Education Reform
The events of the past month have given each of us cause to reflect on our priorities as Americans. I have been struck by our strength and resolve as a people, and by our determination to keep the nation, and our state, moving forward. And each morning as I watch school buses rolling by and children walking to school, I’m reminded that keeping our nation strong and moving forward depends on how well we educate and prepare our kids for the future.
In Delaware, we have been working for the past 10 years to put education reforms in place. Reaching this point has not been easy or without controversy. But the goal of education reform – raising student achievement – has never been in doubt.
Education reform in Delaware has now reached its most critical phase. Testing in the spring will have real consequences for everyone.
Starting this school year, students in third, fifth and eighth grades who don’t meet or exceed the state’s academic standards could be sent to summer school or held back. The test performance of 10th-graders will determine which of three diplomas they’ll receive after their senior year. And the overall results in each of the state’s schools will play a role in accountability standards for teachers and schools.
Accountability is an important part of raising student achievement, but in evaluating students and educators by those standards, we must also do everything we can to help them succeed. And each of us has a role to play – policymakers, superintendents, principals, teachers, parents and even neighbors. It’s time for all of us to work together to help students meet those standards.
There are already many great changes taking place in our schools; new and innovative teaching that is producing results in improving student achievement. Governor Minner has kept her education focus on reading – the cornerstone of learning – and has set the goal of placing a reading resource teacher in every elementary school. Her initiative will help every student achieve the required reading standard at their grade level in order to get promoted in third and fifth grades.
We need to look more closely at the schools that are doing well in reading, writing and math and share the reasons for their success with others. The exchange of ideas and “best practices” would help schools searching for ways to improve achievement among their students. By encouraging this kind of interaction throughout our state, we can help kids meet the standards before they face the consequences of summer school or being held back. And we can better ensure that with each passing year our childrens’ educations steadily improve.
To achieve that steady improvement, each of us has a role to play.
Teachers and parents are most important since children do much of their learning at school and home. We need to support teachers and give them the resources they need to develop innovative ways to educate all children, regardless of background.
As chair of the Delaware Center for Education Technology, I am especially excited about new computer software programs that are proven to help children learn. Reading programs, in particular, have shown great promise, and can complement Governor Minner’s focus on reading.
Parents need to join the PTA, help out at school or at night with homework. It’s also critical that parents turn off the television and read to their children as often as possible.
Even Delawareans who don’t have children, or whose kids are out of school, can play a role by doing things like mentoring a student, donating books to a school library or giving an old computer to the “Computers for Classrooms” program instead of throwing it away.
If Delawareans pitch in for the cause improving student achievement, the sacrifice of time and effort will have a positive effect on all of our lives. Parents will feel confident that their children are well prepared for successful, productive lives.
Students will leave high school knowing they are equipped with the skills to handle college, the military or the workforce.
Business leaders will view Delaware as an even more attractive place to locate their businesses, their families and new jobs because of confidence in our public school system and the high-quality workforce it provides.
The high level of achievement we all want to see from our children will not come overnight. We should expect steady progress every year and accept nothing less.
Success will take hard work, not just from students, but from everyone. Now is the time for each of us to get involved, to contribute in our own way. Now is the time for all of us to set a positive, productive tone. As academic standards and the system of accountability take hold, we need to rise to the challenge and help our kids meet those standards by using the best ideas from around the state for improving our public schools.
Each of us must share the burden, just as each of us will share the benefit. The future of our state and our children depends on it.
