My Texas School Plan - An Open Letter to the Candidates from Both Parties, Part 1

I’m not running for office, but I am a civic minded, reasonable professional educator. Due to my devotion to the profession and to the state I offer to our candidates who are running for public office a primer on effective schools.

Here are the pertinent take-a-ways from the countries that have students who outperform ours on a regular basis.

1. You can significantly increase the quality of candidates entering the teaching profession. The Finland model

2. You can significantly increase the quality of teacher training and preparation programs. The Finland model

3. You can pay teachers a professional salary. The Finland model

4. You can have clear, deep curriculum standards that schools are required to teach. The Finland and Poland model

5. You can increase the stakes on the high school exit exams. The South Korea Model

6. You can increase the number of hours and days students devote to academics and school.  The South Korea model

7. You can worry less about how students feel and worry more about student performance in areas that are correlated to an educated and economically competitive populace. The South Korea model

8. You can significantly delay the age at which students are tracked. The Poland model

9. You can ensure that schools that teach the hardest to reach student populations get additional resources. The Finland and Poland model

The teachable moment from the above listed take-a-ways is that it is exceedingly clear that pursuing an agenda of reducing public education support thru vehicles that further segregate school are NOT the answer.

Reflect on the above strategies and consider how they differ from the policies that you are promoting for the rest of the day.  We will continue tomorrow...

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

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