Elton John, Improving Schools

Today on the rainy walk Elton John was the featured performer. What diversity in songs! Unlike some of my other favorites, Johnny D, Neil Diamond, and Barry Manilow, he does not follow so strictly a formula for his songs. I think what is very interesting is to hear Barry Manilow do some of the oldies from my parent's era. Somehow his style seems in. I must admit that I like his better than Rod Stewart's. I like Kelly's experience with the old torch songs.

When she was doing her internship in San Fransisco, a supervisor would always try to trip up her experience with the old torch songs. She knows them all, as she learned to play piano with them.... plus she is a gifted audio file. She not only receptively remembers everything that was ever sung to her, she can recreate it. Another reason why she is such a great speech and language teacher. The supervisor was never able to stump her with the old ones.

I think that in high school Kelly was able to take a class in music theory. What an opportunity! Do you think in schools of 1200 students this class is offered now? Nope! We have lost our electives. In many ways we have collectively lost our soul, our chance to get ahead in the competitive world.

When some of our new schools were built, there were extensive business departments. There were shop classes and and home ec classes. There were even elective history classes. What have we now? The push to move us vertically instead of horizonally. We now offer classes for 600 student slots in AP classes of English, Math and Science. The schools have 2900 students each. The schools are made for 2000 students. We have 1800 students in these two schools that could easily start a new school. And then they worry about how these schools are going to do on the testing that starts again this Spring. They want 8 weeks of 10minutes lessons to teach part of the test. It looks again like they are blaming the teachers for low performance. They (management and the state) should be looking for conditions that would provide incentives for proficient scores in the all important tests.

I think the state should follow the accredition model for improving schools. This model looks at the students success and follows the diversity and the strengths of a school. It also looks at communication, it looks at how the school interfaces with the community. These are all steps left out of the high stakes testing that is now promoted at the state level and the local level.

Once again a soapbox post.. it can only be a good as the soapbox that I am standing on!
LOL
Pat