Graduation Thoughts

Last Sunday afternoon, District #1 graduated over 150 seniors. We endured torrential rainfall earlier in the week, and spent the next few days fretting over whether or not the football field would be dry enough to hold the event outside. However, on Sunday morning, the clouds parted and the sun appeared making for an absolutely perfect day.

I always enjoy commencement, as it is a time to celebrate the many accomplishments of our graduates and the hopes they hold for the future. However, each year as I sit on the stage, listen to the speeches and shake the hands of all the graduates just after receiving their diplomas, I always have the same thought--Did I do everything I could to prepare each of these students for success?

Although I am very proud of our school district, and believe we have tremendous teachers who do tremendous things for kids, I always sit on that stage thinking of what else we could have done. This year, my thoughts came back to two questions.

1. Did our system allow us to meet the individual needs of the graduates, allowing them every opportunity to reach their full potential?
2. Did our system adequately prepare them for the challenges they will face in the global economy they will experience upon graduation.

Taking the initial question first, many educational reformers are beginning to seriously question the "batch" form of instruction that is prevalent in most public schools. They are calling for a more individualized approach which fosters enhanced engagement and therefore, higher achievement. The Response to Intervention (RtI) model is a move in this direction, as it essentially calls for the development of an individualized education plan for any struggling student, and not just those with identified special needs. Clayton Christensen also advocates for this model of differentiation, which he believes will be accomplished through the use of technology, and specifically on-line education. Many charter schools are based on the idea of individualizing the educational opportunities for their students. Secretary of Education Duncan is advocating for creative and innovative solutions to improve public education, and furthering the individualization of instruction would definitely fit well with his articulated vision.

As our school district continues down the path of continuous improvement, moving towards furthering the individualization of instruction is a collaborative discussion in which our learning organization needs to participate.

I have blogged extensively on the second question of preparing our students to compete in the global economy of the 21st century. Therefore, I will not spend more time reiterating these concerns. However, I will recount the importance of public educators keeping this issue in mind as classroom curriculum, assessments, and experiences are developed. We have to remember that we are no longer preparing students to be obedient factory workers. Instead, we are preparing them for a dynamic economy in which they will change jobs multiple times, and most likely hold a job that today doesn't exist.

Preparation for success in this type of economy calls for a very different set of skills than what have traditionally been the norm in public schools. Our students must be able to not only regurgitate information, but also create information. They must not only be able to sit quietly and listen, but also be an active participate within a dynamic work group. They must not only learn the information we present to them in class, but be instilled with the skills to be lifelong learners. They must not only be receivers of information, but wise consumers of information. They must not only be expected to learn facts and theories, but have the ability to apply their learning to the dynamic, globally connected world in which they live.

The class of 2009 is full of fantastic young people who will definitely have a positive impact on our world. That is a testament to the fine faculty and staff who have poured their hearts and souls into educating these students. I am so proud of everyone's efforts. However, we owe it to ourselves, our students, and the communities we serve to continue to investigate how we can improve our already outstanding educational system. Two ways we can work towards this goal are to hold future collaborative discussions on furthering the individualization of instruction and preparing students for the educational demands of the global economy.

As Douglas Reeves stated, "You are so valuable and worthy, our mission is so vital, and the future lives of our students are so precious, that we have a joint responsibility to one another to be the best we can be."

As always, I would enjoy hearing your thoughts, and engaging in conversation, on the contents of this post.