Five ways to fix public education

There are several concepts our legislature can use to dramatically improve public education. We mention only five that could have an immediate impact:

1. Redirect the huge expenditure for mass testing to lower class sizes, attract and retain great teachers and make first-class library/media centers in each school.

2. Stop requiring high school students to take courses in which they have no interest. Teachers now spend an inordinate amount of time controlling students who do not want to be in their classes.

3. Expect teachers in primary grades to help students learn to read in ways that do not destroy the desire to read. Redirect the money spent on commercial reading programs to buy high quality reading material for school libraries.

4. Change the main goal and purpose of public education from "student achievement in curriculum" to this higher purpose: "develop students to be contributors to society." This goal results in children being empowered with the talents, skills, knowledge and desire to make positive contributions to school, home and community.

5. Make provision for teachers to be more than test givers, but to perform as professionals who involve parents and make decisions about guiding each child to develop a full range of their unique talents, gifts, abilities and interests. Use more art, music and science as avenues to individual development. Stop trying to standardize students. Kristine Keafer

Elgin