School Reform -- One size doesn't fit all

Many of my thoughts about school reform stem from my years of teaching -- particularly from my t years in urban schools in Las Vegas andNew York City.

Reform of public education is well beyond due, but the problem is that we are seeking a one size fits all fix.  As we continue on that path, the goal drifts further and further away.  To truly make change, the situation must be closely monitored, analyzed, and then solution should be put in place.  And then the solution should be monitored and altered or discarded as need be.  When I taught the book To Kill a Mockingbird for several years, I found myself no longer liking it.  I had a particular class that had difficulty reading so instead of forcing the issue, I dropped the book from the curriculum for that year.  there is no law that says change cannot be made periodically especially when the professional sees that there will be a problem.

Anyway, let me be more clear.
In Las Vegas where the class size was around 40 students per class, there was a huge problem with students dropping in or out of classes.  I would begin the semester with a given set of students and finish the semester with a different group.  Obviously moving from one class (or school) to another during any given year will have an impact on learning.  However, making a policy change to address that issue would be futile in my school in NYC.  There, I very rarely had class roster changes.

In NYC, kindergarten students read a book called Life in a Pond .   Unfortunately, many of those students don't have first hand knowledge of a pond.  What it looks like or smells like.  Here is a problem where the curriculum doesn't suit the population.  Now, I'm not saying students shouldn't read the book (or have it read to them), but to maximize the learning, it should be a given that all students who read that book have the chance to visit a pond during the course of study.  It's a simple solution, not a school reform.

We need to stop wasting money on public education before the rich get fed up and decide to stop funding it altogether.  Then we'll be stuck back in the old days when only the fortunate got an education while the less fortunate were forced to work in dead end jobs.

We need change.  But we need that change to be well-thought for each situation.