issues facing the schools. This site is not to be used to insult or intimidate the community, the employees of the Schools, my family or myself. I reserve the right to remove any comments I deem irrelevant to the stated goals of the blog.
Thank you for accepting the challenge--looking forward to reading about your vision!
ReplyDeleteGiven that this week is a period devoted to reflection and contemplation in the Jewish calender(a period for reviewing the past with the goal of recommitting ourselves to the task of becoming better people who contribute what we can to making the world a better place)--it's the perfect time to reflect on the best ways to go about educating our children for the future.
Good luck--I am sure you are up to the task!
SV