I found the report A Nation at Risk, such an interesting read! A Nation at Risk was a report put out in 1983 reporting the state of public schools. It was put out by Terrel H. Bell, Ronald Reagan’s Secretary of State after 18 months of work and with an 18 member committee. After giving some background information on the report there were several recommendations made by the committee to improve academics in the public school system. Some of the recommendations are good, but don’t really give any information of how to implement them, so practically, the suggestions are not useful; especially since the suggestions seem like common sense (although maybe it is still a good idea to put them in writing). Here is an example of a recommendation without any practical “how to”, “The time available for learning should be expanded through better classroom management and organization of the school day. If necessary, additional time should be found to meet the special needs of slow learners, the gifted, and others who need more instructional diversity than can be accommodated during a conventional school day or school year” (National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983, pp. 1-2). Really this is a great suggestion, but HOW? That is the big question and it is still the same question that gets asked today. There are lots of schools with systems setup to try to achieve this; I wonder if the suggestions would be the same if the report was put out now…?
Another recommendation, which I wholeheartedly stand behind is, “Administrative burdens on the teacher and related intrusions into the school day should be reduced to add time for teaching and learning” (National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983, pp. 1-2). I have been a classroom teacher and I have been a support staff (a resource room teacher) and I have always felt that the job of a school is to educate students and those that work closest with students should be supported most, which means the teachers. This recommendation states just that as being a way to help your students become more successful.
Both of the following recommendations, I think, go hand in hand and are integral parts to increasing the success of our students: “Persons preparing to teach should be required to meet high educational standards. Salaries for the teaching profession should be increased and should be professionally competitive, market-sensitive, and performance-based” (National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983, pp. 1-2).
National Commission on Excellence in Education (1983). A nation at risk: The imperative for educational reform. Washington, DC: United States Department of Education.
rebeccaaf 