Suggesting it’s time for American education to stop “adding spaceship wings to pioneer wagons,” Josh Anderson, the language arts teacher at Olathe Northwest High School who is Kansas’ 2007 Teacher of the Year, offers this three-point plan for reforming K-12 education to fit the 21st century:
– Provide every child with preschool education.
– Scale back elementary school curriculum to core information.
– Require exit exams at sixth, eighth and 10th grades, and don’t let kids move on until they pass.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
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45 Comments
I would require exit exams at fifth grade, eighth grade, and tenth grade.
What a radical concept…don’t allow students to move on to the next grade unless they show evidence of learning. What a risky, unusual, and innovative thought. But…but..it just might work?
Hmmmm…seems to me we had that some 40 years ago? All the “advances” in education lead right back to where we used to be.
Wow!! What a concept. Core cirriculum only and make sure they know it before they move on. Sounds a little like ‘no child left behind’. I have seen it working so I know we are on the right track. Now if the teachers get on board and quit holding the train back we can bring the education system into the 20th century.
I was struck by his ideas concerning the core information to be taught. Example given in the linked article: instead of memorizing the names of the rivers in South America, learning why the rivers in South America are critical to the economy. Yep, he’s on to something important there.
Just realized that my last post may have come across as sarcastic. I agree with the teacher; it is much more important to know that the rivers in South America are crucial to the economies of the countries there, rather than knowing the name of, e.g., the Amazon, with no realization of the importance of the Amazon river to the peoples living on or near it.
Like others this sounds like the school system I went to many years ago. You fail - you don’t pass.
I must give credit to my former teachers though. I remember my Freshman year in college was very easy. At the University College Algebra, Chemistry, Biology and English were basically repeats of what I had already learned in High School. It was like taking a refresher course and getting “free ‘A’s’” for doing so.
Again, I go back to acknowledging the success of my teachers who taught the basics from Grade 1 through 12. I can still see my fourth grade teacher asking each and every one of us to write our multiplication and division tables on the chalkboard.
Some of what this teacher is saying reminds one of heartlander’s points. Anderson talks about teaching creativity - which is interesting, but I am wondering how easily that is taught?
Agree with VT, meaningful information is always more easily remembered as opposed to mindlessly memorized matereial.
“Core Curriculum”????????? Does this mean no Fine Arts? NO VOCAL MUSIC, NO INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC, NO PE, NO ART????????
Is this really what we want our students to do, grow up non-enlightened?
I think if you sat down and actually spoke with Josh Anderson (I actually have), you might find out that he really does not propose totally eliminating everything but the “core curriculum”.
ksgrm………..what makes you think the teachers ARE NOT on board for education reform? Did worldnet tell you different this morning?
Just a correction to the KC article. It says,
” Anderson is a first-rate teacher.
One of the four best in the nation, in fact.”
For this to be true, past years’ National Teacher of the Year winners’ performances would have to have dropped. Not plausible.The National Teacher of the Year competition isn’t like sports’ MVP awards that can be won repeatedly. You can only win NTY it once–even if you’ve learned things and are a better teacher this year than when you won four years ago.
NYT also excludes all private and parochial school teachers. The title should read “National Public School Teacher of the Year”.
But my quibble with Star reportage aside, the finalists are all extraordinary teachers.
Here are some interesting facts about them. All are YOUNG, with 7-10 years teaching experience apiece at the time of nomination.
They express fresh ideas, which they have implemented, with great results. Andrea Peterson, the NYT winner from a rural school in Washington state, has nearly all her program’s students reading sheet music and having a grasp of music theory by the end of fifth grade.
Springdale, Arkansas’s Justin Minkel teaches second grade (also did third-grade looping at least once) to ESL Latino students, most of whose parents were recruited to work in chicken-processing plants. All his students score at grade level on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and one-third are fluent in English, at the end of their time in his class.
Tamra Tiong is an elementary special ed teacher on an Indian Reservation in New Mexico.
http://www.acei.org/2007NTYFinalists.pdf
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_wa_teacher_of_the_year.html
http://www.mff.org/mea/mea.taf?page=recipient&meaID=19329
http://www.taosnews-eedition.com/crawler/pma_index4/taosnews/dar_26/cd_20070125/Dulce-teacher-finalist-for-National-Teacher-of-the-Year.htm
So the take-home lesson is these teachers are young, energetic, and passionate. They all harbor fresh, inspirational ideas, and have proved that their ideas work, including the idea that it is possible to enrich every child’s mind and spirit.
Now if stem-cell researchers can maybe just figure out how to clone them… ;-)
So Doc Schooley……………do YOU advocate eliminating the Fine Arts in lieu of the “Core Curriculum”?
NYT winner Andrea Peterson, a National Board Certified Teacher says this:
“I firmly believe that the National Board (Certification) process revolutionizes a teacher’s instructional methods to make the teacher a more vital, effective and committed educator. It is due to this belief that I will continue in the role of mentor and recruiter for NBPTS,” added Peterson.
http://nbpts.org/about_us/news_media/press_releases?ID=268
Peterson was the first elementary-middle school music teacher in Washington State to earn board certification. (This requires state encouragement, including enlightened funding, and a lot of hard work on the part of teachers who take up the challenge, above and beyond their already-hard teaching duties.)
Apophis,
Let’s see, my mom is a painter, and loves to compose music. I have a son who loves to draw and paint.
I sent my youngest home-schooler to WCA for a drawing class.
I did a seashore pastel for a friend recently.
In short, I think classes in the arts are great.
Apophis, I believe a fair read of the teacher’s comments would reveal his belief that the arts be included within the core curriculum; at least that’s how I read the article. I believe that any core curriculum must include the arts. If there is anything I posted which may be read to the contrary, then I need this to clear it up.
Actually, Mr. Anderson doen’t speak of a “core curriculum”, rather of a “core of knowledge”; a distinction with, IMHO, a difference. He also speaks of approaching reforms through a national conversation; that’s an important idea, in and of itself.
I’ve not had the opportunity to meet Mr. Anderson, and likely won’t have such; I would like to meet him and “pick his brain”, as it appears from the linked article, he has many thoughts similar to mine on how to reform education.
Regarding pre-kindergarten education for every kid … I know one school of thought says “earlier the better.” But I can’t see putting three year olds in suits/ties/scarfs with lunch/briefcases and sending them off to school. In my opinion, at that age, they should be at home learning from their parent(s).
Another “school of thought” says the #1 problem with students in our schools today is failure of parents and their student/children to communicate in the home.
In regard to the term “core information,” how does Josh Anderson, Kansas 2007 Teacher of the Year, define this? Some posters above raise good questions about this.
If students don’t pass exit exams at various stages, there should be clear penalties, easy to understand but with space to make corrections in summer school, etc.
I found it interesting that Josh Anderson is a teacher of language arts (English, languages and literature) in an Olathe highschool but his reported recommendations relate more to elementary level students. I am interested in reading his entire menu of recommendations particularly relating to high schools.
Of course, the aggregate opinions of the full field of experienced teaching professionals would trump the opinion of one young teacher no matter how successful in his career.
Perhaps a scholarship and one year sabbatical should be offered to the annual Kansas Teacher of the Year to allow him/her to travel throughout Kansas to visit many schools to discuss educational ideas.
Or promote him to Superintendent of the Kansas Board of Education before the position is filled!
JWink, I suspect that Mr. Anderson’s recommendations as reported appear directed to the elementary level due to his experience with high school students who don’t have the background he seeks, thus hindering his attempts to educate at the high school level.
Vaughn: You are probably right. I suspect all high school teachers are trying to figure out how to improve outcomes in high school.
Mr. Anderson said this:
“Pare elementary school curriculum to focus on core information. Rather than memorizing all of the rivers in South America, for example, students would learn that the river system is critical to life in South America.”
This idea can be taught to students of greatly different ages with varying topics and levels of examination and discussion. Vaughn and students like him might be most interested in the economic aspects of the Amazon, as indicated in his earlier post. I’d be more interested, and same for students like me, in natural ecosystem aspects of the Amazon. Indeed, we each interpreted Anderson’s word-choice “life” within our own mindsets.
But ultimately, both human and non-human phenomena there have to be studied and findings promulgated. Sustainable rainforest-ecology economies (which don’t make anyone monetarily rich) have to be measured against non-sustainable rainforest-destroying timber-harvesting, ranching and mining economies.
But it’s not just the Amazon. Our nation’s own west coast rainforests are just now beginning to be understood. For example, it’s only been discovered in the last decade that in redwood canopy ecosystems, the crooks of trees 200 feet above ground have SOIL up to 6 feet thick, in which live EARTHWORMS. Actually, there are complex ecosystems with thousands of species never heretofore discovered.
Cut down the trees in our rainforests to make a buck, and you don’t get to discover the things you don’t comprehend, things that may be much more valuable for posterity than what you can get for yourself now.
That’s great Doc, I was just going to enlist your help here when the bashers of public education start clamoring for only “reading, ‘riting, ‘n ‘rithemtic”.
VT……….we need to be very careful of how we even define “core information”. Limiting our children to a narrow focus of learning will never produce the critical and innovative thinkers required of successful adults in the 21st century.
Have you read Freidman’s “The World is Flat”?
Understood, Apophis. As to the book; it’s on the list, as time permits. I’ve heard the author interviewed, read some excerpts, but the entire book must await time to read.
Apophis,
Enlist me anytime you like about transforming public education. Education is like healthcare. not a business, a societal good. Richard Mousley is contending with too many students, and a declinining math-knowledgeable population. He needs to be given a 5th grade class, 4-hours a day in integrated math and science instruction, and have him loop for 4 years through 8th grade.
Now, some of you can say I’m wrong. But I say, GIVE THIS AMAZING TEACHER A CHANCE to CONNECT WITH YOUNG PEOPLE FOR A LONGER PERIOD. THINK DIFFERENTLY. And SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
Why would this “person” need a “a 5th grade class, 4-hours a day”?
If you truly care about transforming public education, get on the side of the teachers. They alone will be responsible for the necessary changes.
Howdy,
I’m the Josh Anderson referenced above. I wanted to point you to the source of my ideas (omitted in the final cut of the article). The “Tough Choices or Tough Times” report changed everything I believe about education. A free copy of the executive summary (every bit as good as the book itself), can be found at http://www.skillscommission.org/executive.htm.
As a side note, the Kansas Teacher of the Year is given a one semester sabbattical so that he or she can travel Kansas and see firsthand the great things that are happening in our schools, including elementaries.
Thanks,Josh
Greetings, Mr. Anderson. It seems the link to the Executive Summary posted has been disabled; I also went to the main web page, and tried to access the summary therefrom, to no avail. In any event, congratulations on the honor.
Josh - congratulations - and good ideas above. We need rigorous education and it needs to start early. My experience is that young childrens minds are like sponges just waiting to be filled with knowledge. One of my grandchildrens’ (5 and 3) favorite things is to be read to and now to begin reading.
Perserverence pays off; I believe the link below will get all interested to the executive summary Mr. Anderson discussed. I just finished it, and must say that there is little therein I could find with which to disagree. I commend it to your attention.
http://www.skillscommission.org/pdf/exec_sum/ToughChoices_EXECSUM.pdf
I too have downloaded and read the executive summary. In theory, it sounds like a plausible case. In reality, try to sell it to the “in the pocket of big business” legislators in Topeka. These type of changes require a paradigm shift that will cost a substantial amount of capital investment. Are the taxpayers up for this?
We already do all that here in Georgia. I don’t recall the “test no pass” grades but think they are 3rd and 7th and you also must pass a graduation test. Pre school- public or private is free and paid for by the state.
“These type of changes require a paradigm shift that will cost a substantial amount of capital investment. Are the taxpayers up for this?”
Indeed, that will be the tough sell. As I have been saying for a long time, bringing education up to the 21st century level is a must. But with it comes cost for education, including paying teachers a salary that reflects the difficult job ahead.
The executive summary should be a stepping stone for this to be implemented. Lets hope the leaders of this country can understand it and get on board.
Learning the names of rivers, state capitals (except your own state) and other such memorization is a waste of time. I would rather spend the day teaching a child not to memorize the capital of Indiana but how to FIND the information. My test question would NOT be:1. What is the capital of Indiana?A. IndianapolisB. GaryC. South BendD. TopekaMy test question would be:2. Which reference would you use to find out the capital city of Indiana? (Circle All Correct)A. EncyclopediaB. AtlasC. DictionaryD. InternetE. Phone DirectoryF. Thesaurus
Kev……how are those two questions fundamentally different?
One is mulitple choice and the other is multiple mark. Neither question evaluates any level of performance, just another level of rote memorization.
How about:Using an atlas, find the longitude and latitude of the capital of Indiana.
Much closer to a performance assessment JMW. Now, how are you going to assess the success level? What will be the rubric used to evaluate the performance??
In that instance, the ability to use a map to find virtually any place on earth, combined with its position in the climates of the world, makes each individual able to know what’s going on in the world, and where it’s happening. Something many students lack.
Ergo, the rubric would be knowledge.
J M: I like your longitude/latitue question. Without an atlas, I would guess Wichita must be about 90 degrees west (about 1/4 way around the earth from Greenwich) or 1/2 way around to the International date change line.
Going north, I would guess Wichita is perhaps 45 degrees N or half way between the equator and the North Pole.
Am I in the planet ball park?
Ironic thing JWink - without a map I cannot answer your question. I seem to recall us being more like 100W 40N but … without a map.
Funny thing is - I taught a lot of that in Freshman geology - including Township-Range-Section descriptions.
Josh Anderson: Your ears must have been burning since we were talking about you here on the Wichita Eagle’s WE Blog. Welcome to Wichita on your e-visit. Hope you will continue to add your comments. Education issues are always a hot topic here in Wichita and Kansas as you know. Good luck.
I remember Olathe when its downtown square was still ringed by retail businesses and it had a population of about 8,000 people. No more.
Ben: Interesting that Wichita’s Meridian Street represents one of the even number north-south meridian lines but I don’t recall which it is.
I also worked with surveying terms as a surveyor in summers while going to K-State (one summer job was in Eureka, California with the U.S. Forest Service) and also in Washington DC for a time after getting out of the Army.
-097o 20.3′ 39o 41.5 ‘
Height in meters: 393
“-097o 20.3′ 39o 41.5 ‘”
Shoot, and here I thought I was in Kansas.
I said give Mr. Mousley 4 hours daily with his students and loop over 4 years in order to prod people to think differently.
My proposal isn’t “out of left field”. Teaching is about connecting. Our elementary school teachers have the same students for 6 hours a day, so 4 hours at upper-elementary/middle school level isn’t unimaginable, because we’ve already tested the basic several-hour single-teacher proposition (up through 6 grade in states with K-6 elementaries). Some teachers have looped for 2 years, and based on admittedly-limited conversations, most of them I’ve talked with LIKE looping. So a 4-year looping proposal is merely an extension of something that seems to work.
Spending longer hours and more years with a group of students allows a teacher to establish very close interpersonal relationships with his or her students. The underlying idea to my proposal is to promote MENTORSHIP.
This was never a component of the industrial age education model. Sometimes mentoring happened spontaneously, but most often not. When it happened, it was great. When it happens today it is great. So let’s systematize it and make it happen A LOT MORE. That’s all I’m basically saying.
Mr. Mousley is saddened and saddled by students’ diminishing algebra skills. He needs them to understand math in order for them to understand science, and their math knowledge isn’t enabling them to understand science.
So why not let him teach his kids math that integrates well with the science he teaches? In other words, enable Mr. Mousley, and other teachers too, to be knowledge aggregators and synthesizers.
Mark Schooley/heartlander: What is your obsession with this “Mr. Mousley”? The only “Mr. Mousley”? I know in the Wichita School district is a dedicated teacher who has very high expectations of all of his students. Two of my children have been through his class at two Wichita middle schools and I am more than pleased with the love of science he has instilled in them. The man is indeed an inspired educator.
Over the last year, it seems you have done nothing but belittle this man and others like him. Is it not time to celebrate the successes of our schools rather than look for alleged weaknesses?
My two sons went to the Isley Magnet School back when it ran as an open school. Kids progressed through the gradework at their own pace. Some, many maybe, finished early and went on to middle school. It was a highly successful program that could be used as a model for an open K-12 tech school.
proudwichitaparent,
Nobody else saw me “putting down” Mr. Mousley here, including himself. RE-READ CLOSELY WHAT I SAID. I said, CHANGE THE CONDITIONS IN WHICH HE TOILS, SO THAT HE CAN BE HIS BEST.
If you say, “He is a great teacher, given the constraint of having to teach 170 students daily, who increasingly don’t know the math required to learn Mr. Mousley’s science lessons” you’ve completely missed my point. Mr. Mousley can be a BETTER teacher, as he himself understands, even though you apparently don’t, connecting strongly with ALL of his students, which nobody can do with a 170 student load, trying to teach subject matter that requires math skills that fewer and fewer of his current students possess.
I’m in his corner. You aren’t. I want public education to succeed, by transforming change. USD 259’s recent efforts to gather African American parents, and get them to pledge to support their children’s education, use school resources to learn how to do this, and be involved is excellent.
Those in public education who want incremental micro-change are creating an impediment that encourages a hostile force that will hand over public education to private providers. They can follow different, 21st-century-productive paradigms.
If you have an amazing math-science teaching TALENT like a Mr. Mousley–this is no ordinary functionary teacher– who would love to teach a single group of students 4 hours a day, and loop for 2, 3, or 4 years, if given a green light by the Superintendent of Schools and the Stuckey Principal, what are YOUR objections to this, articulated in a logical, coherent manner?
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