As educators, we need to ask the question of why do students who crash and burn in traditional schools thrive and succeed in non-traditional, alternative schools? Should all students have the ability to go to college? Absolutely. But there are many students who succeed while working with their hands as well as their minds. Where will we get the people to fix automobiles, computers and appliances like lawn mowers? These are jobs which cannot be out sourced to China or India?
How do we get our candidates and our populace to understand how to value people who work with their hands as well as the brains? Lori Lamb, Alternative Learning Director Arkansas Department of Education sent me an email which appears below.
” I see that 80% of activities in schools are created for 20% of the students’ participation. Our current system gives the message to the majority of students that they don’t “fit” or “belong” when in reality if they united, it would drastically change the system. By investing in our future now, the payoff will become exponential. We can not continue to turn a blind eye to a broken system created in the 1800s.”
What is your reaction? I would like to know.
Franklin ([email protected])
Till next time.