For two evenings this past week I participated in the Community Conversation about education sponsored by the Tri-City Herald and conducted by members of the Dispute Resolution Center.
A group of thirteen educators, parents and Hanford scientists engaged in a process of exploring educational issues. Editors and reporters from the Herald observed the proceedings.
The programs began at 6 PM and concluded at 8 Wednesday and Thursday. A scribe recorded the discussion and summarized the issues at the end of each program.
A range of issues related to education reform dominated the conversation. Topics included teacher quality and training, school board policies, narrowing of curriculum, educating the whole child, Kennewick School District’s 90% Reading Goal, stress experienced by teachers and students to perform on standardized tests, administration directives to teachers to conform with teaching methods, student behavior and discipline, role of parents, the nature of reform and its effectiveness, validity and reliability of standardized testing, educators’ compensation and pay as incentive to accelerate reform, school partnerships with business and industry, required high school courses to enable students to be good citizens, understand history and appreciate literature, better preparing students for college, the value of exploratory and elective classes, improving learning resources, improving building site councils, reducing class size, education reforms in other countries and effects of poverty among many others.
This was a robust and candid dialogue conducted so each participant had equal opportunity to contribute. I commend both the Tri-City Herald staff and members from the Dispute Resolution Center for providing this means to consider education and other current issues.
The Herald staff will select 5 participants from this Community Conversation to write editorials about education to be published in a Sunday edition of the Herald. I look forward to reading each of those letters.
Great summary, Tom. I look forward to what the Herald does with the outcome of the meetings as well as the upcoming op-ed pieces by the participants.