We all want our students and children to learn and be successful in life. The question is how we measure success? From a school perspective, success is not just a letter grade or being in the highest reading group. I believe success is something that is developed and nurtured. Grades simply show a level of mastery but the question is how did mastery occur? Students need to be challenged and with challenge comes failure. Can failure be the pivoting point to success? If we allow our students to experience failure, and couple that with support and encouragement, we teach them to overcome challenges. You might have heard various people or authors reference the term 'grit." Teaching our children and students to embrace challenges, even if failure is an option, and supporting them through those challenges is crucial to their success. Too often we want to save them but without struggles, true learning cannot occur. If our children learn to overcome their challenges, they continue to take risks and learn. The cycle continues; challenge, take risks, some failure, support and overcome. This process teaches our children "grit." This will ensure that our children become determined, successful adults. So, simply stated, don't be the life saver, be the boat............. that is slightly out of reach. Getting to the boat is challenging and takes grit but they will reach it and prove to themselves that they can accomplish anything.......... and they can swim!!!
As Texas works towards implementation of an “A-F” rating system for its districts and schools, a new
report out, ironically, grades the 50 states on several aspects of funding public schools. The
report produced by Rutgers University and the Education Law Center rates the states on their efforts
to produce a system of finance that provides educational opportunity to every child regardless of
family background or the geographic location in which they live. The report concludes that school funding levels are widely disparate among the states and that certain states dedicate a very low portion of their economic capacity to fund public schools. The report also finds that low rankings on state funding fairness correlate with poor performance on other key resource indicators. The report grades states on funding level, funding distribution, effort and coverage. So, how did Texas do? Among the major findings in the report is that, “Texas is the only state that is very poorly positioned on all four fairness measures, receiving an “F” in Funding Effort, a “D” in Funding Distribution and scoring in the lower half of the Funding Level and Coverage rankings (emphasis added). The full report can be found at: http://www.schoolfundingfairness.org/National_Report_Card_2016.pdf
When will we begin to hold our state lawmakers accountable for taking a long term view of our state’s future? Only with investment in public education can we guarantee a solid economic future for Texas.
(Woods Weekly, April 4, 2016)
As Texas works towards implementation of an “A-F” rating system for its districts and schools, a new
report out, ironically, grades the 50 states on several aspects of funding public schools. The
report produced by Rutgers University and the Education Law Center rates the states on their efforts
to produce a system of finance that provides educational opportunity to every child regardless of
family background or the geographic location in which they live. The report concludes that school funding levels are widely disparate among the states and that certain states dedicate a very low portion of their economic capacity to fund public schools. The report also finds that low rankings on state funding fairness correlate with poor performance on other key resource indicators. The report grades states on funding level, funding distribution, effort and coverage. So, how did Texas do? Among the major findings in the report is that, “Texas is the only state that is very poorly positioned on all four fairness measures, receiving an “F” in Funding Effort, a “D” in Funding Distribution and scoring in the lower half of the Funding Level and Coverage rankings (emphasis added). The full report can be found at: http://www.schoolfundingfairness.org/National_Report_Card_2016.pdf
When will we begin to hold our state lawmakers accountable for taking a long term view of our state’s future? Only with investment in public education can we guarantee a solid economic future for Texas.
(Woods Weekly, April 4, 2016)
Alfie Kohn is a well known writer on educational topics. He recently added to his blog an article titled, “What No Child Left Behind Left Behind.” In the article, Kohn addresses what he perceives as both unreasonable happiness and fear associated with the demise of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and the enactment of the new federal education law, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Kohn’s blog can be found at:
http://www.alfiekohn.org/blogs/nclb/
http://www.alfiekohn.org/blogs/nclb/
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-02-22/research-louisianas-school-voucher-program-harms-student-performance Click here to read an interesting article about vouchers. This article shares research that compares the academic performance of public vs. students receiving vouchers to attend non-public schools.
There is a myth that somehow charter schools in Texas have “figured it out” with regard to student achievement. A new study conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research finds that, on average, attending a charter school in Texas has no measurable impact – either while attending school or later in life. The study finds that even among those who attended so called “high performing” or “no excuses” charter schools there was no impact on wages compared to those who attended schools in Texas ISDs. The report says, “Charter schools, in particular No Excuses charter schools, are considered by many to be the most important education reform of the past quarter century. At the very least, however, this paper cautions that charter schools may not have the large effects on earnings many predicted.” A summary of the study can be found at:
Do Charter Schools Pay Off?
(Wood's Weekly, August 29)
Do Charter Schools Pay Off?
(Wood's Weekly, August 29)