Being a born and bred Michigan kind of guy, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what the decline of the auto industry can teach us about the enterprise of schooling.
And last week I came across a fascinating article in the August 24 New Yorker on the electric car company Tesla and the vision of its founders. One of the co-founders, frustrated in finding a reliable source for a transmission for their electric cars, described his experience in trying to work with the auto industry and its suppliers: “We learned that the car industry is unbelievably good at delivering what they’ve done in the past with a little tweak – faster or in yellow. But if you want something a lot different – a simplified transmission that’s electrically actuated – that’s too radical.”
Education, too, it seems is very good at delivering what we’ve always done with a little tweak here and a little tweak there. I’ve conducted site visits and studied schools and districts in states as diverse as Florida, Alabama and California and schooling looks pretty much the same all over. It’s not just public school systems. Charters, parochial and private schools for the most part are built on the same model. America is not alone. I have visited schools in Japan, India, Egypt, South Africa, and Israel. The floors may be dirt and the kids may work on individual chalk boards, but the similarities to American schools can’t be missed. Though it has evolved, the basic schooling model, used for well over a hundred years, continues to dominate the education landscape.
With this in mind, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Mike Flanagan challenged Michigan school districts to truly “Re-imagine” education – to break the mold. He urged all of us in education to be bold; to think adventurously and to experiment. Traverse City Area Public Schools jumped at the opportunity and joined in a regional proposal submitted by the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District to be a “Re-imagine” demonstration site. In August, seventy proposals were received by the State. No more than twenty will be funded. As a board of education member and a member of the board’s curriculum committee, I contributed ideas -- some ended up in the final proposal. I’m happy with the result. It’s a great start. Check it out and let me know what you think. http://www.tcaps.net/Home/tabid/2322/Default.aspx
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Great comparison, Gary. This really is an exceptionally relevant parallel & just as we know the auto industry can and must change, we know the same about education. Thanks for being a part of the rare efforts to bring about true changes that meet the needs of the time.
ReplyDeleteAs an educator, I am so encouraged by your leadership in not only recognizing the need for change, but articulating it, connecting it with the "Grand Vision" for our region, and making the steps to get there manageable and measurable. We are so fortunate to have you, Gary. Thanks for your service.
ReplyDeleteI like the practical steps and the stated outcomes of this initiative. It seems like a big step in the right direction. Thanks for your help and leadership Gary, and thanks also for letting us know about this.
ReplyDeleteGary- Throughout the many years I've known you, I've always heard you be concerned about finding ways to inspire students to learn skills that are relevant to our time and relevant to their futures. I've always appreciated that about you! Kids quickly "sniff out" the relevance factor in their studies! The work that you've done to teach science through hands-on development of gardens is one example of how inspiring a subject can be when it's handled innovatively. I'm not surprised that you're looking to the auto industry for the relevant leassons to glean. It's ironic to me that we think of these teachings styles as "innovative", because they're really such a pragmatic response to our need to teach young people to solve the problems that will be posed during their lifetimes.
ReplyDeleteThe Grand Imagine makes me wish to be 3 years old right now. Very exciting ideas and I can see you behind many of the creative, challenging stated outcomes.
ReplyDeleteWhether Traverse City is chosen, I know you have a drive to continue improving education and opportunities for our community's young people. We are lucky to have your perseverance and dedication to help learners learn in innovative ways -- to go beyond "delivering what we've done in the past with a little tweak."
Here in Detroit we know the pain of trying to maintain the status quo well past it's time. Folks are naturally resistant to change but when the conventional wisdom no longer works it is time to rethink the foundation of how we do things, whether it be in reference to our city management or the educational establishment.
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