Date Posted:Sunday, March 26 Author:Chip Subject: Re: changes at the high school? In reply to:
Person
's message, "Re: changes at the high school?" on Sunday, March 26
The last T-Caps?
I'm not saying the six period day is correct or block is wrong. Just saying that change has to be tried. Test scores go up here and down there.
Actually the schools have some of the best leadership they've had in quite a while. I'm just saying that we can't be resistant to change when we are not doing so well with the status quo.
Sort of like passengers on the Titanic saying, "We made it this far without bailing water I see no reason to start now!"
The US Govt has a publication called "Prisonmers of Time" that covers your issue. You can find it online at:
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/PrisonersOfTime/Prisoners.html
In it on the other publications there they basically say that the problem is neither block nor six period day. They make the case and a good one it is, that we fall behind the world because we only require our kids to go to school 175 days out of a 365 day year.
Take Japan for example the last sudy showed their literacy rate at 100%! Compared to Union County which by last census put our High School Educated population barely over 50%.
What does Japan do? Six period days all year round.
To say Block is the answer ignores the non-change our schools have seen since implementing it. Saying 6 period is the answer ignores the sorry state our schools were in previous to block.
My issue is that whichever one we choose, the change will not come...The answer lies elsewhere.
Re: changes at the high school?