Lesson in and beyond the classroom

Though I did not know teacher advocate Tom Mooney and his sudden death at 52 is a sad loss, it certainly should serve as a moment for us to reflect on the situation regarding our educational system in America and the impact it has on our strength and position in the world.

As we all look to leaving a stronger and more competitive America for our children, a couple of things that stick out in studies that discuss US falling in education ranks is how students are taught in the classroom and how society reflects priority of education. When kids are taught the procedure, and not the concept behind a subject, they tend to forget more quickly. Also when glamorization of only sports and entertainment reaches levels where we easily identify the top schools in terms of sport teams and have to struggle with which schools and very importantly students reflect our brightest and most knowledgeable, its adverse impacts cannot be denied.

In a 2003 study conducted by UNICEF that took the averages from five different international education studies, the researchers ranked the United States No. 18 out of 24 nations in terms of the relative effectiveness of its educational system. The dropout rate in the USA is the highest among developed nations. It has a low literacy rate as compared to other developed countries with a ranking below average in science and mathematics understanding.

Though we most certainly need well rounded students, we also need a renewed focus on developing intellect, being competitive in our educational success, and rewarding students and educators who are leading this challenge. This can much more readily happen when our role models and heroes reflect these priorities. Can you identify the educators who are your ‘heroes’ and how did they impact your lives?