Change the way we teach kids; don’t just throw more money at schools. That’s what David Reaume wrote in today’s Anchorage Daily News. What a breath of fresh air from a columnist I rarely agree with. He discusses the potential impact of a recent court decision, Moore vs. State of Alaska.

A few years back Moore vs. State of Alaska began working its way through the courts claiming that education here in the Greatland is underfunded. That’s right $10,114 per student is just not quite enough. NEA-Alaska enthusiastically supported the suit claiming that it is a natural historical progression in the spirit of Brown vs. Board of Education. Thankfully, Superior Court judge Sharon Gleason disagreed. She wrote that Alaska has “fully met its constitutional obligation to adequately fund education.” And also that the court will not determine educational programs and will leave education funding decisions to the legislature. How refreshing, how constitutional. One can only hope that the State Supreme Court will concur on appeal.

Back to Mr. Reaume:

Despite a mountain of research to the contrary, teachers unions and many parents have clung to the often-debunked belief that if only we spend enough money, even the weakest students can meet Alaska educational standards.

And further:

What we need is an entirely different educational structure than we have now. Today’s public schools are essentially college prep centers despite the fact that no more than half of all students are college oriented. The imposition of higher academic standards under programs like No Child Left Behind has made that clear. Will decision-makers now bite the bullet and begin to make the changes to Alaska’s educational structure that are needed or will they do what the teachers’ unions would have them do, which is to spend more money in the same old way and then water down the standards so that it looks like things have improved.

Amen and amen. I couldn’t have said it better myself. He stops at describing what a revamped system would look like. So, let’s daydream. ..What would be part of a different educational structure?

• A new mindset that says every kid is gifted not just the ones who are going to college.
• Learning profiles that identify each student’s learning styles, strengths, weaknesses, motivators, ambitions. Instead of randomly assigning a kid to a classroom and a teacher how about a classroom for learners who are visual and concrete and another for auditory and abstract and so on.
• Develop an individualized learning plan to fit that kid and equip him or her to fulfill their goals and make the most of gifts and talents.
• Objective standards. This is the thrust of No Child Left Behind and should continue. Objective standards keep administrators and teachers on the straight and narrow and away from fads that fail.
• Allow schools to specialize in certain subjects, skills and vocations. Instead of the local high school being one-size-fits-all. Let there be a fine arts school, a technical/science school, vocational school and so on. This would be tough outside of Alaska’s urban areas. However, distance learning has incredible potential for kids in the Bush or small towns on the highway system.
• The previous point would have to require a school choice option.

Imagine the potential of a workforce that has been trained in their strengths and gifts and doesn’t have to be re-educated by an employer. Imagine kids whose skills and abilities are valued even though they did not go to college. And who grow into adults who enjoy their work and excel at it. Sounds a little John Lennon-ish but I think there is great potential that is untapped because the education system is inflexible and requires a student to fit the system. Rather, it should be a system that forms itself to meet the needs of an individual kid. Right now to get an education like that we homeschool.

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