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Archive Superintendent Messages
Superintendent's Message: A New Destination for Education
| | A friend told me this story about his planned trip to Hawaii. He owned a really popular car. It was several years old but had been well maintained and he used it to travel to many desired destinations. He always wanted to travel to Hawaii. So he made plans and started out on his trip. Shortly after leaving San Francisco, he realized he had made a big mistake. He thought he would drive that trusty car all the way to Hawaii. It sank to the bottom of the ocean. We all know the obvious. A car is the wrong vehicle if your destination is Hawaii.
I share this story because it is not too different from our story in education today. You see, we too are relying on a trusted system in our schools. For many years our vehicle has delivered the results we wanted. We offered educational opportunities to all. Some students were able to take full advantage of those opportunities and excelled. Others did reasonably well, some not so well, and, unfortunately, quite a number did poorly. For many years this distribution of student results was accepted as more than satisfactory. Graduates and even non-graduates were able to filter into the work world and with a limited education, hard work and dependable work habits, they were able to earn a decent wage and be productive community members.
The modern workplace has changed. Many labor jobs have disappeared and most jobs today demand a higher level of education and basic competencies in literacy, math, problem solving, communication skills, and the ability to work effectively and cooperatively with others. Mastering these essential skills and, equally important, developing a positive attitude as a life long learner are essential for one to succeed as a positive contributing member of society.
What does a school district do in the face of these challenging times? Do we continue to do what we have always done and expect a different result? Do we say its not our job? Or, do we replace our reliable but wrong vehicle with one designed to take us to a new destination?
I believe we really have only one choice and that is to replace our system with one designed to result in all students acquiring these essential skills and a love for learning. The good news is the knowledge and tools needed to create a learning for all vehicle are available now. The only question we have to answer is, Do we have the will and courage to assemble a new vehicle that will transport us to Hawaii?"
So, whether you are a student, teacher, district employee, parent or community member, I invite you to join together to achieve our mission to create a system where all students learn. Challenging? Hard work required? Yes, to both! Is it worth doing? Absolutely! The stakes are too high and our children deserve no less. | |
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