Gov. McDonnell wants to make some changes to the Virginia educational system. In particular, he has been impressed by what he has seen in Asian schools. According to Newsadvance.com:
Driven by what he’s seen of education programs in Asian countries and other parts of the world, McDonnell said Virginia needs to step up its efforts. Those nations, he said, have “phenomenal education systems training people in math and science and technology.”
“I want to raise the bar,” McDonnell said. “I’d like to have more competition. I’d like to have more charter schools, more college laboratory schools, and more virtual schools. I’d like to find ways to increase our teaching of important life skills, from financial literacy to civics to business, so young people will have a sense of the broader things that are going to make them good citizens,” he said.
More money for K-12 schools isn’t necessarily the way to achieve his goals, he said.
“I am suggesting we may want to look at the ways we allocate that (money for K-12) and put it more directly into instructional programs and less in non-instructional ones,” he said.
I particularly approve of teaching important life skills. Too many young people don’t have them. Having good life skills helps one make wiser choices. However, it appears that McDonnell is being a wide-eyed liberal on some of these issues. Charter schools aren’t necessarily the answer. Perhaps he ought to eye schools like Pennington, right here in PWC. There are long waiting lists to go to Pennington. That tells me that more schools like Pennington are needed.
Good schools don’t function without money. McDonnell is kidding himself if he thinks that he can avoid dumping money into a school program he wants to change. In the first place, he needs to accept that the cost for educating those with specials needs can triple and quadruple per pupil spending. Special needs can be any student who has special needs: mental or physical handicaps, minority, economic disadvantaged, Limited English proficiency, learning disabilities….the list goes on. Schools have been mandated to provide for these students so there is no avoiding compliance. The best intentions to slash a budget will run head long into the reality of mandates.
Asian schools produce good academic results BUT…they have come under much criticism for falling short on creating good emotional health. Naturally we hear about extremes with kindergarteners commiting suicide and Tiger Mothers practically devouring their children. The real issue is that Asian countries are very homogenious and many are cultures that highly value academic education.
The United States is a melting pot in theory but often cultures and ethnicities maintain their own cultural values. Not all value academic education the same and there is no shame attached to not valuing education in many of our various sub-cultures. One can see the difference in values just roaming around the Old Dominion. Different regions have different values. Therefore, trying to fit a lot of square pegs in round holes is simply not going to work. McDonnell would fare better if he attempted to create world class vocational training side by side with world class academic programs. Not everyone is going to go to college.
Meanwhile, McDonnell should be asking why so many students from Asian countries line up to attend Virginia’s colleges and universities. We must be doing something right. He should lobby the federal Powers That Be to allow those educated here to remain here and use their Virginia education to serve Virginia, rather than wisking those students away once they graduate.
In Japan, the kids go to public school until age 20. They aren’t legal adults until then either. For better or worse, what you have are kids leaving the public schools with more years of education, and a bit more mature. As a general rule, a young Japanese adult is much less likely to go on to college, than their American peers are. But, those last two years of public education would put them on par with an American who has an associates degree. Much more ready to enter the professional workforce at the entry level, and not crushed with the huge debt that an American college grad would have when entering the workforce. Also, a college degree isn’t a “Must” to enter the white collar world their either. Many go straight from secondary school to become “salaryman” (there’s a japanese word I can’t rememeber that literally means “salary man”). But, in defence of the American system, the education received in a 4-year American college is far superior to that received from a Japanese university. Basically, what t
Thanks, Steve. I was unaware of subsidized community college.
Let’s for the sake of argument, move that plan to Virginia for a moment. Students are enough of a problem as it is, at least those who don’t want to be in school. Many of ours drop out at age 16 and 17 rather than the legal age to drop out which is 18. I have never understood that. I guess that is one of those laws that never got enforced. I also never understood why the legislators would want youth are are being PITAs to remain in school. I guess it was another one of those disconnects, like mandated 150 minutes of PE a week with no place to have it.
I would like to see adulthood go back to age 21. It gives a cooling off period where parents allegedly have control. On the other hand, I am not sure parents really have control anyway any more so perhaps my statement was just a waste of keystrokes.
In short, the Japanese have what apparently works for them. They have a very different social structure than we do. I don’t think that plan would work here. McDonnell has good intentions but just lacks the exposure to see some of the real pitfalls.
the japanese have done is bolt “community college” on to the k-12 system, make it mandatory, and publically funded.
I think Gov. Bob does a pretty good job but putting all of those numbers out there in such a simple fashion does a disservice to the debate. It’s not intellectually honest. I expect that salary increases are included in that number….is spending for transportation normalized? Gas didn’t cost $4 a gallon 10 years ago either. What about the barrage of tests we’ve implemented? We now test students to see exactly how hard a test they can succeed on and then there’s the state tests and the federal tests. Those aren’t free….What ailes our schools and seperates other, more succesful districts is simple: an unending demand for excellence no matter what your capabilities are. We promote kids grade to grade even when they haven’t achieved the requirements. It’s called social promotion and it’s common. I know it happens in Manassas and I’d be shocked if it wasn’t in PWC as well.
Steve’s point about community college is well-taken and a similar system is evolving here but it’s almost in spite of the established order, not because of it.
I love the smell of unfunded mandates in the morning…..
@Moon-howler
Moon,
All of the points you raised are quite valid, and considering your career as an educator, I would be hard pressed to dispute them if I disagreed. I think the Japanese have a culture that makes this work. Our culture pushes kids to “maturity” much faster. In Japan, immaturity is actually valued. Trust me. I’ve been to enough Japanese clubs and met enough Japanese girls who were decked out in their Salior Moon and Hello Kitty actionware. Got the little girls pig-tails and speak in a child-like fashion. But on the other hand, a great deal of attention is paid to honor and reputation. Teens failing in school or engaging in otherwise rebellious behavior are considered “shameful” to their families. Young adults who want to hang out and do nothing are also considered shameful.
@Moon-howler
Moon,
All of the points you raised are quite valid, and considering your career as an educator, I would be hard pressed to dispute them if I disagreed. I think the Japanese have a culture that makes this work. Our culture pushes kids to “maturity” much faster. In Japan, immaturity is actually valued. Trust me. I’ve been to enough Japanese clubs and met enough Japanese girls who were decked out in their Salior Moon and Hello Kitty actionware. Got the little girls pig-tails and speak in a child-like fashion. But on the other hand, a great deal of attention is paid to honor and reputation. Teens failing in school or engaging in otherwise rebellious behavior are considered “shameful” to their families. Young adults who want to hang out and do nothing are also considered shameful.
If I recall correctly from my middle school years in Japan, and this may have changed, my Japanese friends went to school M-F and attended a cram school on Sat. All year long. HS students in Japan either test into a university or test out into salaried jobs. Those who could not test into a university in Japan often found a place in a university in either Europe or the US if their parents had the money. Test scores in Japan are a big deal, and many schools when I was there publicly posted the test scores of their students, individually. Those who make it into a Japanese university, it’s pretty easy going after what the students dealt with from Pre K thru graduation. Also, in Japan, adolesence continues a bit longer…there is an acceptable bit of fun 20 somethings are allowed to have until they are expected to buckle down, get a job or get married.
@Andy you are right right right! Its the unfunded mandates that are killing things. Education isn’t getting worse. The population is getting more challenging and NOTHING is ever good enough.
@Steve,
When I was a kid, for the most part kids behaved in school. They didn’t steal or cheat or talk back because if they did, it was a horrible reflection on one’s parents. Your behavior socially disgraced them if it wasn’t up to snuff. That kind of public misbehavior was a social indicator. Having honor was also popular then. I am not sure kids had rights then. If we did, I am not sure what they were.
I know my parents didn’t always agree with my teachers but I never knew about it until much later in life. I probably still don’t know all about it and I won’t ever.
That is neat that Japanese kids aren’t in a huge hurry to grow up. They also revere their grandparents. The elderly aren’t throw-aways.
My uncle spend several years in Japan after WWII. He had a high regard for that society. My mother never saw his point of view but she never forgave Pearl Harbor or the Bataan Death march.