Back to Basics

Well, at least in Charlotte, NC the education answer seems fairly obvious. We need to go back to community schools. This preached by the late Earnest Boyer, PhD., would include having for one thing a student body of no more than 500 kids in a school. Having more than one adult in each classroom is a pre-requisite. Class size at no more than 20 students on average. Teaching the whole child, mind and body and teaching to the developmental needs of each child is essential.

When you are teaching in a community like this all the kids feel loved. They have most of their needs met, physical and intellectual which allows them to "trust enough to learn." Since grade school children cannot be expected to sit in a seat and learn all day, without trusting the people around them, and trusting that they will have their physical and emotional needs taken care of; this community school is the perfect setting.

Not an unkind word goes uncorrected, not a skip in line unnoticed. In this community model where kids learn to respect each other and those around them, learning thrives. You see the adults in the classroom have the time to teach life lessons not just "book" lessons. In fact not a text book would be found. Learning from original and trade material is abundant and is sought out by the administration to help teachers along. With a strict Phonetic emphasis on your word study program and mandatory daily reading, the kids are well on their way to becoming life long learners. The love of learning becomes a contagious but, intrinsic motivation.

Math becomes a breakdown of concrete, transitional, operational and symbolic activities in which all kids rise to the upper levels of their developing minds.

Yes, there are other reasons but the above are just some of the reasons we need to quit building larger schools to help support high growth areas, and put that money into buildings and teachers, and keep the numbers down. When the teachers know everyone in the building and visa versa, you have the building blocks for community and learning. When the numbers get above 500, 1000, 1,500 to 2000 or say 2,200 now you have crowd control not education on a broad basis.