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To: York Porter, School Board Member
The following is submitted in reply to your request for
specific ideas for improvement of the school system:
An excellent education is essential to each of us as individuals
and to our children. It is only though education that we can
achieve all that we are capable of achieving and have as happy
and fulfilling a life as possible. Education is necessary to
gain economic independence, philosophical value systems, and
cultural appreciation.
An excellent educational system is also essential to our
nation. The strength of a democracy is dependent on intelligent
informed voters and skillful, well-trained workers.
It is my belief that to get excellence in education, it will be
necessary that we have a statement of objectives and plans for
our educational system on which the majority can agree. This
can be formulated only with a lot of public discussion and
compromise on divergent view points.
The following pages contain my ideas of problems and proposals
for some guiding principles for the school system in Clinton
County, Kentucky. They are submitted with the hope that they
can act as a starting place for the type of discussions
necessary and that they can eventually be expanded and modified
to become the statement of purpose and planning framework that
can guide our school system toward improvements now and in the
future.
__________________________
Duane Bristow
Albany, Kentucky
(606) 387-5884
March 23, 1992
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Observations about the Clinton County School System
by Duane Bristow, (606) 387-5884
February 23, 1992
The purpose of an educational system is to give students the
life skills necessary to enable them to lead happy, productive,
and useful lives. This means they must develop communication,
social, vocational and study skills, learn the essence of their
culture, and get a good working knowledge of math and science.
In general a high school graduate should be well prepared either
for college, trade school, or entering the job market or the
military. He should also have a knowledge of his culture and
the social and family skills necessary to live a satisfying
life. The job done by the Clinton County school system in
preparing students is not at all adequate, either in comparison
to what is needed or to what is possible or to the job done by
many other school systems in the nation and the world.
This is because there is no overall commitment by school
officials and employees, parents, students, and the community in
general to a well defined and accepted set of educational goals
and to a plan for achieving those goals. As a result there is
no sense of continuity, high expectations, pride, or
accomplishment in the educational process. The present purpose
of the system seems to be to hire as many local people as
possible to staff classrooms in which as many children as
possible will spend the required number of days for 12 years of
their life and to call the result an educated person. The
emphasis is on employment, baby sitting, and sports.
Students entering high school lack adequate motivation,
discipline, and preparation to learn. This is because that we
do not instill a sense of purpose and love of learning in the
first eight grades and we do not give students the necessary
study skills and basic background knowledge. Many students
therefore, instead of viewing school as a window on the world
which can shed light on their lives, see it as a dungeon in
which they are sentenced to kill time while awaiting adulthood.
We have a tendency to destroy the young child's natural
curiosity instead of encouraging it.
Our school system is run for the benefit of the employees not
for the benefit of the students. To some degree courses are
offered in the high school based on what teachers want to teach
rather than on a plan for offering what students need to learn.
Employee salaries are raised based on the maximum amount
available to give. The purpose of employee raises should be to
attract and keep high quality employees and to reward good and
outstanding performance. Budget considerations should be given
first to student needs, then to employee raises, not vice versa.
Recently employees were being given large raises while 6, 7, and
8 year old children were sent door to door selling candy to raise
money to buy equipment for the school playground. Very seldom,
if ever, has our school system made a conscious effort to
recruit teachers with the skills and background needed for a
perceived student need. Rather jobs have been created for local
people who needed a job. The present system of assigning bus
drivers for field trips is based on rotating drivers to be fair
to the drivers, not on choosing the best driver for a specific
trip with the safety of the children in mind. Many other
examples could be given.
Examples of the lack of high expectations abound. Children are
not provided soap in the bathrooms when they wash their hands.
I have observed students at the high school at the end of the
day taking down the American flag. Once I saw them fold it into
a cocked hat and carry it reverently into the school. On other
occasions I have seen them use the flag for a tug of war, drag
in on the ground, wad it up, or simply throw it over their
shoulder to carry it into the building. At most schools many
teachers race the children at the end of the day to be the first
to leave the school parking lot.
Students come to high school unprepared. While in high school
they do not have access to the proper courses, an adequate
variety of stimulating courses, or courses offering enough
detail. In almost all courses the students do not even complete
the text book during the school year. This is because they are
not prepared or expected to work hard enough to do so and
because it is usually not one of the teacher's goals. I doubt if
there is any serious goal as to what the student is supposed to
learn in most courses. More likely, the goal is simply that the
students spend so many days studying the subject. Teachers are
often not adequately trained in the subject they are teaching.
Tests are usually designed to be easy enough for most students
to pass not as a goal or standard for which to strive. Very
little and usually superficial homework is given. The emphasis
is on memorizing and parroting back facts, not on hands on
experience in the subject field. There is very little challenge
for good students.
Our schools were criticized several years ago because students'
scores on statewide achievement tests were low. Since then I
think I have noticed a disturbing tendency to emphasize tests
and test taking, perhaps at the expense of learning the subject
material. I submit that memorizing facts in order to pass a
multiple choice or true false test is not the same thing as
becoming a master of subject material. We would probably do
better to emphasize hands on, small group research projects,
simulations, essays and papers, essay type tests, outlining,
thinking, problem solving, and grades based more on daily
evidence of mastery of the subject material rather than tests.
I am afraid we are in danger of graduating students who know
full well who wrote the Declaration of Independence and when he
did it but have not the foggiest notion of why the heck he did
it nor of its significance.
When my older son went to college he found that many kids from
other school systems were much better prepared than he was even
though he had been an A student in high school. He found that
he had been taught less and graded easier than many other
students. As a result he feels that our local educational
system has failed him. I hope that each principal in each of
our schools is fully aware of the type of teaching job being
done by each teacher. I hope they are commending and
recommending higher pay for the best ones and I hope they are
helping and counseling the worst ones.
The two most important things a teacher can do are to motivate
the student to learn and to give him the study skills to do so.
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Fundamental skills needed by a high school graduate
as envisioned by Duane Bristow, Philom.
Albany, Kentucky
(606) 387-5884
CIS 72711,1414
BBS (606) 387-4002
1. Ability to think, learn, & communicate
Logic & propaganda - problem solving -- 1 unit
scientific methods
american judicial system
advertising & propaganda analysis
elementary rules of logic
Research & study skills & writing --
libraries |
interviews | 1 unit
computer use |
writing skills |
Humanities - philosophy & religion |
Purpose of life |
Answers given by the major religions |
philosophical thought --
Public speaking & presentations
speaking
visual & other aids
how to win friends & influence people
debate
Media studies
influence of TV, Radio, newspapers
how are they structured?
Statistics
How to do the math and interpret statistics
Use and misuse of statistics
hands on statistical studies
2. Cultural awareness
World History -- 1 unit
American History -- 1 unit
Government & political science -- 1 unit
Literature -- 2 units
Art -- 1/2 unit
Music -- 1/2 unit
Drama
Foreign language(s)
Geography
Economics
Environmental issues
Social issues
3. Science skills any 4 units
Biology with lab at least one
Chemistry with lab with lab
Physics with lab
Astronomy
Geology
Psychology
Sociology
Human physiology
4. Math skills any 3 units
Algebra I & II
Geometry
Trigonometry
Calculus
Computer Science
5. Life skills
Sex education, family life -- 1 unit
Health, drugs -- 1/2 unit
P.E., sports -- 1/2 unit
Driver's education -- 1/2 unit
Touch typing (could be taught by computer) -- 1/2 unit
Business Mgt. & Accounting -- 1 unit
6. Vocational skills
Agriculture
Home Economics
Photography
Journalism
Office management & office machines
etc.
The schools should emphasize learning by doing. There should be
a number of projects in each department designed to immerse the
student in the learning process usually in a group situation and
usually involving extra work outside the classroom both during
and after regular school hours. We should do away with multiple
choice and true/false tests as well as test grading machines.
Grades should be based on the student's daily work, research
papers and essay type tests. Communication skills including
speaking, writing, reading comprehension and preparation of
visual aids should be emphasized in all classes. Technology and
application to the student's daily life should be utilized in
all departments. Projects carried out by learning groups of 3
to 8 students should be designed so that the active
participation of all students is necessary to accomplish
objectives. Learning occurs almost exclusively through
experience and through reflection on that experience.
Each student should come to school each morning with high
expectations of the work to be done, the knowledge to be gained
and the school environment. He should leave each evening with a
feeling that there is more to be done and to be learned and he
should continue work at home or in groups with other schoolmates
on projects begun that day. These projects should result by the
next day in a number of questions for the learning facilitators
and with plans for the students exploring answers for
themselves.
Each teacher should have a detailed and written outline for each
class stating the goals of the class as far as material to be
covered and mastered by each student as well as criteria for
determining when and to what extent each student has mastered
the material. This should be supplemented by detailed lesson
plans for teaching each unit of the material. The plans should
include essays and term papers, text book use, class exercises,
outside research materials and activities and expected time
required to cover each unit. All these individual class plans
should be reviewed by principals and staff planning committees
so that they are integrated into the school district goals and
plans. These plans should then be reviewed and revised as
necessary during and at the end of each school year to ensure
continuous improvement.
Fundamental Principles:
Educators should be involved in education at least 90% of their
time.
School support functions including bookkeeping, transportation,
food, and maintenance do not require educators and should be
supervised by experts in these respective fields.
Principals and administrative educators including the school
superintendent should spend their time innovating, improving,
and supervising the educational process and should not be
directly involved in support functions except for making
requests of needed services or changes from support function
personnel and, in the case of the superintendent, providing
direct supervision of a Business Manager.
The Business Manager should be a business management professional.
It is necessary that there be vastly improved lines of
communication between the administrative staff and the general
public, parents, teachers, students, etc.
Change attitudes of pupils and parents toward the schools
starting at 1st grade. Emphasize:
a. Learning is fun. (motivation) (the world is a mystery and
we learn to solve it through education)
Success is a satisfying life derived from knowledge.
b. How to learn (study skills).
c. Reading and Writing (communication skills)
d. Cooperative effort between schools, students, parents, community.
e. We can do it if we believe we can. (Our school system can be
the best in the state.)
f. School behavior will be proper. No tolerance of:
1. Disrespect toward teachers.
2. Disrespect or improper behavior toward fellow students.
3. Destruction of school property.
4. Uncivilized behavior. Littering, unflushed commodes,
throwing food, etc.
Questions & notes:
What should be the ground rules for school field
trips? What are their advantages? What are their
disadvantages? Should they be encouraged
or discouraged by the system?
What should be the place of sports, band, choir,
academic and other clubs, and other extracurricular
activities in the school? What about academic teams?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of all
these? What should the ground rules be?
In what ways should teachers be held accountable for
their performance? What should be the rules for
rewards for good performance? How should poor
performance be handled? How should performance be
evaluated?
How much should homework, other outside class work, summer
reading programs, etc. be stressed? What are the problems and
advantages of these?
In what ways can the teacher's schedule be changed to allow
cooperative planning among teachers and exposure by teachers to
new and different teaching methods?
What are our needs regarding research materials and
opportunities?
We have 175 days of instruction per school year ?
After graduation follow-up - college and job success rates
ungraded education ?
Sex education
cooperation among teachers, parents, etc.
cooperative learning & hands on learning
grades, tests, goals, course contents
curriculum and subjects - graduation requirements
textbooks
technology
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Examples of school projects:
To prevent the dry memorization of facts and parroting
them back which turns so many students off to the educational
process the following examples of projects are offered. I'm
sure a brain storming session could come up with many others. A
cooperative effort among teachers and involvement by the parents
and the entire community would be necessary.
History:
Use a video camera to record oral history interviews of
local people and create an ongoing series of these interviews on
video tape in the library.
With the Art department create a mosaic time-line of
American History all along one wall of a high school hall.
Include items of Kentucky History and local history as
appropriate. Display items used in the past but no longer
common. This same idea could, of course, be applied to World
history, or European history or Chinese history.
Research projects, oral presentations, group written
essays along with visual aids for various periods of history
including viewing movies such as Ken Burns, "The Civil War"
series, etc.
Outside reading and book reports on well written
biographies of historical figures.
Encouragement of additional research on any time period
in which the class shows unusual interest.
Essays on the student's impression of daily life for a
person of a certain age and occupation at a specified time and
place in the past.
Develop and present plays about specific historical
occurrences. This should involve the drama department.
Math:
Use the pythagorean theorem to measure the distance
across a stream or other unreachable area.
Use similiar triangles to measure the height of a tree.
Let various students groups measure the height of 30
people selected at random from the population. Do a statistical
analysis of the data stratified by age and sex. Discuss
conclusions which can be drawn and how valid they are likely to
be.
Survey the school grounds and calculate the area in
acres.
Set up time and distance problems. Calculate the
speed of automobiles passing the school grounds.
With the social studies class measure the flow of a
stream and calculate its suitablity as a water supply for the
town. Calculate the population that it could supply and the
effect on the stream of doing so.
Put a much greater emphasis on reading problems in math so that
the student is forced to think of applications of what he has
learned.
Social Studies:
Assign student groups to take each side on any
controversial issue now in the news media, do research, and
conduct a public debate on the issue.
Give out play money and let student groups do economic
research and design a strategy to invest in the stock market for
a two month period following up with stock market prices from
the newspaper each day. See which group can make the best return
on investment.
Assume that Lake Cumberland disappears overnite. Assign
student groups to find the best alternative water source for the
community, other student groups to determine costs and find
financing methods, other groups to consider environmental
impacts, etc.
Assume that the County Government is given free of
charge a 100 acre tract of land near Albany. Assign student
groups to make arguments for using the land for recreation,
industry, education, housing, and other uses. Let them do
research and develop arguments to present to the fiscal court.
Finish with an actual presentation to a mock fiscal court which
must decide the issue.
Design a computerized Sim City with the largest possible
population.
English:
Sponsor a school newspaper complete with editor,
reporters, columnists, sales staff, etc. Publish monthly.
Put on talent contests including readings of original
poetry, comedy skits, excerpts from popular movies and plays,
musical renditions (with music department) etc.
.....continue here with examples from other departments:...........
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A Student's Creed
I am a student of the Clinton County School System. This means
that I can be proud because I am better than the other people I
will come in contact with throughout life. I am better because
I was given a better start in life due to the determination of
my family, people in my community, and the leaders of my school
system to give me the highest possible quality of education.
Therefore if I go on to higher education or a professional
career I will be able to succeed and excel. If I join the
military, I will be one of the best soldiers and one of the
first to be promoted. If I become a part of the labor force I
will be a leader, a hard worker, and the worker showing the most
initiative. If I become a businessman, I will, not only be
successful, but I will also be an asset to my community always
making it better than when I found it. If I become a secretary,
or a housewife or a politician or an explorer or any of the
hundreds of other opportunities open to me, I will always excel.
I can be proud because I come from a school system and a
community with the highest standards. A place where everyone is
expected to be neat and clean in personal habits, respectful of
and tolerant of the rights of others, respectful of both public
and private property always caring for the property of others as
if it were my own. A place where there is a love of life and of
learning to reach the highest potential of each individual. A
place where there is a tradition of hard work to achieve lofty
goals. A place where expectations are not for us to be as good
as anyone but to be better. A place where we are provided with
the very best teachers and faculty who teach us more and expect
more of us than in other school systems.
I can be sure of myself and confident of my beliefs, my
standards, and my future success because I know that my school
system gave me an excellent background in:
Philosophy so that I could decide what life is about and what I
want out of life and be motivated to work to get it.
Health, hygiene and social relations so that I can live a long
and healthy life, have good manners and get along well with
others.
Study skills so that I know how to do research and learn the
things I do not know.
Language, composition, and oral communications skills as well as
public relations so that I can communicate effectively with
others.
Mathematics and logic so that I am adept at abstract thought and
am able to see mathematical and quantitative relationships.
History, geography and social studies so that I can have a sense
of perspective of my place in the vast scheme of the universe.
Science so that I know how things work together and so that I
know how to obtain knowledge.
Literature, poetry, music, drama and art so that I will be aware
of and appreciate my cultural heritage.
Physical education and sports so that I have a strong and healty
body and am aware of the value of hard work, practice, and
teamwork for success.
In my behavior both now and throughout my life I will always
strive to bring honor and never dishonor to my family, my school
and my community. I will always work to and expect to succeed
and, if in some things I fail, I will hold my head high and
determine to learn from the experience and do better in the
future. I will know that my successes are due to my abilities
and my hard work and that my failures will never be because I
did not do my best. I will always live so that others will be
impressed by the example I set and so that I am always an asset
and never a liability to any group of which I am a part.
In the Clinton County School System our sports and academic
teams are always present for practice, listen to their coaches,
and work hard so that they can usually win. And if we play
another team and, through some freak accident of nature, lose,
we will so impress the other team and their fans with our good
sportsmanship, our polite behavior, our neat dress, the
cleanliness and quality of our team bus or, if at home, our
school facilities, that they will remember for a very long time
the fact that they played us and the hard game we gave them.
Clinton County School students love to learn and expect to work
hard at the process. It is common to spend at least two hours
every night on homework. If enough homework is not available
most students will work on extra credit projects assigned by the
teachers at the beginning of each school year and thereby learn
more. After twelve years of school in this system then, we will
all have been exposed to more education than students from any
comparable school systems.
Please send comments to: Duane Bristow (72711.1414@compuserve.com)