My wife and I spent more time researching, debating, pondering and worrying about where our daughter would go to kindergarten than we did collectively deciding where we would go to college.
Seriously.
Like most parents, we had lots of questions and wanted to find just the right fit. And, also like most parents, we’ll do our best to ensure our children get a good education.
But for all of our nation’s children to succeed in tomorrow’s economy, it’s going to take more than fretting about where they go to school.
The system needs a dramatic overhaul. What’s happening now, clearly, isn’t working.
Consider this: Only 19 percent of Hispanic boys enrolled in Denver middle schools in 2001 graduated from high school, according to one recent analysis. Only 69 out of 336 10th- graders at North High School were proficient in reading, life’s most important skill.
That’s just a small slice of what’s happening, but the numbers are staggering, especially when you consider that Hispanics are the fastest-growing population in Colorado.
Education is one of the most important issues we face as a nation. What happens in Denver Public Schools’ classrooms, and in schoolhouses across the state, should matter to you – even if you don’t have school-aged children. If the numbers above don’t move you for altruistic reasons, think about yourself for a moment. What do you want Denver to look like when you retire? Who will fill the jobs of tomorrow? Who will work to send money into your Social Security account?
This past week, some great minds gathered at the Aspen Ideas Festival to talk about education reform. Former Colorado Gov. Roy Romer – who’s leading a national, $60 million nonpartisan political campaign called “Ed in ’08” to highlight the crisis in American education and the need for reform – gets it. His years as leader of the Los Angeles Unified School District no doubt helped.
“This generation [of parents] is coming to the conclusion that their children are likely to have less of a standard of living than they have,” Romer said. “They will not have access to jobs that [their parents] had access to. There is a world out there that is becoming very skilled and very knowledgeable.
“The Koreans are going to eat our lunch. Singapore, Korea, China – they’re all doing very much better than us.” China and India record more college graduates than the U.S., and many speak English.
My grandparents never went to college and yet managed to lead successful lives. My maternal grandfather, no stranger to hard work, would often say of those who didn’t go to college: “Someone has to work.” He was right, and plenty of good-paying jobs were available for those who didn’t. Sadly, most of those jobs are gone – either replaced by machines or shipped overseas.
The jobs of tomorrow will be filled by creative, innovative thinkers. As educators and others in Colorado ponder how to revolutionize schools, they should look no further than three in Denver that are getting it right: KIPP’s Sunshine Peak Academy and The Denver School of Science and Technology, both charter schools, and Arrupe Jesuit High School, a private school.
At KIPP, school days are longer and Saturday classes are the norm, as are school uniforms. At Science and Tech, teachers stay late to tutor students and are available by phone at night. Coursework is rigorous, and those who fall behind go to summer school. At Arrupe, every senior graduated this spring and they’re all going to college. Expectations are sky high at each school, and they’re getting results. They’re each an example of how a school can change to adapt to our changing world.
Massive reform won’t be easy, but it’s imperative.
Dan Haley (dhaley@denverpost.com) is The Denver Post’s editorial page editor.
