Educational ideas seem questionable
Odessa American
February 11, 2001
THE POINT
Trendy changes don't guarantee that schools will be better.
From all indications, the Ector County Independent School District is committing to the creation of a system-wide all-day kindergarten program.
At the most recent board meeting, Phil Fouche, the school board's president, said trustees want to expand the current 11 full-day kindergarten classes to 13 or even 15 by fall.
This announcement was made in connection with discussion of a proposed bond issue (not expected to go to the voters until October) that would allow ECISD to move grades 6 through 8 into middle schools.
Both of these concepts, which would include shifting ninth graders to high school campuses and — possibly building separate wings for the freshman students, supposedly are based on current educational trends.
But are trends and theories enough to ask taxpayers to lay out more of their hard-earned money to support such concepts? Concepts that may improve little, if anything.
As for the middle school approach, assistant superintendent Lynn Burton told trustees that for the last 25 to 30 years, schools have been abandoning junior highs for middle schools. But no concrete information has been located to support which approach is the best.
As for the all-day kindergarten programs, who can say that earlier and more prolonged exposure to public school classrooms will improve public education? This theory always seems to be based on assumptions and outdated data.
In a comprehensive report by The EXPECT Coalition, which includes such groups as the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution, the Family Research Council and the Independent Women's Forum, the issue is examined in myth vs. fact fashion. According to the report, the myth is that starting all children in preschool will lead to higher IQs, higher reading and achievement levels, higher graduation rates and greater success in the workplace. The fact cited is: Evidence does not show that starting children in preschool benefits them in the long term.
The report also points out that the most frequently cited study of universal preschool success is the 1960s Perry Preschool Project. But the EXPECT report also points out that the study has been shown to have sizable sampling and methodological flaws and has never been replicated in three decades.
We would maintain that simply putting 5-year-olds in a classroom does not guarantee a better education. That would depend on other factors such as how much individual attention the children receive and the QUALITY of that attention. (In our opinion, nothing can replace parental attention in this respect of the sort pre-school children once received: now that attention is routinely assigned to the boob tube.)
And, as it stands now, ECISD already is having trouble filling teaching positions with qualified people: Texas Land Commissioner David Dewhurst said Tuesday that the state had a 42,000-teacher shortfall at the beginning of the 2001 school year. Creating more and longer kindergarten classes may not mean more individual attention so much as increased babysitting time for the convenience of parents of the young children.
We can't fault school officials for having the best interests of our future generations in mind. But we wonder if educational trends and nebulous theories are enough to justify the significant changes being sought especially in light of the fact that taxpayers, regardless of their relationship to the schools, are being asked to pay for the efforts.
No one should be forced by government to pay for something he or she does not need and/or will not use. This is the primary fault of public education and this is what truly needs more attention.
"Let peace begin with me"
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