SUPERINTENDENT'S CHAT

Richard McClements, Shonto Preparatory School

A statement often repeated is "Schools of today are just not like they were when I was a kid." The speaker is absolutely correct. They are not the same. They do far more, because they must. Carolyn Warner, former Arizona Superintendent of Public Education, summed up the expectations of public schools today:

Teach good nutrition habits; train students in pulmonary-coronary resuscitation; give specialized instruction for the hard of hearing, the blind, the emotionally disturbed; train the mentally retarded; teach the gifted; do eye testing; give inoculations; teach first aid procedures; provide pregnancy counseling; assist in disease prevention; teach morals, ethics, and values; stress the prevention of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco abuse; develop civic responsibility; provide sex education; provide suicide counseling; maintain birth information and age certification data; provide instruction in good health and AIDS prevention; teach driver training; provide civil rights and racial tolerance; foster integration; teach the principles of free enterprise; assist in career planning; detect and report child abuse; provide vocational training; serve hot lunches and breakfasts; foster metric education; counsel students with problems; follow due process procedures; provide computer literacy; eliminate sex discrimination; develop an appreciation for other people and cultures; develop skills in the use of leisure time; build a feeling of self worth; avoid religion; and teach Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic.*

* Taken from "The Litany", by Carolyn Warner and Associates. Flyer for consulting lectures and seminars.

In spite of the above responsibilities and far more, it is my opinion that children are generally provided with a better education than was the case when I was in public school. In many high schools, the program taken by college bound students would correspond to the college degree of the 1950’s or 60's. Our High School does not currently offer Advanced Placement courses. Most districts do. These courses are rigorous, with students receiving college credit, depending upon the grade on the final exam. Even more demanding is the world-class curriculum called the “International Baccalaureate.” This program is operational in 190 districts in North America and in large cities throughout Europe and Asia. It is designed for high performing juniors and seniors, and it’s so demanding that there was no comparable program in the 1950’s. Until 1950, only 25% of the students in the typical district received a high school diploma. That meant that the standards could be high for a few. Today, we are expected to provide, but do not accomplish, a diploma for all. Yes, some students now receive a diploma who possess limited academic skills. But even that reality is changing as most states have implemented high-stakes testing which requires prospective graduates to demonstrate broad-based competencies. Dr. Fenwick English, noted curriculum expert, decries a curriculum laden with societal overload. He compares it to the bomb being bigger than the plane. His point is that we can’t choose our mandate. Society does it for us.