Subscribe to our Blog
SCHOOL FOR THOUGHT
Kaizen Schools
GUEST BLOG BY TOM BEREND
In my previous life, my company automated distribution centres. This article shows what is possible when business techniques (kaizen in this case) are applied.
Most of the investment and efforts expended in our schools is waste. We teach stuff that the kid already knows, or we teach it and the kid doesn't learn - both of which are waste. We have layers of managers who contribute negative value, and processes that waste time.
Of course, 'education is different', which is nonsense. There is a joke in the Kaizen community that 'X is different', and that can be applied to every single business on the planet.
SCHOOL FOR THOUGHT
Tuesday at the Movies (Reading is Easy)
Mona McNee, the indefatigable nonagenarian who created the Step by Step beginning reading program, has sent us this YouTube video about the importance of systematic phonics. It's all true.
SCHOOL FOR THOUGHT
What did your child learn in school today?
So here's a test of your general knowledge.
- What's the capital of Afghanistan?
- Who discovered radium?
- Who cried "The British are coming"?
- Name an Egyptian queen.
- Who was Humphrey Bogart?
- What is a migraine?
- What is the secret identity of Bruce Wayne?
- What cigarette company invented the flip-top box?
- What do you call the short, pleated skirt that Scottish men wear?
- What is the name of the villainous pirate king in Peter Pan?
These questions were asked in a study that compared students' knowledge in 1980 with students' knowledge in 2012. The study found that students' cultural knowledge has skyrocketed, while students' knowledge of history and geography has plummeted. Of course, the former is not taught in school, while the latter is (or should be) taught in school.
SCHOOL FOR THOUGHT
The (unequal) battle of the sexes
Okay, it's time for another week or so of discussion.
RESOLVED: Whereas girls are doing much better than boys at school and in the workplace, it must be the case that girls are smarter than boys.
Discuss.
SCHOOL FOR THOUGHT
Robbing Peter to Pay Paul Can’t Go On Forever
On Saturday, I blogged about the shocking decline and threatened bankruptcy of the city of Detroit. Now it looks as if mightly Chicago may not be far behind, with a triple downgrade from Moodys. The school board has just announced layoffs of more than 2,000 employees.
This Jay Greene column contains a lot of food for thought, including information about how Wisconsin teachers - BECAUSE of the hated reforms spearheaded by governor Scott Walker - are actually better off than Chicago teachers, whose union successfully blocked pension reforms.
The bottom line seems to be that the gravy train of continuous public servant pay raises and benefit and pension improvements can not continue rolling forever. Although public servants in most jurisdictions have profited greatly from the activities of their powerful unions, their gain has been other taxpayers' pain. The day of reckoning may be nigh.
SCHOOL FOR THOUGHT
Sunday at the Movies (School architecture)
This clip is about three specially-designed schools in three different countries. The message is that school buildings have a profound effect on student learning. Myself, I'm not so sure. Certainly, these three schools are much more expensive than mass-produced, universal schools, and the architects are sure to be enthusiastic about them. However, I'm not sure the extra expense is justified in terms of better learning outcomes (there is no evidence in the clip to indicate any learning improvement whatsoever). Until proven wrong, I believe that discretionary money would be better invested in things like good professional development and teaching materials.
SCHOOL FOR THOUGHT
Small is more beautiful
Further to Frank's and Nancy's comments to yesterday's blog (expressing the belief that large bureaucracies rarely deliver good service), Margaret Wente's column in today's Globe and Mail paints a horrifying picture of the decline and fall of the city of Detroit - due, according to Margaret, to its corrupt and incompetent city officials.
I'm not saying that all Ontario school board bureaucracies are corrupt, nor am I saying that all Ontario school board bureaucracies are incompetent (although, chances are, some of them are one or the other or both). What I am saying is that it's really really hard to run things well, and the bigger the things become, the harder they are to run well. Bigness invites corruption (because it's easier for people to get away with it) and incompetence (because the more employees you have, the harder it is to make sure they're all competent and working together efficiently).
I'm also not saying that there is no corruption or incompetence in individual schools. What I'm saying is that it's easier to run small things and keep corruption, incompetence, and inefficiency at bay, and we would improve our chances of getting more effective schools if we abolished school boards and gave individual schools autonomy (within, of course, an intelligent framework of regulation and monitoring).
SCHOOL FOR THOUGHT
It can be done; in fact, it is being done
In the past, I've drawn your attention to selected American charter schools that are overcoming the problems of disadvantaged students and preparing them for university. So, today, class, I'm drawing your attention to a charter (free) school in England that is doing exactly the same thing. This is not really new news - we already know it can be done, and - surprise - they're doing it the same way in England, with longer hours, uniforms, discipline, hard work, community support, and on and on. But I thought you'd like to read about this school anyway, because it gives one such a nice warm feeling. H/T TB
SCHOOL FOR THOUGHT
What about uniting on behalf of students?
In his comment to yesterday's blog, Doug paints a dismal picture of an us-against-them scenario, whereby it's a dog-eat-dog contest between teachers and management over money and the spoils go to the loudest and most determined antagonist. Doug implies that, without their unions, teachers would not be paid as well and there would be fewer jobs. In this scenario, teachers' union dues of more than $1,000 a year are well worth the benefits that their union wins on behalf of teachers.
Meanwhile, in Louisiana where the rate of teacher unionization is very low due to a combination of factors (right-to-work state and Hurricane Katrina), education spending, hiring, and compensation have exploded. more It's just barely possible that some education administrators are motivated to pursue policies that benefit students, as opposed to crucifying teachers, and that teachers would actually be better off without unions. H/T DW
SCHOOL FOR THOUGHT
How they cling to their chains!
You know how battered wives stay with their abusive husbands, saying that he truly loves her and that was the last time and so on? Well, here's a blog along the same lines, only it involves a teachers' union rep who's suffered at the hands of his union and yet finds reasons why it's okay. H/T DW