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GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — The job for schools used to be simpler — teach the basics of arithmetic, reading and writing.
And then starting around the beginning of the 20th century, business leaders and politicians decided to use schools for social engineering to get kids ready for the workplace for the first generation of the Industrial Age, said Jamie Vollmer, guest speaker at School District 51's seventh annual community partnership luncheon.
As low-skilled jobs have disappeared, the model no longer applies, Vollmer said. In 1967, 77 percent of all workers in America worked in low-skilled jobs. Today that number is down 12 percent, he said.
The system is designed to select and sort young people into two groups — those going on to higher education, and everybody else, he said.
“Select and sort we do with a vengeance,” Vollmer said.
Children learn differently; they are wired differently; and biases in the system favors certain kinds of learners, he said.
Vollmer criticizes the nation's mechanisms for tracking student progress as “undermining education.” And he warns against the passing of national standards.
“Liberals and conservatives are strange bedfellows on this,” he said.
Student achievement scores prove only one thing, he said — how well you did in school.
We should be asking “how can we structure local schools to unfold the potential of every child,” he said. “We need every child.”
There should be no throwaway kids, he said.
Vollmer is critical of the system, not teachers.
Mandates for schools have increased greatly since the 1950s, mounting to unrealistic expectations from teachers to do more than time allows, Vollmer said. If teachers worked 100 hours a week, it wouldn't be enough time to fulfill all the goals of today's education, he said.
“When my parents sent me to school there was an implied oral contract, ‘we are Jamie's parents. We are responsible for Jamie's behavior. We'd like you to teach us what Jamie needs to know.'
“Today's contract is ‘raise my kids,'” Vollmer said.
Vollmer advocates a “community-wide conversation” to create schools that provide a quality education for all.
“A family of advantages builds genius,” Vollmer said.
Vollmer has been asked to speak on four occasions at the school district's annual luncheon honoring school volunteers.
From February through May, 2009, nearly 24,600 volunteer hours were recorded.
All of the hundreds of volunteers are invited each year to the luncheon meeting.
His (Vollmer) talk about community involvement is pertinent, said Teri Smatla, community partnership coordinator. “We have outstanding volunteers.”
What is good to reinforce, Smatla said, is it “takes many people and much involvement from the community.”
Reach Sharon Sullivan at ssullivan@gjfreepress.com
And then starting around the beginning of the 20th century, business leaders and politicians decided to use schools for social engineering to get kids ready for the workplace for the first generation of the Industrial Age, said Jamie Vollmer, guest speaker at School District 51's seventh annual community partnership luncheon.
As low-skilled jobs have disappeared, the model no longer applies, Vollmer said. In 1967, 77 percent of all workers in America worked in low-skilled jobs. Today that number is down 12 percent, he said.
The system is designed to select and sort young people into two groups — those going on to higher education, and everybody else, he said.
“Select and sort we do with a vengeance,” Vollmer said.
Children learn differently; they are wired differently; and biases in the system favors certain kinds of learners, he said.
Vollmer criticizes the nation's mechanisms for tracking student progress as “undermining education.” And he warns against the passing of national standards.
“Liberals and conservatives are strange bedfellows on this,” he said.
Student achievement scores prove only one thing, he said — how well you did in school.
We should be asking “how can we structure local schools to unfold the potential of every child,” he said. “We need every child.”
There should be no throwaway kids, he said.
Vollmer is critical of the system, not teachers.
Mandates for schools have increased greatly since the 1950s, mounting to unrealistic expectations from teachers to do more than time allows, Vollmer said. If teachers worked 100 hours a week, it wouldn't be enough time to fulfill all the goals of today's education, he said.
“When my parents sent me to school there was an implied oral contract, ‘we are Jamie's parents. We are responsible for Jamie's behavior. We'd like you to teach us what Jamie needs to know.'
“Today's contract is ‘raise my kids,'” Vollmer said.
Vollmer advocates a “community-wide conversation” to create schools that provide a quality education for all.
“A family of advantages builds genius,” Vollmer said.
Vollmer has been asked to speak on four occasions at the school district's annual luncheon honoring school volunteers.
From February through May, 2009, nearly 24,600 volunteer hours were recorded.
All of the hundreds of volunteers are invited each year to the luncheon meeting.
His (Vollmer) talk about community involvement is pertinent, said Teri Smatla, community partnership coordinator. “We have outstanding volunteers.”
What is good to reinforce, Smatla said, is it “takes many people and much involvement from the community.”
Reach Sharon Sullivan at ssullivan@gjfreepress.com
