Our monthly meeting of the South of Dayton Democratic Club is this evening at 6:00 at the Wright Library in Oakwood. On the agenda is indicated time for a brief discussion of some of the ideas in my book, Public Education 2030.  I sent this e-mail to the club members.

Dear Friends, I see our agenda for this evening includes the opportunity to briefly discuss some of the ideas in my book, Public Education 2030.  (You can get a PDF here). 

One essay (p. 30) reports on Ted Strickland’s forums on the future of Ohio’s system of public education. In these forums, Strickland challenged his listeners to imagine what a new system might look like.  He challenged his listeners to imagine: “We are an artist looking at a blank slate and asking what is the best thing we can create here.”

In my career in teaching math at West Carrollton High School, I became convinced that public education is in need of starting again with a blank slate. I was charged with transmitting a curriculum that I knew was irrelevant to what many of my students needed. I saw how the potential of students and teachers was wasted and how even top students were unmotivated to accomplish much of quality. I became convinced that if public education should have a strong future, it needed big changes.

Strickland’s effort to get forum participants to brainstorm  a new system sounded like a great idea — but the discussion went nowhere. Participants wanted to defend their personal stake in the present system — a school nurse wanted to know how nurses would be impacted, an art teacher wanted to emphasize the importance of art in the curriculum, a math teacher suggested that there should be more math requirements, and on and on.

Strickland’s effort in these forums was doomed to fail because starting with a blank slate and thinking anew is not easy and most everyone in attendance at the forums had a stake in the present system.

In the essay, “In Education, Let’s Stop Trying To Improve A Horse and Buggy System,” (p. 24), I suggest that asking someone to imagine a new system of public education would be like asking someone in the 1800‘s to envision the automobile. Most buggy makers if given the chance would have opposed transforming the horse and buggy system, but, I write,

 “Eventually some buggy makers came to grips with the reality that their future was in the personal transportation business, not the buggy business. Similarly, school boards must begin to come to grips with the reality that the future must center on authentic education, not on schooling. There are many special interests dedicated to advancing the empire of schooling that now exists, but once the public sees a system of authentic education, the current system of schooling will become obsolete. The task for educational leadership is to envision a quality system of education that will inspire voters to move from the horse and buggy age and invest in the system of the future.”

In the last thirty years there have been many efforts to reform schools — but what is needed is an effort to transform them.

• Reformation starts by focusing on the component parts of the system — curriculum, class size, teacher training, teacher evaluation, school evaluation, etc. — and seeks to make improvement in those component
• Transformation starts by focusing on the purpose of the system—and taking a big picture view of looking at the system as a whole, seeks to create a system design where all the resources of the system work to accomplish the purpose of the system.

The mission statements of schools commonly state these aims:

1. Each child will acquire the tools and experience needed to develop his or her potential, and,
2. Each child will gain the knowledge, habits, temperament, and character that will empower him or her to be an effective citizen

The problem is, such mission statements have little impact on what actually happens in schools. Kettering is spending over $13,000 per child per year. Wouldn’t it be great if the resources of the system were focused on accomplishing these high sounding aims? As it is, the actual mission of every district and every school is to get a high score in the state system of school evaluation.

The way forward is via transformation, not reformation. The place where transformation could have the biggest chance for success is within communities where schools already are deemed “excellent” — the south of Dayton suburbs of our club members. Pumping more money and more effort into the present system can only be a short-term strategy. It cannot be a long term solution. In terms of public education policy, we are moving in the wrong direction and unless there is thoughtful intervention, the long term prospect for public education actually accomplishing its stated aims is not good.

One principle that most Democrats hold dear is the importance of sustaining and strengthening our system of public education. In terms of public education, we must be forward thinking, we must be the party of ideas.  We need to be much bolder in our advocacy, much bolder in our building of community consensus about this important topic.

There is much to talk about and I look forward to our discussion. Sincerely, Mike Bock

Trace Pickering in the April edition of the F.M. Duffy Reports, says the reform of public education is not sufficient, that what is needed is transformation. Much of what he says resonates with the point of view I develop in my book, Public Education 2030.

The first step to solving a problem is to understand the problem — to understand the nature of the problem. If we seek to solve the problem of how to improve public education, then we must first identify the problem to be solved. Pickering says there are two categories of problems — some problems are “tame”

…continue reading the article Transforming Industrial Age Schooling To Authentic Education — A Very “Wicked Problem”

The book I am posting today — Public Education 2030, The Singularity Approaches —  focuses on the future of public education.

I’ve shortened and summarized twenty-five of my previous posts on education so that most will fit on one page. I’ve added an “Introduction”, a “Message from the Author” and a “Conclusion” and I’ve grouped the posts into six sections: 1) The Singularity Approaches 2) Reforming Public Education 3) Building A Better System 4) The Aim of the System 5) Great Teachers and the Profession of Teaching 6) Good Character, the Key to Success 6) The Importance of Civic Education.

My goal in putting this publication together is twofold:

To

…continue reading the article My New Book — Public Education 2030 — Invites Readers To Discuss The Future Of Our School System

What a beautiful spring!

Last fall, at the end of the bulb planting season, I bought a ton of spring bulbs for 50% off and on several chilly November days, I planted them at the front of Centerville Methodist Church. I planted the bulbs in honor of my brother-in-law, Jim Dunaway and at the four year anniversary of his passing, April 20, they were blooming gloriously. I’m glad they turned out so beautifully and that the members of the church are very happy with their appearance. Last week when I had help from a friend I took these pictures and made a

…continue reading the article Spring Flowers At Centerville Church Are In Honor Of My Friend And Brother-In-Law, Jim Dunaway

This is great news: Caroline Gentry and Jim Butler — candidates seeking election to represent District 41 in the Ohio House — will participate in a Lincoln Douglas style debate on Friday, November 2. The debate will be at Kettering High School on Shroyer Rd. in the Recital Hall starting at 3:45 PM.

Republican Jim Butler is the incumbent, appointed to the position last January. This is his first election. Caroline Gentry is the Democratic challenger. And this is her first election.

The program will last for one hour and the public is invited to attend.

In the 34 minute debate portion of

…continue reading the article Caroline Gentry And Jim Butler — OHD 41 — Will Have Lincoln-Douglas Type Debate At KHS On Friday, Nov 2

Rick McKiddy has a new video that reminds voters that the Republican Assembly voted to refuse $400 million in federal money that, if accepted, would have funded a high speed train in Ohio. The video says that, because of this refusal, Ohio lost 6000 good jobs.

McKiddy is seeking election to the Ohio Senate to represent District 6 and is challenging the Republican incumbent, Peggy Lehner. The proposed high speed train would have had a potential big impact on District 6, because one of its planned terminals would have been in Riverside, close to the Air Force Museum. Citizens throughout District

…continue reading the article Rick McKiddy Reminds: Opponent Refused High Speed Train & Fed’s $400 Million — Lost 6000 Good Jobs

Yesterday my one student, Juwan, and I went to see President Obama. And a great day it was.

When I was Juwan’s age, in 1964, I made it to downtown Dayton to hear Barry Goldwater. He spoke on the steps of the Dayton Court House, standing on the very steps where Abraham Lincoln also once had made a speech. I simply caught a bus and went downtown and joined a large crowd. It was a memorable experience and I wanted Juwan to have a similar experience.

Now in 2012 to see the president, one has to have a lot more determination and

…continue reading the article At the Dayton Rally — I Shook The Hand Of the Hand That Shook The President’s Hand

Nick Kuntz, Montgomery County Juvenile Court Judge, met with our South of Dayton Democratic Club this week. Kuntz has served as Juvenile Judge since 1994 and this year is on the ballot for re-election. He thanked the club for supporting his reelection campaign. He said that he loves his work and that during his tenure he has worked to make a lot of good improvements in the county’s juvenile court system. He said that he has visited over 100 other juvenile court systems and has not found a juvenile court system better than Montgomery County’s.

I was very impressed — not only

…continue reading the article Nick Kuntz, Juvenile Court Judge, Seeks Re-Election — Says Montgomery County System Is Among The Best

It’s hard to understand why Dayton voters keep returning Mike Turner to Congress.

The “Campaign for America’s Future” tracks ten key congressional votes dealing with the economy and the middle class, and Mike Turner, my congressman to the U.S. Congress, according to this organization, is the worst of the worst and deserves a score of zero.  In its report, the CAF analyzes ten pieces of legislation and, Mike Turner, in every case voted against the middle class. Turner voted for the Ryan Budget, voted against a jobs bill, voted to diminish consumer financial protection, voted to weaken unions, voted to repeal

…continue reading the article Who Stands For The Middle Class? Dayton Congressman Mike Turner Gets Score Of Zero — “Worst Of The Worst”