Fundamental reforms
in public education
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Use the first infusion of Social Security Fund
(SSF) money (See Petition of Redress
to understand where this money comes from) to fund a new future
for public education. Among the major changes...
- begin implementing year-round schools..
- Dissolve the idea of grade levels; there will be only
information levels; elementary, middle, and high school.
- Using a coupon system, encourage peer-to-peer tutoring
where teachers act simply as facilitators.
- Use a monetary voucher system for student evaluations
of the best teachers.
We integrate these things immediately into
our current school systems just by augmenting the current
system. Schools go year-round 4 quarter, three weeks between
quarters, and students rotate because they attend only three
quarters.
Begin a program where the educational system
issues vouchers to the students, equal to a portion of the
education property taxes paid by the citizens. Students and
their parents would then dispense the vouchers back to their
best teachers. Teachers would have a base salary which would
be complimented by the vouchers. This will encourage teachers
to become better educators. Again, we have to change our value
of capitalism from "stuff" to "ideas".
Similarly as a means to weaken cliques set up
mentor/tutor reward systems (credits, coupons to the mall
etc.) that encourage older students to help younger ones.
There would be extras for cross-clique mentor/tutoring. So
now our children are teaching their peers. Furthermore they
discover that the best way to get ahead is to see and understand
how someone different from themselves learns a topic.
For example, you are taking Algebra II and preparing
yourself for Trigonometry, if you tutor somebody younger in
Algebra I, this will aid in your advancement because you must
understand the topic that you’re tutoring and as you learn,
somebody else learns. It is been said that a student may only
retain 30% of the knowledge from class, where the teacher
will remember 90%. There would be long class periods where
the older students are tutoring the younger and the teachers
act as a facilitator to teach critical thinking within the
grade framework.
Specifically, our children need to be provided
the tools to use the system, and to enhance their ability
to get on with their life, within the framework of their faith,
self, and others. We want a young adult who can listen to
others, raise a point, come to a consensus, and carry through
on a firm action. Most importantly to always be ready to change
direction upon new knowledge and seek out divergent opinions
when in a quandary.
School buildings would be used year round. When
not in use they are utilized for District Activities, rented
out to any constitutionally sound group for any legal use.
Anybody wanting to rent space to teach their approach, who
continually draw students, can maintain space. Have no fear,
we will guarantee our retirement by committing our property
taxes to engorging the SSF fund, while establishing a worthwhile
community service of free continuing education that will become
self-sustaining before the bonds are paid off. Maybe there
will be enough income that we will be paid to stay in homes
in our old age.
