Social discussion of CS in K-12

[Katrina Kennett <katrina.kennett AT gmail.com>]

Leaving yesterday’s info meeting, I was beyond frustrated. For many reasons, some already stated here, others left for me to burn off while weeding my garden.

Another outlet of mine is to turn to people more articulate and experienced than myself. Especially pertinent to this moment is an interview with Ted Sizer, the founder of the Coalition for Essential Schools. It’s worth a read if you have time, but here are three snippets:

1) Horace: Some schools in the Coalition have retained broad course offerings and a fairly traditional scheduling system, which differs significantly from the Essential School ideal. How do you respond to these schools?

Sizer: I believe one has to be both respectful of their argument and persistent in one's criticisms of it. The burden is on them to make the argument for "shopping mall" high schools, where a wide range of courses is offered in conventionally short class periods. If thorough work can accrue when the school day is cut up into seven snippets, and if kids get a lot of experience in synthesizing, rather than learning in unconnected separate areas, I'll be persuaded.

But I'm quite familiar with that kind of school. And my sense is that while many are very good, and many of their youngsters perform very well in their separate academic spheres, the real power of the youngsters to make sense of the world is pretty limited. I believe from my own experience that there's as much need and room for profound improvement in elite schools as there is in schools in desperately troubled economic communities.

2) But the opportunity for boldness is present, however frustratingly difficult at times it might appear. The context is at hand that can allow that courage to emerge.

3) When people talk about "accountability" these days, they are generally directing the word solely at the schools. But we must keep in mind that all of us are accountable for change, each in our own way--governors, legislators, university folk, union leaders, and the rest. The attitudes and expectations that undergird our schools' designs belong to all of us. Good schools are complicated places, necessarily and rightfully so. The extent to which the political and educational establishment understands this and honors it is the extent to which we will "account" wisely for the work that our students and teachers do.

While Sizer’s words (from 1989!) have salved some of my frustration, I’d like to keep directing my energy towards what we can do, who we can talk with, how do we convene voices that aren’t represented in The Academy or our public school conversations, etc. 

On that note, EdCampCU will be Saturday, June 18th from 8:30-12:30 (I’ll be sending out more formal invitations soon). I will absolutely lead a session asking what a ground-up CU compliment to schools would look like. It will undoubtedly build from conversations on this mailing list and from Ctrl-Shift Tuesdays. If you’re in town, it would be lovely to see you. 

Momentum forward,

ksk

Katrina Kennett

Literacy & Language, Doctoral Student

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 

Education Resources Consortium, Consulting Practitioner 

kennettenglish.blogspot.com // @katrinakennett

On May 19, 2016, at 8:44 AM, Reese, George Clifford <reese AT illinois.edu> wrote:

I attended the meeting at 12 for about five minutes. I didn’t want to hear it, honestly. I start to see red. That very last thing I think we need in this community is another private school to reinforce segregation. 

Uni does enough, really too much, taking from the public schools.

 

George

 

 

From: ctrl-shift-bounces+reese=illinois.edu AT lists.mste.illinois.edu [mailto:ctrl-shift-bounces+reese=illinois.edu AT lists.mste.illinois.edu] On Behalf Of Pattsi Petrie
Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2016 2:51 PM
To: Charles Schultz
Cc: ctrl-shift AT lists.mste.illinois.edu
Subject: Re: [Ctrl-Shift] food for thought: The Academy

 

Folks, what about the recent research findings related to the resegregation of K-12 education and the fact, which urban planners have known for decades, that zoning reinforces segregation and the resegregation issues. 

Why is no more public dialogue happening in this community about the above?

P2

 

On Wed, May 18, 2016 at 2:10 PM, Charles Schultz <sacrophyte AT gmail.com> wrote:

I took some time to attend the noon presentation of The Academy today. For all intents and purposes, this is just an extension of local Montessori programs, projected for a high school (IMO). Has lots of recycled jargon from Montessori and Reggio Emilia.

 

In fact, for those that have either read the book or watched the screening of Dintersmith/Wagner's "Most Likely To Succeed", some of the talking points were exactly the same ("industrialized" idea of lecture and drill straight out of 1800's Prussia).

 

What was intersting to me is that several times, and on several slides, the HeadsUp Educational Consultants used the idea of "shifting" teachers and students into a 21st Century mindset. Congratulations to CTRL-Shift, you beat them to the punch! :)

 

I have more thoughts on the matter, but wanted to leave room for others that attended (or will attend later tonight).

-- 

Charles Schultz

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-- 

Pattsi Petrie, PhD, FAICP
P2 Consulting
Champaign County Board, Chair , district 6, 
Retired, Department of Urban and Regional Planning/DURP
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign/UIUC
<mailto:pattsi AT uiuc.edu>

College of Fellows, American Institute of Certified Planners

Professional Education and Outreach Programs 
Past Chair APA Planning Women Division  

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