A Public Education

After 30 plus years of teaching, some subsequent substitute teaching and overseeing the work of Schools Count Corp, I am still amazed at the good work of teachers and students. The barbs and criticisms of some come with the territory. Sadly, the assault on public education is all too present.

I want to put it this way...We need both a robust curriculum that places an equal emphasis on core and elective courses. I remain concerned that schools push the idea of 100% of its students to be 'college ready.' That sounds great on the surface but its not what 100% of children want in their lives.

I find it troubling that there is a stigma with respect to someone who doesn't go to college, who wants to work in a trade or who simply - and importantly - doesn't want to be pushed in one direction or another. The longer view is that education needs to be driven more by student needs, talents and interests and less by what 'the world at large thinks.'

Dick