Last Tuesday, the state of Colorado lost its bid for federal “Race to the Top” funds, losing out on a cool $175 million to help spur educational innovation.
Don’t cry, Colorado. My guess is that the money would have been wasted. Over a long career in education, I’ve seen money and new ideas thrown at education – whole language, cooperative learning, the open classroom, outcome-based education, the block schedule, mathland, workshop way, and talented and gifted, to name a few. Some of these programs have good ideas, but as you parents and taxpayers have probably noticed, the results of all this spending and “innovation” have been dismal.
Typical of these ideas is the brand new Adams 12 Five Star Schools’ Magnet Lab STEM School, which promises to teach science, technology, engineering and math by having fun. Sixth grader, Ellie Walton tells us that her first day in class “is the most fun I’ve ever had in school.”
Ash Mahajan, associate dean of the College of Engineering and Information Services at DeVry University said, “The school’s approach will be, just don’t talk about gravity – shoot off a darn rocket and see it at work.” The trouble is that once that darn rocket has landed, the real work begins – learning the formulas, studying, doing dozens of practice problems, which, as you’ve probably figured out, is not at all fun.
Considering all this, I would like to suggest a better plan. I guarantee results. Grades will be better and students will learn more.
The best part is, it’s free. It won’t cost $175 million. This plan does not have a fancy name. But it will work. Guaranteed. And here it is. It’s radical. It’s different. It’s daring. It’s hard work!
In order to learn, students must exert effort. Many students have no idea what it means to be a student. They think sauntering into class and hanging around is all it takes.
Nope. It takes effort. Study. Sweat. Concentration. Time. Will power. Energy. Determination. Consistency. Unless schools insist on it, children will not work at learning, and they will not learn. Few kids actually want to study. Very few like doing homework. If schools do not demand they work, they will not work. And they will fail. Or they will be given a free ride to the next grade where they will continue to fall behind.
A survey asked high school students in America and Japan to rank factors contributing to success in school. Seventy-two percent of the Japanese students listed hard work first, as compared to only 27 percent of the Americans.
On the wall of every classroom in America should be the following:
STUDENT’S BILL OF RESPONSIBILITIES
I will always bring required material to class.
*I will always pay attention in class.
*I will never disrupt the class.
*I will treat my teachers and classmates with respect.
*I will dress properly and appropriately.
*I will do all my homework as best I can.
*I will take notes and maintain an organized notebook for every class.
*I will study for tests.
*I will memorize when necessary. I will practice. I will read. I will reread. I will write. I will rewrite.
*I understand that learning requires effort and I will expend all the effort necessary to learn as much as I can.
*I realize that if I do not do my work, I may fail, and either be left back a grade or be required to repeat the subject.
*I understand that education is serious and important, and will act accordingly.
Of course all of this seems ridiculous. They are not going to do it, are they? No, not at first. But if this were the prevailing philosophy of the school, many would. If every teacher and administrator insisted on it, real education would take place.
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell was a minority kid who rose up from the streets of the Bronx. How did he do it? “I work hard,” he said. “I put in long hours. I don’t get distracted from the task at hand.”
Fun and fads may sound good, and government funds may cause educators to salivate, but if we want quality education in America, we need to demand effort. We need to expect hard work. And, perhaps most importantly, we teachers need to be role models for these very same qualities.
Fred Singer lives in Johnstown. EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an online-only column and has not been edited.
