Another Inconvenient Truth and a New Year's Resolution

I needed a cause to start blogging again...


Let's state the obvious.
There are many problems in our educational system.

In suburban districts, both middle class and affluent, there is complacency. There is little impetus for meaningful change in curriculum or instruction. Perhaps the new core standards will have some impact but don't count on it. Why are even our top-performing students still not competing well with students from other countries, particularly Asian?

No matter how much money we dump into urban schools, we will not see significant improvement until we acknowledge that the root cause isn't the schools, the administrators, the teachers, the students or the parents. It is the pernicious effect of poverty and deprivation.

WHAT WE CAN DO - A NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION

I know from direct experience that early intervention programs can make a difference.

When children of poverty enter our schools we need to make sure that their brains are nourished in the literal and figurative sense.

POUR THE MONEY INTO EXTENDING THE SCHOOL DAY

These children need more time in the classroom each day.
Extend the school day. No child should leave the building without having completed their daily work and homework.

Compensate teachers for the additional time. Utilize the many other available resources: retired teachers & professors, students who would be more than happy to work with these youngsters, college students on break, etc...

If I start a petition on change.org to reallocate funding for extending the school day and year for our neediest, will you support it?





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