It's almost the first day of school! In our house, the first day of school has always been a big deal. This year, it's perhaps a little bigger because the little one will be heading off to an actual school for the first time, and the big one will be heading to the seriousness of third grade. GI Joe is also spending the year as a student - for both the Army and as a graduate student. So, we are a wash in books, pens, computers, and crayons. It's a beautiful thing. Education really is the great equalizer, and the next big push in the civil rights movement. It's that crucial, and I'm so glad it's such a priority in our house.
This year, however, I will not be in school. As a student, teacher, or counselor. It's the first time in a long time, and it's given me an interesting perspective. I'm on a quest to create a career for myself that will better survive the frequent moves and, as such, am doing a lot of thinking about the larger questions about education. Why doesn't every kid learn? Who decides what's important to learn? What can I do to help make it better? Do we serve the world better by striving to help everyone or to create, via our own families, lifelong learners ?
I'm still working on the answers to those. I did, however, come a long way after attending parent orientation at my daughter's new school yesterday. I see a lot of myself as a child in my daughter. The child lives to learn, and considers everything she does a chance to get something new. She asks questions constantly, and to everyone she meets. To that end, we were so excited to attend the meeting yesterday afternoon. We were not disappointed. The school? Pristine, state of the art, award-winning architectural design. The principal? Enthusiastic, prepared, professional. The auditorium? Packed with parents, grandparents. The vibe? Filled with anticipation.
The meeting started innocently enough. Logistics, plans for the first week, standard stuff. And then, the important part - test scores. The school is currently at 97% proficiency in both reading and math. Meaning, 97% of its students are reading and doing math on grade level. That, in this day and age, is simply amazing. Yet, they aren't satisfied. The principle went on to say that this year's goal was 100%. How will they do it? An extensive support system for kids needing help and regular professional development and collaborative planning for teachers. So regular that the kids have half days at least two Fridays in each month. And this is where it came to me - the answer to how we fix education is not that difficult. We make it a priority, treat educators as professionals, and we fund it properly.
The next step for me was easy...if that's how we get it done, what do I do to help?
My initial plan was to become an independent consultant, after I met someone who was having amazing success. After a little more introspection, I've realized that a think tank or non-profit is a little more my speed. I don't have the hustle to get and keep a lot of clients, and I think it's extremely unfair that the folks with the ability to pay $200 an hour gain another leg up by hiring someone to guide them to even more advantages. So, I guess my plan is to change the world by finding the strategies to answer the big questions and make sure everyone gets a copy of the playbook.
So, here I am. This blog is a quest to keep my sanity and stay focused on the path. If anyone's out there, I hope you'll join me, and indulge me.
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