A recent post in the Democratic and Chronicle website makes a great point. With all the banter and discussion between educators, administrators, parents and politicians happening over the topic of education reform, there has been one group of people largely left out of the loop.
Our kids, in all levels of school, will be the direct and intended recipients of any reform legislation currently or in the future, therefore it makes sense that they be given the details of laws that can have a direct effect on their education and potential.
Keep it Simple
Although legislation can be complicated, secondary school students often have a better understanding than parents, and even legislators, about the real impact that changes in schools and education guidelines can have. What a great lesson in civics! Allow secondary students to discuss and assess the proposed changes and goals.
Primary students can also surprise us with their abilities to understand the problems and potential solutions embedded in legislation. Older primary students can be provided with differing viewpoints on how to address issues in schools. They can engage in a guided discussion and debate about the relevant points.
Both groups of students can be encouraged to write their legislators a letter and express their opinions.
Talk it Out
Find out where our kids stand on education reform. Where needed, help them to understand the scale of the matters being discussed, for them, for their school and for the country. By empowering them to understand how decisions about education reform can impact their lives, it is possible that we can further education reform and improve our students’ understanding of how democracy works as well.
Posted By: Paul Adams
Thursday, July 29th 2010 at 2:53PM
You can also
click
here to view all posts by this author...
