Modern Failure?

By no means am I suggesting by the title of this week’s installment that there are no good educational models or “best practices” currently being used throughout the United States. Quite the contrary, in fact there are hundreds of great programs being offered to students in almost every State. What I am saying is that each and every one of them will never reach their full potential. Why? Because one great educational program or concept cannot stand alone in the extremely complex society in which we currently live. Each local area (school district) has its own very specific identifying factors. These factors may include; high poverty rates, large minority populations, high unemployment rates, concentrated special needs populations, single parent households, higher than average drug abuse, etc. Ironically, there is one more local characteristic that is by and large the most common demographic that usually never profits from a “one trick pony” educational program or concept, can you guess what it is? Surprise! The everyday average school district with a majority of average to slightly higher than average students, average minority populations, blue collar families and apple pie, these are the school districts that require multiple educational programs and concepts to prepare their students for college and careers. It’s simple, the more issues a school district has, the more opportunities are necessary to be successful.

At this point in this week’s rant, I must insert a disclaimer. I am in no way saying that all schools are bad. However, what we all need to understand is that our current education system is not producing the results we will need to fill these millions of jobs that have yet to be created and that my fellow Americans has to change. If our economy is to grow or even continue to survive in the global market, it must change very quickly.

Much of the talk in the education reform arena today is focused on what is most commonly referred to as “21st Century Skills”. So I guess it might be advantageous for all of us to understand exactly what that term means. The best definition that I could find comes from the Glossary of Education Reform which was developed by “The Great Schools Partnership” program. They define 21st Century Skills as: a broad set of knowledge, skills, work habits, and character traits that are believed—by educators, school reformers, college professors, employers, and others—to be critically important to success in today’s world, particularly in collegiate programs and contemporary careers and workplaces. Generally speaking, 21st century skills can be applied in all academic subject areas, and in all educational, career, and civic settings throughout a student’s life. These are the skills that I have been discussing throughout all of my posts. They are the skill sets that every student should begin forming from their earliest stages of education.

It is extremely important that I point out the most essential phrase within the above definition of 21st Century Skills; and that phrase is – by educators, school reformers, college professors, employers, and others – these are the real stakeholders in the education reform movement. Without input from all of them, and I don’t mean a couple of them, I mean all of them, the entire exercise in reform will fail. Everyone’s voice must be heard for we all have an important stake in our future. That is why a national consortium must be established and sustained through legislation to address the current educational model.

Over the last several presidential election cycles there has been increasingly more rhetoric about abolishing the United States Department of Education. I can remember vividly during the 2012 debates one such advocate mentioned that he would abolish three cabinet departments and a number of regulatory bodies although he couldn’t remember all of them, he did remember the Department of Education which seemed to be first on his list. There are many whom I suppose would agree with that notion and I certainly respect that position. However, wouldn’t it be a great idea if one of the very few responsibilities of a New Department of Education be the coordination of a National Education Consortium? A newly established partnership made up of educators, business people, scientists, inventors, state and local school boards, parents and students whose purpose it would be to develop a totally new and innovative education system. A system that would address how every child would receive the skills necessary to succeed well into the future. A partnership that would be tasked with developing a well prepared workforce that will keep our Nation competitive within the world market, while meeting the demands of technologies and products that have yet to be created.

I guess by now you are probably saying “oh if it could only be possible!” Well call me crazy, but really believe it can and must be possible. You and I are the only obstacles to creating such a partnership. Yes, every one of us has something at stake in this challenge. There must be a complete change of attitude and understanding about how education in the United States needs to be delivered. While free college sounds like a great idea, I truly believe that a better place for that investment would be in what is actually being taught and learned in college (or in all levels of education for that matter). High school graduates are not prepared for college and college graduates are not prepared to enter the workforce especially in the new and emerging industries.

Starting this education revolution from a grass roots effort, while a noble gesture, unfortunately will not be enough. This ideological reform can only rise from dedicated leaders. Regrettably, neither of the leading candidates for the presidency is currently thinking along those lines. I must say that if I were a politician I wouldn’t be either. I, like them, would be using the economic aspects of education to garner votes. Free college for everyone! Debt free college! A chicken in every pot! Well I think you get the picture. Making this monumental and systemic change will not be easy and will take a lot of courage. That is not to say it’s impossible however, it would have to begin on day one of the presidential term. It is obviously a huge political gamble, one that could make or break America’s economic future.

In the coming installments I plan to begin listing some of the discussion points that a National Educational Consortium might consider.  How such a partnership would be organized. How it could be sold on the State and local levels. In other words how do we win the hearts and minds of all Americans? After all, this would be the largest government undertaking since World War II. The good news is that we Americans know how to get things done and as long as we continue to believe that, I know we will succeed.