K-14 Education Doesn't Need More Money--It Needs More Imagination

My Blog Response to my friend Charlie's Facebook question (below): 

• Can someone please tell me if there is a politician out there who is willing to put their political career on the line and say: I am going to make education a top priority for this state and move us to the top of the list and this is how I am going to do it. . All I am hearing from the candidates is....Cut taxes...Cut spending...but so far no real plan on how it is going to get done.

For the last 10 years I have lived and breathed AND BEEN PAID in the K-14 world. That said, I don't believe more money is gonna fix what's wrong with education--(BTW, I don't refuse raises.) But, try this, ask any 10 kids you know to describe school in one word and you already know what the answer is-----boring! Recently, keynote speaker asked over 5000 educators in the same room that question.   Each was able to correctly answer that question in unison--on the first try.

Sadly, it's true. Most of today's teachers lecture then test kids to death.  Fearing the "almighty"  state certification tests, few are willing to try new approaches. The truth is that teachers can't do very much about the environments from which  kids come, but they can do a heck of a lot more in their classrooms to make it interesting--at no additional cost.

The rationalizations we've heard for not changing teaching approaches/schools are all very true and realistic, but the fact is that our kids are learning less in most AMERICAN classrooms than they ever have. Contrast that with the kids in Africa/China/n that are learning more than they ever did at 1/100th the cost of an American student. Increasing the cost of American education only makes American graduates more expensive to hire. Us Americans have priced ourselves out of global labor markets in the same way American car makers have. The cost of our education is more than it is worth.

In the past 30 years I seen first hand at least 10 different school division operations in a variety of states (CA to VA) and Western countries; they all suffer from the same curable but potentially fatal disease--lack of imagination.

You may disagree or dislike that answer, but in the world of reality, adding more money and strategically changing student home environments is not real an option for teachers, school administrators, or even governments.  All governments can, do at this point is  "put it our a credit card," or print money, but that again, makes a US Education cost more that it is worth to the rest of the world.


So, in the way of realistic solutions try this one on America.  Educators, American success over the past 100 years has made educators  fat, dumb, and up until recently--happy.  Every other career field has faced massive layoffs, benefit reductions, and pay-cuts.  Notice! We are not exempt from this world-wide exam.  The party is over and we have to change the way we educate.  Yes, I know most of us are working hard, long, and overtime, but most of us are not doing things much differently in the classroom today than we did 15-20 years ago. Things have changed.  The kids are different; technology is different; what remains of their families is different; and the rest of the world has caught up. Today, every other country in the world wants the United States to be a third world county.   We are well on our way to that status.


But, what would happen if we all went back to work on the next school day and decided that we were going to do whatever it takes to get our students more involved in whatever it is we teach?  Would you do that?  I'm not asking us to work harder or longer;  I'm asking us to try new approaches using the same time and students we had on the last school day.  How much would that cost you? If you did, I'll bet your students would notice and try harder and be more involved.  

If you're willing to try, let me know...