“Race to the Top” draft missing two big trends

Now I’m really worried. Close to 100 Oregon educational leaders, know as the Race to the Top Design Team and Working Groups, have meet intensively for six weeks to develop the “Recommendations Draft/ Oregon RTTP Design Team” (11/9/09, here). The focus of the federal grants is to get underperforming schools and students to do better. I agree we must do that, but simultaneously we must improve foreign language programs so our students can compete in a global economy and we must utilize technology, mainly online capacities, to cut costs and improve learning. Neither improving foreign language programs nor increasing online education is mentioned in the draft. These are not small oversights.

So, what can one say about these 100 educational leaders? That they do not understand the global economy, the rise of China and the explosive economic growth of emerging markets?  That they just have not connected these global trends to Oregon’s educational system?  That they do not recognized the cost saving potential of online education? That the politics of Oregon’s educational system make any significance change, however much needed, impossible? So impossible that need changes are not mentioned, proposed or discussed.

If this is the best our K-12 educational leaders can do, we are in deep trouble. They are missing two big trends that are reshaping the world and education.

I did email the members of the Design Team on 8/2/09 urging them to invigorate foreign language programs in Oregon. Nothing that I emailed them is reflected in this latest draft.

This is the recommendation part of what I emailed the Design Team in August:

(1) Create a Go Global High School Study Abroad Program: Permit the state and local school districts to pay for high school students to study abroad through existing programs like AFS and ASSE. HB 2719 in the 2009 session was an initial effort to create the legal and administrative structure for such a program. Requires no additional federal, state or local funds to implement. No other state has this program.

(2) Expand the number of immersion language programs that begin in kindergarten. Emphasize Mandarin.

(3) Expand online, correspondence and software based (like Rosetta Stone) foreign language learning (and crediting) opportunities for Oregon students. Especially for students in small districts without foreign language programs. And especially, even in large districts, for minor languages like Urdu, Pashto, Korean, Indonesian, Arabic, etc.

(3) Expand high school Mandarin offering.

(4) Create scholarships for summer study in China for high school students. Let me suggest piloting two demonstration projects: (a) A three-week, Confucius Center program: PSU’s Confucius Center provides three summer weeks of language study in China for high school students paid for by the Chinese government. Students live together in hotels. Students now have to pay for international travel. Unlimited number of students can go. State should pay for international travel to maximize program use. (b) A four weeks or more, live with a family immersion program: There are existing intensive language schools in China offering homestays with Chinese families. Summer programs for high school students should be created and funded.

(5) Expand high school heritage language class opportunities for native speakers (spoken in home or as an immigrant) of foreign languages, especially Mandarin.

Again, none of this is reflected in the current draft Race to the Top Proposal. Please make it better!

 

 

 

Comments

[Mark (Oregon Connections Academy parent)]

Reminds me of a phrase I learned from Jewish friends during the two decades I lived in New York City: "From your mouth to God's ears".

I cannot see any down side to implementing your suggestions vis-a-vis Oregon public education.

Kudos.

[buy viagra]

Racing to the top is important but also to don't miss the point.
thanks for sharing

[lacoste shoes]

Where there is life, there is hope. I feel strongly that I can make it.

[Pandora Bracelets]

s like AFS and ASSE. HB 2719 in the 2009 session was an initial effort to create the legal and administrative structure for such a program. Requires no addi

[christian louboutin]

Create scholarships for summer study in China for high school students. Let me suggest piloting two demonstration projects: (a) A three-week, Confucius Center program: PSU’s Confucius Cente

[Pandora Charms]

ogram: PSU’s Confucius Center provides three summer weeks of language study in China for high school students paid for by the Chinese government. Students live together in hotels. Students now have to pay for international travel. Unlimited nu