Once upon a time, physicians would utilize a technique called bloodletting (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloodletting) to help cure patients with various diseases. Over time, this practice was proven to be more harmful than helpful, and thus it was abandoned. Physicians stopped practicing bloodletting, even though it was what they had always done, because they realized it was not working.
Why do we have such a difficult time with this thought process in education? The "Powers-To-Be" want to put harsher sanctions on school districts (not helping), give more and more assessments to students (which takes away instructional time) and make teachers and administrators more accountable (not always a bad thing) to motivate us. In response, school leaders break the budget on more technology, instructional and content consultants and illustrious keynote speakers, combined with one-and-done/"drive-by" professional development (this to shall pass) to inspire faculty to use best practice initiatives. All this to ensure no child is left behind. Is it working yet? Let's stop bloodletting!
Maybe, with the rapid changes of a more and more tech-savvy society, along with what research says about the way children think and learn today (http://www.21stcenturyschools.com/What_is_21st_Century_Education.htm)
maybe, just maybe we need to go deeper...to the root of the issue. Maybe, we need a systemic change! It is sad to think that with all of the many innovations that have improved our lives over the last 100 years: Antibiotics, Personal Computers, Speedo Swimwear (okay, maybe not that last one for all of us!), the basic structure and format of education has remained unchanged. Baskin-Robbins has 31 flavors of ice cream, yet the public school system is still pushing, for the most part, only vanilla. Some people are just not vanilla (50 Shades of Grey reference...for the ladies)! It is time we start really looking into incorporating some other "flavors" into the public education mainstream.
The "pockets of progress" that some school are experiencing (http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools) need to be celebrated and emulated if we really hope to make real, lasting, positive change to education. We all do not have to think "outside the box" to start making a difference in our schools, but thinking along the "edge of the box" (Seth Godin on creativity, http://lateralaction.com/articles/seth-godin) is a good start for some of those still holding onto the syringe (reference to bloodletting). It is beyond time to stop doing the same-old same-old simply because it is what we have always done!
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