Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Riley Institute reports a consensus: Was I part of the same study?

The Riley Institute promoted the results of a recent study of public education:

Researchers were surprised not only at the high degree of agreement on what should be done but also at the passion for education reform expressed by the superintendents, principals, teachers, school board members, students, parents and business leaders who participated.
Here's how I reported at the time on my experience in a group session of the Riley Institute project.

Saturday I was in a seminar organized by Furman's Richard Riley Institute, and a superintendent of a school district in South Carolina said we need to "implode the current system at its core and start over." This wasn't some radical Republican politician running for office who knows nothing about education. This was a public school district superintendent in the trenches every day trying to educate students. In the room were six other public school teachers and one superintendent, and they all agreed. There is tremendous, pent up entrepreneurial energy in principals and teachers in South Carolina who understand what the problems are and desperately want to take ownership of and accountability for creative solutions.
I ws stunned to read that the Riley Institute reported there was a strong consensus. Maybe I participated in a different study than they reported on.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hey there, maybe they are saying that there was strong agreement about "imploding the system" . . .
; > )

Sarah