John Dewey is my hero

Dewey. The man lived forever ago, and yet he was so wise. I am sad to say that many of his ideas of a democratic school are tough to imagine today because there is no trust between schools, communities, and parents. How did we get so divided as a society? How did we get to a point where we can recognize problems with huge systems such as health care or education and yet we feel powerless to change them. We have no social capital or self efficacy, and without the chance to experience our ability to make change (even vicariously), how will we ever be able to realize theory in any practical way?! So frustrating, yet an opportunity for an optimist!

really...nachos is a meal?!

Had a Leadership Delaware day today where we learned about education in Delaware County. I am mortified by the fact that the government feels that nachos and cheese serves as an acceptable entree for fifth and sixth graders. Maybe the next legislative dinner should be catered by Tostidos!

Up to my elbows

I have started my research on charter schools. I am expected to examine the relationship between service learning and civic engagement and schools. Basically, the more involved parents and community are, the better students do academically. The involvement has to extend beyond just paying taxes and doing volunteer work in a school, though. The involvement has to be related to curriculum.
That is scary for schools. They like to work in a vaccuum where they know what to teach and how to teach it. Often parent involvement is seen as a liability because so many parents have resorted to litigation or have made passing levies difficult because they speak poorly about the schools in their neighborhoods.

In order to enjoy true partnerships between schools, parents, and the community, we need to have a certain level of trust based on some guiding principles. First, we need to all believe that the other cares about the students' achievement THE MOST...more than report cards, more than ratings, more than teacher unions, more than politics in the workplace. We need to all believe all students can learn and all students deserve our hard work. Schools need policies that help parents navigate the system when their students are not being served well. Parents and schools should be able to have open dialogue and BOTH TAKE RESPONSIBILITY for the students' achievement.

And we are on our way

Exciting updates are happening everyday with my journey toward a PhD. I have been selected to work at the Younkin Success Center at OSU. I will be teaching a course through the Walter E. Dennis Learning Center to students who are struggling to make the transition from high school to college. The course examines a number of motivation and organization issues students face. I am really looking forward to working with the students and learning as much as I can from Dr. Tuckman, the man who wrote the course. His passions appear to align well with mine and I hope to learn as much as I can from him in the next couple years.

I am also signed on for a pilot research study of charter schools. My research team will be studying schools in Dayton under the leadership of Drs. Ann Allen and Michael Glassman. They are also full of knowledge and enthusiasm. I am currently looking for research on civic engagement in regards to charter schools. I haven't actively researched in awhile and I am a bit overwhelmed at the moment. The type of research I need is very different than the kind I look for when I am writing an article for the paper or preparing a presentation. I am hoping to get some direction from Dr. Glassman next week to help me figure out how to hone my research.