Published: April 30, 2009 05:55 pm      

MAGERS: Ideas that could better education

Taylor students deserve the best

Albert Einstein once said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” The quotation especially applies in today’s world where change in business and in education is essential for improvement. Today, graduating high school students face a global economy unlike any we have seen. The outsourcing of millions of jobs continues to accelerate as the competition performs the jobs for less money than we traditionally have performed them. The implications for public education are profound; improve or stand aside as the world passes us by. We cannot afford the same results, and new approaches must be put in place.

Taylor Community School Corp. recognizes that positive change must take place if our students are to compete worldwide. With this in mind, six months ago the school board, administrators, teachers and parents began to identify strategies that may have merit for consideration. There are four strategies that are being researched in committees: project-based learning, a school calendar that reflects 21st century education, single-gender classrooms for some instructional content, and a Dress for Success program. Below are brief descriptions of two topics that have been in the news recently.

Defining a dress code

Dress for Success seems to be the most public topic. The people researching the idea have defined it not as the traditional school uniform as seen in some private schools, but rather as a choice between limited styles and colors. Moreover, Dress for Success encourages students to express their individuality through their character, personality and achievement rather than what they wear. In school, the focus should be on learning, not on fads and status. There is plenty of time outside the school day to dress differently, including school-sponsored events. The committee believes that Dress for Success is one component that would contribute to a school environment where learning comes first. Students would have fewer distractions, and the teaching staff could devote their entire time to instruction rather than spending time monitoring dress concerns. Furthermore, students who lack the latest clothing fad and worry about their appearance would not have to face this concern in a Dress for Success school. An issue that has been raised is the cost of the clothes. The committee has contacted some local stores and has learned that it will probably cost less, but certainly not more, than the regular back-to-school clothes. The school district is also investigating ways to offset the costs for families in need of help. Last week a survey regarding the dress code was sent to each Taylor family in order to gather their input. The results will be tabulated, considered by the committee and reported to the school board in the near future.

Two different brains

The second topic of discussion is the single-gender classroom. This concept is one that would only be applied in some classrooms where achievement is lacking in specific content areas. Such a program would not be implemented for every classroom or every school. For example, if students are underachieving in language arts in the middle school, separate boy and girl sections of language arts could be created. There is research that single-gender classrooms in public schools do have a positive impact on achievement. There is an increasing body of literature that supports single-gender classrooms as we are learning more about the differences in the male and female brain and the ways in which learning is processed by each.

Taylor Community School Corp. is determined to improve education and preparing every student for their future success. Our children in the Taylor community deserve the best education. Taylor will consider any idea that shows promise and implement those that will benefit students.

John Magers, Ed.D., is

superintendent of Taylor

Community Schools.