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Title: New PBS Documentary on Education in America is Creating a Stir
Source:
ITA
URL Source: http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/ ... ducation-america-creating-stir
Published: Jun 14, 2017
Author: Kerry McDonald
Post Date: 2017-06-14 18:47:57 by Anthem
Keywords: market schools, education, PBS
Views: 3949
Comments: 21
Why is it that innovation occurs frequently in other areas, but not in education? This spring, PBS has been airing a three-part documentary series, "School, Inc.", spotlighting some of the successes of education choice and free-market schooling options around the world. "School, Inc." is the brainchild of Andrew Coulson, an education policy researcher who left a successful career at Microsoft to answer a perplexing question: Why is it that innovation occurs frequently in other areas, but not in education? Entrenched in a static, factory model of education, American public schools haven't changed much since the Industrial Revolution. "School, Inc." explores the 19th century origins of mass schooling, noting how the Prussian system of compulsory schooling that was ultimately adopted in the U.S. squeezed out other popular forms of education, and prevented ongoing innovation. Some educationists are outraged that PBS accepted and aired this documentary. In a Washington Post article this week, public schooling advocate, Diane Ravitch, writes that she "was repelled by the partisan nature of the presentation, "and finds it "puzzling" that PBS would air this "lavish and one-sided production." They will learn about the “success” of the free market in schooling in Chile, Sweden, and New Orleans. They will hear about the miraculous charter schools across America, and how public school officials selfishly refuse to encourage the transfer of public funds to private institutions. They will see a glowing portrait of South Korea, where students compete to get the highest possible scores on a college entry test that will define the rest of their lives and where families gladly pay for after-school tutoring programs and online lessons to boost test scores. They will hear that the free market is more innovative than public schools. PBS had a more balanced response to Ravitch's criticism, stating in an email reply to the Post: "PBS and local member stations aim to offer programs that reflect diverse viewpoints and promote civic dialogue on important topics affecting local communities...In addition, PBS aims for a balance of viewpoints across the entire PBS schedule. Within this series, there are comparisons and criticisms of both public and private education models." By airing "School, Inc.," PBS demonstrates a praise-worthy commitment toward meaningful discourse on education policy and potential reforms. Rather than attacking media outlets for presenting diverse opinions on important public policy topics, we should applaud their efforts to facilitate open dialogue and share disparate views. Debate the message, but don't kill the messenger.
Ravitch concludes her scathing article by saying that the PBS documentary "is an advertisement for the demolition of public education and for an unregulated free market in education." 
Uninformed viewers who see this very slickly produced program will learn about the glories of unregulated schooling, for-profit schools, teachers selling their lessons to students on the Internet.
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Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 16.
#1. To: Anthem (#0)
(Edited)
How do you define innovation? The new "core curriculm". The dilution of course material so that everybody gets A's and graduates with honors for demonstrating ability to find the toilet? Innovation and diversity have too often been code words for dilution of competence.
I don't know how Andrew Coulson, or anyone else, would define innovation. I define it as hiring teachers who have achieved mastery. I don't mean plodding through a University teacher's training then adding another year of "masters" classes. I mean achieving mastery in the real world: Science teachers who mastered their work as scientists, math teachers from the STEM fields, English teachers who were/are writers or editors, and so on. In short, make teaching a second profession; even accommodating people who still work in their fields by having part time positions available for post primary schools. Require a minimum IQ of at least the top of the first SD -- 115 or so -- for primary teachers who may go directly from Univeristy training to classrooms (the training includes an intern period). As for the curriculum, that I think will have to work itself out through market competition. If parents can choose schools, then the success rate of students will show up in the school's reputation after a decade or two. Some people will be competent enough to look through the curriculum and judge it for their children. Other's may accept their judgment and follow them to the schools they choose. This will shortcut the reputation building cycle for some. I taught technical classes at a large corporation, and was involved in curriculum development. Among my peers there were some very smart people, many Phd's. I learned a potful just going to lunch with some of them. Every one of us agreed that shows like Sesame Street were short circuiting attention spans rather than developing that discipline, nor was it teaching anything of substance in the "3 R's". Television largely does the same for adults. Yet, the tool, if made interactive via the Internet can leverage a great teacher to a hundred or more students, and not just a talking head. He'll have the benefit of film or animation sequences to illustrate a process (as seen on youtube), on screen applications from simple spreadsheets or drawing / text to advanced applications for any field. Anything you can do on a whiteboard can be put on screen even if you can't draw as slick as the artist who does those progressive whiteboard animations for con artists selling bullshet on the Internet...
I'll go along with that.
Not enough people willing in the fields you mention. Unless you want to fire most of the teachers and replace them with a few who make YouTube videos.
I do want to fire most of the teachers, especially in the non-stem* classes. Largely because the education schools at the Universities have been dumping grounds for the barely more than mouth breathing idiots that matriculated with barely B averages from modern high schools. And not because they were bored; they did all the work, passably. I would shorten the school day for K-8 to no more than 4 hours in class, including music, with a good long 20-25 minute unstructured recess break, light snacks allowed (fruit, carrots, nuts, cheese, no sugary prepared foods) . Classes start at 7:30 AM and finsih at noon. Lunchroom is open for the next hour, sack lunch allowed, or go home. Structured athletics come in the afternoon after classes are finished. Homework is practice -- skill development -- and should take about 60-90 minutes for grades 4-8. High school is 4 hours, 7-11, 3 classes 75 minutes each. Lunch until 12:30 or 1, depending on size of the school. Athletics are voluntary in the afternoon. Apprentice work is encouraged and help finding a "job" is available via an online job board. Homework is subject exploration, job skill development*, and practice for the 3 Rs. Should take about 2 hours for 3 Rs, other aspects total about 20 hours per week (not a hard limit, voluntary extra work ok). *show up on time, do the grunt work, learn perseverance, skill progress K-5 teachers are typically full time, with most rotating recess supervision (light, let 'em play, and work out their own squabbles) and roughly half teaching structured athletics of some type. Teachers also have facility maintenance duties. 6-8 teachers very similar to K-5 except some may be part time in the stem classes, rotating with a peer, and not required to teach athletics or supervise lunch. Part timers may only teach 10 hours / week. High school teachers do not have to be the same every day. Like any normal job, coordination with coworkers is essential to get the task accomplished. This allows a PT teacher 10 hours per week in class, with a peer teaching the other 10 hours. It would be roughly 16 hours/wk total with grading student work. Some may be "full time" which means 20 hours class and other school duties, like lunchroom, athletics, and maintenance work details coordinated with facilities manager (with student apprentices assisting). The maintenance is done just this way at a private school I am familiar with. For 4-12 students class presentations can be recorded and served on demand for review by students off hours and by homebound students. This structure can be, and should be, enhanced by "guest" presentations by "star" teachers who may not ever set foot on campus, recording or live transmitting from a remote location, perhaps at a corporate location where they work, or from a home office. Some regular HS teachers may teach Jr and Snr classes with two way communications (like a skype call, except the teacher on a big screen). When I taught from a remote location 25 YEARS AGO a VP remarked that she nearly forgot that I wasn't in the room.
#19. To: Anthem (#16)
Haleleuya!
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#2. To: rlk (#1)
#7. To: Anthem (#2)
I define it as hiring teachers who have achieved mastery. I don't mean plodding through a University teacher's training then adding another year of "masters" classes. I mean achieving mastery in the real world: Science teachers who mastered their work as scientists, math teachers from the STEM fields, English teachers who were/are writers or editors, and so on.
#9. To: rlk (#7)
#16. To: A K A Stone (#9)
Not enough people willing in the fields you mention. Unless you want to fire most of the teachers and replace them with a few who make YouTube videos.
Replies to Comment # 16. I do want to fire most of the teachers, especially in the non-stem* classes. Largely because the education schools at the Universities have been dumping grounds for the barely more than mouth breathing idiots that matriculated with barely B averages from modern high schools.
End Trace Mode for Comment # 16.
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