Here is a five minute talk I have given on the subject of educating our children to be tomorrow's leaders. It is entitled, Springboard for a Better Future.
Robert
Monday, March 31, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
A Pact Showing Commitment to Education Can Be Valuable
There was a great story in the New York Times, March 26, 2008, by Samuel Freedman: A Do-It-Yourself SAT Class, With No Whining, or Parents, Allowed. The story described a group of students who made a pact, a.k.a. a compact, to study together for the SAT test. The decided how often to meet. They committed to attend the scheduled meetings. And they agreed, in writing, not to whine or complain. They set a goal of scoring 700 on each part of the test.
Working together is a great way to accomplishment. One of the founding documents of our country is the Mayflower Compact, signed in 1620.
Not everyone in Plano is committed to education, even though the community has good schools. If we had more commitment, our schools would be even better. If Plano developed a community compact, or pact, expressing a commitment to education and steps parents could take to improve their children's education, it could be a big help to some segments of our community.
Additionally, when other districts try to improve their performance by copying our curriculum implementation, they don't get what makes Plano schools successful: supportive parents that value education. If other districts want to improve performance they need to copy more than lesson plans, they have to copy attitude. It would be good if we spelled out our attitude. If we could get more people here to value education, then we could offer an example for other districts to emulate. Showing under-performing districts how to improve community commitment to education would help them far more than the money the state legislature rips off from us.
A community compact on education would help Plano and the state of Texas.
Robert
Working together is a great way to accomplishment. One of the founding documents of our country is the Mayflower Compact, signed in 1620.
Not everyone in Plano is committed to education, even though the community has good schools. If we had more commitment, our schools would be even better. If Plano developed a community compact, or pact, expressing a commitment to education and steps parents could take to improve their children's education, it could be a big help to some segments of our community.
Additionally, when other districts try to improve their performance by copying our curriculum implementation, they don't get what makes Plano schools successful: supportive parents that value education. If other districts want to improve performance they need to copy more than lesson plans, they have to copy attitude. It would be good if we spelled out our attitude. If we could get more people here to value education, then we could offer an example for other districts to emulate. Showing under-performing districts how to improve community commitment to education would help them far more than the money the state legislature rips off from us.
A community compact on education would help Plano and the state of Texas.
Robert
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Is this Really 4th Grade Math?
Here is a problem my 4th grade boy had to work in school. Tell me if you think this is a problem 4th graders should be able to do:
Miguel planted 4 different kinds of plants in his vegetable garden. The garden contains a total of 72 plants. Of the plants, 15 are tomato and 12 are squash. The remaining plants are either lettuce or cucumbers. The number of lettuce plants is twice the number of cucumber plants. How many lettuce plants are in Miguel's garden?
If you are comfortable with algebra, you can solve this in your head without pencil and paper. So, how many lettuce plants are there? Be the first to post the answer, but tell us if you used paper and pencil or if you are an engineer or mathematician!
How many 4th graders in a class of 20 do you think can solve this?
The children were given nine different strategies to try and guess the answer, but the glory of math is that you can be taught to solve problems and not have to guess.
One reason America ranks low in math when compared to the industrialized world is that we have flawed teaching strategies. Many ninth graders have trouble solving a problem like this at the beginning of the year, so the strategy is to show algebra to kids at earlier grades. No matter how early they shove this in the curriculum, the kids who have trouble with this in 8th and 9th grade still have trouble with it in 8th and 9th grade. Eventually this ends up in 4th, 3rd, and 2nd grade. Yes, I remember showing my son how to do algebra problems in 2nd grade. Why? He still doesn't know algebra in 4th grade. Grades 3 through 5 are too early to do algebra. It is a waste of classroom time and reinforces in some kids the idea that math is too hard for them.
The idea of pushing algebraic concepts into grades 3 through 5 is part of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, but not full-blown algebra problems. The problem I shared with you here is not like the example in the NCTM website for grades 3 - 5. PISD has mis-applied the concept.
There is a lot we can do to improve mathematics education in the elementary schools. Vote for me and let's work together to improve our children's education.
Robert
Miguel planted 4 different kinds of plants in his vegetable garden. The garden contains a total of 72 plants. Of the plants, 15 are tomato and 12 are squash. The remaining plants are either lettuce or cucumbers. The number of lettuce plants is twice the number of cucumber plants. How many lettuce plants are in Miguel's garden?
If you are comfortable with algebra, you can solve this in your head without pencil and paper. So, how many lettuce plants are there? Be the first to post the answer, but tell us if you used paper and pencil or if you are an engineer or mathematician!
How many 4th graders in a class of 20 do you think can solve this?
The children were given nine different strategies to try and guess the answer, but the glory of math is that you can be taught to solve problems and not have to guess.
One reason America ranks low in math when compared to the industrialized world is that we have flawed teaching strategies. Many ninth graders have trouble solving a problem like this at the beginning of the year, so the strategy is to show algebra to kids at earlier grades. No matter how early they shove this in the curriculum, the kids who have trouble with this in 8th and 9th grade still have trouble with it in 8th and 9th grade. Eventually this ends up in 4th, 3rd, and 2nd grade. Yes, I remember showing my son how to do algebra problems in 2nd grade. Why? He still doesn't know algebra in 4th grade. Grades 3 through 5 are too early to do algebra. It is a waste of classroom time and reinforces in some kids the idea that math is too hard for them.
The idea of pushing algebraic concepts into grades 3 through 5 is part of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, but not full-blown algebra problems. The problem I shared with you here is not like the example in the NCTM website for grades 3 - 5. PISD has mis-applied the concept.
There is a lot we can do to improve mathematics education in the elementary schools. Vote for me and let's work together to improve our children's education.
Robert
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Plano for the Presidency
You've heard me say earlier that Plano can and should develop good leaders for America.
Our current president came from Midland, Texas. Why can't a future president come from Plano, Texas?
As we educate our children, we should consider that one of our own could be President of the United States. I say we should bear that in mind as we teach our children. They need to know more than Algebra. They need the wisdom of History. President Harry Truman claimed his first source of political wisdom came from Plutarch, read to him by his father.
Studying Plutarch's Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans is how Truman's father helped shape Harry's character. History is a great way to teach character lessons, put in the context of real events. Good character is vital for good leaders. Heraclitus said, "A man's character is his fate," in his work On the Universe. This is often shortened to: Character is destiny.
David Hall is a candidate for the PISD Board, for Place 5. He talks about character education on his blog.
President Reagan said, "we've got to teach history," in his farewell address to the nation.
Truman said it. Reagan said it. I echo their wisdom. Let's educate our children as though one of them will lead America. Let's give America our very best.
Robert Canright
Our current president came from Midland, Texas. Why can't a future president come from Plano, Texas?
As we educate our children, we should consider that one of our own could be President of the United States. I say we should bear that in mind as we teach our children. They need to know more than Algebra. They need the wisdom of History. President Harry Truman claimed his first source of political wisdom came from Plutarch, read to him by his father.
Studying Plutarch's Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans is how Truman's father helped shape Harry's character. History is a great way to teach character lessons, put in the context of real events. Good character is vital for good leaders. Heraclitus said, "A man's character is his fate," in his work On the Universe. This is often shortened to: Character is destiny.
David Hall is a candidate for the PISD Board, for Place 5. He talks about character education on his blog.
President Reagan said, "we've got to teach history," in his farewell address to the nation.
Truman said it. Reagan said it. I echo their wisdom. Let's educate our children as though one of them will lead America. Let's give America our very best.
Robert Canright
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Karen Dillard and Student Scores
The College Board had threatened to cancel student scores, which was irresponsible talk. I had heard rumors the College Board was taking action against our children, but now it seems those rumors were unfounded.
Karen Dillard posted a copy of a court order on her company website that says, "The College Board hereby states that it will not ... make public statements about individual test takers...."
Parents and the school district should be concerned about our children's test scores.
Robert
Karen Dillard posted a copy of a court order on her company website that says, "The College Board hereby states that it will not ... make public statements about individual test takers...."
Parents and the school district should be concerned about our children's test scores.
Robert
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Plano ISD Sends Wrong Message About Theft
We need to rear up a new generation of leaders who will be better able to deal with the complexities of the world. Today's leaders are failing at every level: the local level, the state level, and the national level. Many failings are ethical failings, so we need to ensure our children are well grounded in good ethics.
But the Plano ISD is sending the wrong message to our children. The message the Plano ISD sends is that it is okay to steal if you have influential friends.
The Plano ISD named McCall Elementary after David McCall, even though he was a convicted felon.
On February 9 & 10, 2008, Channel 8, WFAA, reported that Plano ISD Assistant Superintendent Roxanne Burleson interfered with school discipline at Plano Senior High. The story run by Channel 8 can be found on their website when you search for "shoplifting cheerleaders." The school put the four JV cheerleaders off the squad and the PISD Administration put them back on the team. This constitutes a Moral Hazard for these cheerleaders. The Administration did not do them a favor by excusing their crime, it may have done them harm, according to the concept of Moral Hazard.
It is one thing for an Assistant Superintendent to make a mistake. People make mistakes. It's another thing for the Deputy Superintendent and Superintendent to both let the mistake stand. This means there is a systemic problem at the PISD Administration, and the Board of Trustees is responsible for systemic problems within the PISD Administration.
Back in June 2007 McKinney had their cheerleader scandal. There it was the school principals who interfered with discipline and it cost the McKinney North High School principal her job. Now that scandal is becoming immortalized in a TV movie about the scandal.
If we want our children to have the best future possible, they need firm grounding in good ethics. They should not be told by the PISD that stealing is okay if you have influential friends. We should vote out the incumbents on the Board of Trustees and set higher standards for the PISD Administration.
Robert
But the Plano ISD is sending the wrong message to our children. The message the Plano ISD sends is that it is okay to steal if you have influential friends.
The Plano ISD named McCall Elementary after David McCall, even though he was a convicted felon.
On February 9 & 10, 2008, Channel 8, WFAA, reported that Plano ISD Assistant Superintendent Roxanne Burleson interfered with school discipline at Plano Senior High. The story run by Channel 8 can be found on their website when you search for "shoplifting cheerleaders." The school put the four JV cheerleaders off the squad and the PISD Administration put them back on the team. This constitutes a Moral Hazard for these cheerleaders. The Administration did not do them a favor by excusing their crime, it may have done them harm, according to the concept of Moral Hazard.
It is one thing for an Assistant Superintendent to make a mistake. People make mistakes. It's another thing for the Deputy Superintendent and Superintendent to both let the mistake stand. This means there is a systemic problem at the PISD Administration, and the Board of Trustees is responsible for systemic problems within the PISD Administration.
Back in June 2007 McKinney had their cheerleader scandal. There it was the school principals who interfered with discipline and it cost the McKinney North High School principal her job. Now that scandal is becoming immortalized in a TV movie about the scandal.
If we want our children to have the best future possible, they need firm grounding in good ethics. They should not be told by the PISD that stealing is okay if you have influential friends. We should vote out the incumbents on the Board of Trustees and set higher standards for the PISD Administration.
Robert
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Shocked by Don Williams
The Dallas Morning News ran an Op Ed piece today by Bruce Katz and Don Williams, "We Need Washington." I am shocked to hear a Texan say "we need Washington."
Bruce Katz is with the Brookings Institute and Don Williams is the retired Chairman of Trammell Crow. I can understand the Brookings Institute wanting to spend our taxpayer dollars, but I would expect a Texan to have more faith in Texans than in Washington wonks.
Like all propaganda, the Op Ed piece mixes in some truth with a lot of baloney. Government is more often the source of problems rather than of solutions. Do you want another helping of No Child Left Behind? Would you like Washington to compound the sub-prime mortgage mess they created by not doing the regulation they were supposed to do?
For years my daily prayers for my children included requests that God protect my children from evil people, from fools, and from our government.
That Don Williams signed his name to this Op Ed piece is proof that Dallas leadership feels powerless to solve the problems it faces. I agree. That is why I am running for the Plano school board.
Our leaders cannot solve today's problems. Don Williams admits it. What we need to do is to rear up a new generation of leaders that is better educated and better grounded than today's leaders.
America used to have good leaders: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, and Abraham Lincoln. Plano can produce a new generation of leaders if we adjust the education we give our children.
The citizens of Plano need to take back our school board. To save our children's future we must resume control of their education. We can begin by voting out the incumbents.
Vote in the May 10th election.
Robert
Bruce Katz is with the Brookings Institute and Don Williams is the retired Chairman of Trammell Crow. I can understand the Brookings Institute wanting to spend our taxpayer dollars, but I would expect a Texan to have more faith in Texans than in Washington wonks.
Like all propaganda, the Op Ed piece mixes in some truth with a lot of baloney. Government is more often the source of problems rather than of solutions. Do you want another helping of No Child Left Behind? Would you like Washington to compound the sub-prime mortgage mess they created by not doing the regulation they were supposed to do?
For years my daily prayers for my children included requests that God protect my children from evil people, from fools, and from our government.
That Don Williams signed his name to this Op Ed piece is proof that Dallas leadership feels powerless to solve the problems it faces. I agree. That is why I am running for the Plano school board.
Our leaders cannot solve today's problems. Don Williams admits it. What we need to do is to rear up a new generation of leaders that is better educated and better grounded than today's leaders.
America used to have good leaders: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, and Abraham Lincoln. Plano can produce a new generation of leaders if we adjust the education we give our children.
The citizens of Plano need to take back our school board. To save our children's future we must resume control of their education. We can begin by voting out the incumbents.
Vote in the May 10th election.
Robert
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