How Can The Best Future For Kettering Schools Be Defined and Accomplished?

I’m thinking there is a public in Kettering that would support and participate in an in-depth analysis concerning Kettering’s system of public education — its present state, its possible futures. My plan is to prepare an outline for a ten week study beginning in January 2017, and invite the public to participate. The general topic of the study would be: “How Can The Best Future For Kettering Schools Be Defined and Accomplished?”

These are the six aspects of this question that I’m envisioning:

  1. Make a detailed analysis of the current system of public education in Kettering in terms of program and budget. Identify the aim of the system and explain how resources are used to accomplish that aim.
  2. Make predictions of the future state of the system, based on established trends in the system.
  3. Make a detailed analysis how technology can be expected to change in the next ten and twenty years; make an analysis of how this change in technology will impact economic opportunities, and how this technology will impact systems of education.
  4. Determine what the aim of the system should be to best meet the challenges of the future.
  5. Propose a system structure that will most effectively use resources to accomplish the aim of the system.
  6. Outline a ten year process for changing the current system into the transformed system.

These study sessions would be posted on the internet and there would be structured an online discussion / forum open to participants who are part of the study.

Kettering is prosperous and stable, with many civic minded citizens. It is known for its active volunteer program and for its consistent and generous support of its local schools. For many reasons it would be an ideal community to show leadership in creating a new model of public education.

The task I am outlining for myself is to show the details of this study so that it will attract interest. These details would show who the experts / leaders in this study would be, how research on these questions would be conducted — and the financing that would be required. The goal would be to seek financial support via a crowdsourcing website like Kick-starter or Indiegogo.

This project will revisit the effort I made in 2009, when I unsuccessfully ought election to the Kettering School Board. Printed in the League of Women Voters’ Guide I wrote, “The biggest challenge for the Kettering School Board is to inspire and empower teachers and citizens to work together to define system excellence and to create a plan for long-term transformation that will result in a great future for public education in Kettering.”

My experience as a teacher in public schools (not in Kettering) left me with a compelling desire to help transform the current system of public education to something much better. Here at age 68, I’m impressed more and more that if I’m going to make the effort, it is now or never.

  • Education In 2030 is a 46 page PDF, a condensed version of previous posts, showing my POV concerning the future of public education
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