Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, and Create.

You, as the reader,  may be thinking this will be another entry about the actions of the government, or lack thereof, but you would be wrong.  I’d like to write about the public education system, of which I spent 30+ years of my life, living my dream.

Since the mid 70s, the public education system has been under constant attack.  From the press, to the politicians claiming to be the education politician and fix what was wrong, to those who championed “schools of choice” because public schools were bad.  Certainly, there were studies completed that indicated public education was failing and the system needed to be overhauled.  There were many suggestions from the politicians to “fix” the problem…but what was overlooked was the lack of educational experience the politicians had in regards to classroom management, appropriate curriculum, cognitive development of students, and external factors that all contribute to success or failure of a student.  No law can address these aspects of public education.

It is my opinion that what has changed the public education system for the worse is the change in educational philosophy of the nation, i.e., what should be taught in the classroom and school.  There seems to be a public outcry about what is NOT BEING TAUGHT in public education…but is that clamor understanding of the elements that have brought about what David Berliner called in his book, “The Manufactured Crisis”.

Few people understand the purpose of education; few understand the funding of education; few understand why there has been a rush to privatize public education.  Consequently, the public wants many different things taught in school but do not realize the constraints on public education.  For example, there is only the possibility of 24 class offerings, in a 4-year high school program that operates on 6 class periods a day.  That’s it…24.  Each state has its own requirements for high school graduation. In the State of Arizona, state requirements are a minimum of 22 credits, including 4 English, 4 Math (Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, +1), 3 Science, 3 Social Studies (History, Govt/Econ), 1 Fine Arts/CTE, and 0.5 Physical Education, plus 6.5 electives. Students must pass the Civic Test with a grade of 60% minimum and complete an Education Career Action Plan (ECAP).

An Education and Career Action Plan (ECAP), something I never experienced, is a personalized, living document—often an electronic portfolio—used by students (typically grades 6-12) to align their academic coursework with future career goals. It helps students map out postsecondary plans (college, trade school, military, or work) while documenting progress, skills, and extracurricular activities.  What I find most interesting about this is, kids as young a 12 are being asked to make life determining decisions…and we know those plans are going to change for some based on a myriad of reasons.  There is research indicating many people leave their chosen field after a few years of on the job.  That includes college graduates.
 
Gone from the curriculum is Wood shop, Auto shop, and traditional Home Economics which all introduced students to the possibility of a career in the trades.  Even Home Economics taught mundane subjects like sewing and cooking which might spur on students to aspire to be chefs or clothes designers.  There is now a wave of people asking why teaching students about insurance,  how to fill out a tax return, how interest rates affect prices of every commodity needed….in other words, Consumer Math, isn’t part of a high school curriculum.  I don’t disagree, it should be, but to get qualified people to teach this is another constraint on public education.
 
And yes, there are some areas of school curriculum that need to be revisited with open eyes.
 
In a traditional sense of curriculum in the high school setting, and just examining what takes place in my State of Arizona, is it feasible to teach World History, or US History, or Government and Economics in the timeframe given?  For example, how many centuries of World History…since the time events have been chronicled, must be taught in 180 days of an academic year?  ( Honestly, the school calendar may state 180 days, but when state mandated testing, district testing, student registration take place, the number really dwindles to anywhere between 165-170 days of instruction.  And that doesn’t take into consideration any staff development days as well.)  The United States will celebrate 250 years of existence, but that doesn’t take into account from the time Roanoke Island colony (1585) was founded until 1776 and the Declaration of Independence.  How is the history of our nation to be taught in 180 days of an academic calendar?  And, as for teaching government and economics in a 90-day academic semester, which both are now at the forefront of everyday life…the task is overwhelming.    
 
Does one realize the evident problem here?  Some would recite the buzzword phrase of “less is more”, in other words delete some of the less important material.  What happens to be the less important material?
  
If certain portions of the World History were to be omitted, is it possible the public would really understand the ongoing problem in the Middle East.  It has only lasted for about 2000 years and numerous Crusades.  Would anyone know about the lead up to and results of the Civil War, let alone, Manassas  1 and 2, Antietam, Gettysburg, Vicksburg, R.E. Lee, Grant, Sherman?  Would students understand the difference between a democracy, a totalitarian, or a monarchy government.  Would students know about the invisible hand Adam Smith wrote about, or the means of production, Gross National Product, or inflation, and what is a depression?

These are the problems I faced when I was in the classroom, just as those who came before me and certainly after me did as well. And yet, education, and in particular, faculty members, are blamed for trying to do the almost impossible.

Does the same apply to other facets of the curriculum?  Yes.  I cannot help my grandson with his math homework.  Why?  The methodology is different from what I learned.  And the process is what is being graded, not the end result of the correct answer.  In the early 1950’s the Russians taught Algebra to kindergarten students, who, could accurately answer algebraic problems.  But the underlying problem to all of this was the Russian students did not know the value of 1…what 1 meant.

Science is everchanging because of research.  I have no problem with that happening, BUT at what point does the scientific research and technology overtake the basic learning blocks of scientific knowledge the student needs to learn about what has been uncovered or developed by scientific research?
  
Computer science has been integrated into high school curriculum.  I taught at a school that had the best computer instructors and resources in the greater Southwest.  This is a needed part of curriculum, but there is a caveat regarding this subject.  Should the student rely on a computer to “think”, as in AI…Gemini, ChatGPT, applications like those, or does the student develop critical thinking skills needed to evaluate situations and solve problems?  

Let me suggest business has had hand in the changing of educational policy in our nation claiming that students are not prepared to enter into the business world.  Here are my thoughts regarding this.

The question that should be asked is, “Why isn’t business training their workers, instead of arguing public education should do so?”  Answer: Ready to work in the business industry.  But what does that mean?  The answer is required to be defined to help public education improve.

If the answer of that very important question is read, write, mathematics, and think critically, then what are the decisions makers doing to promote that?  And then the question that needs to be asked and answered is, “Just what in the hell are we doing?”

What this argument really does is benefit business, because big business doesn’t have to or want to spend time and money training, orienting, new hires…and this means more profit for big business.  The argument is for the advantage of business.

If those who make educational policy were serious about improving public education, those making the decisions need to understand the inherent problems of education.  Decisions made in the past have not taken in to consideration time constraints and increasing the work load of both students and faculty members (for whatever reason) and not producing students who can approach the higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. 
 
Bloom’s Taxonomy is a theory of learning with six levels of cognitive development.  They are from lowest to highest, Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, and Create. This theory REQUIRES students to be able to read, write, and perform mathematical problems.  It REQUIRES students to be creative and critical thinkers, all of which are needed to be a contributing member to society.  What this theory doesn’t do is produce students who can immediately step into a career of financial planning, or being an electrician, or being a plumber, or a policeman, or fire fighter.  And therein lies what I consider to be the crux of the matter for big business.
  
But what this theory does, is hopefully prepare a student to be able to make decisions based upon their educational experiences in the classroom.  Namely, Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, and Create.
  
That is my opinion…something I had over thirty years of experience to consider…