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OP-ED: WHAT
DO WE WANT FROM OHIO'S SCHOOLS?
Following is the text of an editorial that appeared in
the November 1 edition of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
It was written by Guido H. Stempel III, distinguished
professor emeritus in the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism
here at Ohio University.
The Basket
of Essential Learning Resources released last week [Oct.
26] by the Coalition for Adequacy and Equity of School
Funding deserves serious consideration by all
Ohioans.
This
report moves the discussion from how much money the schools
should get to what it is that we expect of our schools. The
coalition includes 550 of the state's 611 school districts,
but the basket represents far more than that. It is the
result of a year-long effort that has included town meetings
throughout the state, surveys of the public, teachers and
professional organizations, and a statewide conference of
leaders of business, government and education.
The report
stresses accountability, curriculum and delivery systems. It
says that accountability has the state on one end and
students on the other. State responsibilities include
defining the elements of a thorough and efficient system of
education, funding the system and establishing programs to
test and monitor student performance.
Students,
with their parents, are responsible for regular student
attendance, cooperation with school personnel, using school
property appropriately, completing assignments and achieving
expectations to the best of their ability.
School
boards and school personnel are responsible for
communicating state goals, implementing needed programs,
monitoring student progress and maintaining facilities. The
report lists curricular needs for primary schools middle
schools and high schools. The needs for primary schools
include full-day kindergarten for 5-year-olds and optional
preschool for 4-year-olds.
Other
needs for primary schools are courses in reading, writing,
math, science, social studies, art, music, and health and
physical education, as well as exploratory programs in
foreign language.
For middle
school, the report suggests continuing these subjects and
adding industrial technology, work and family life, and
conflict resolution. For high school, the report proposes a
minimum of 72 courses in addition to at least 20 vocational
education courses. This includes at least three years of
courses in each of three foreign languages and seven courses
each in math, English and language arts, science and social
studies.
The report
advocates a class size of 18-20 for primary grades. In
districts with high poverty rates, class size should be 15.
For middle schools, class size should be 22; for high
schools, 24.
The report
also suggests that the Internet, distance learning and
closed-circuit television should be used to deliver classes.
This would make it possible for schools to offer courses
that would attract only a few students.
This is
quite a basket, but three things need to be said about it.
First, it is not blue sky. What is proposed exists right
now in a few well-funded school districts in Ohio.
Second,
the basket gives us something to talk about with regard to
what we want our schools to do. We need to talk about what
we must do and what we can afford to do.
Third, the
basket provides a standard against which you can judge your
own school district.
How close
is your district? Where does it fall short? How important
are the shortcomings? This standard is more important than
calculations of cost.
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