21st Century Parents for 21st Century Schools

Welcome to the 21st Century Parents for 21st Century Schools blog http://parents21.blogspot.com/

As a parent of two students in the MCPS, I have more than a passing interest in the success of the 21st Century initiative. And likely it will be up to the parents to make sure the implementation is both a reality and successful in its goals.

Although there has been a considerable effort by the MCPS 21st Century committee to both inform and include parents, much of the initial work on the initiative was somewhat ambiguous and hard to jump into the conversation already in progress. There are likely many reasons for a generally low amount of parental involvement during the design phase, but it is my opinion that as the project is implemented across the MCPS, then parental involvement is critical in order to maintain the momentum of change, and provide the personalized input that only parents can.

The other day, my third grade son casually described how the time was filled as the viruses were being removed from the school’s computers. Earlier, he described how much time was wasted waiting for the computers to boot up, and then restart after crashing while trying to log on to the network. What makes this move from funny, to sad, to angering is that my sixth grade daughter had the same complaints when she was in third grade.

It is my hope that the MCPS vision for 21st century education will be implemented expeditiously. Any 21st vision worth its salt must be nimble, transparent, and responsive. It cannot be an old-school hardbound action plan rolling out a checklist for the next ten years. A 21st century education is more than technology. It is more than content. It includes skills, philosophies, understandings, and environments. Although the events of the world right now are catching governments off-guard, they should not be surprising since they are simply scaled up versions of what we see everyday.

Students cannot be manufactured in an assembly line fashion according to historical traditions. Too many students are disenfranchised, discriminated against, and discouraged by our current system and its methods. Much of the educational failure of the past was grounded in a one-size-fits-all model often driven top down and without remorse for those who did not fit the traditional stereotype of an American student. You know, the perfect kid in the 1950’s TV shows and movies.

However, the 21st Century initiative will provide a rich playground for change where all students are equally important, and provided the their necessary avenue for success. But teachers are not the only experts here. Parents must be involved if this implementation is going to allow the positive and necessary change we hope it will. In fact, parents may be the main force necessary to make it successful. So with all this in mind, I encourage you to join the dialog, share your dreams, and let your voice be heard.

It is also my hope that the successes and interesting observations can be shared here. Parents will see a side of this initiative outside the school walls, and those insights need to be shared if we truly are 21st Parents for 21st Century Schools.

http://parents21.blogspot.com/