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Aj rrfo*^**- ol r
\oo? Dew {yw Aj rrfo*^**- t)CPV>rN WHAT S RIGHT WITH AMERICAN EDUCATION? by Ernest L. Boyer President The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 10th Annual Education Awards Conference Blacksburg, Virginia Monday, October 18, 1993 ol r\ /o^gp wuro ^n ( Cm ^ V W i ^ A (f^ ^ ^ Vn i M - nr L\ W )Kkud VPISU-1 .DOC, (SPC,ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 26 rs America has had a lovte affai In 1647j)the Massachusetts Bay Colony^ passed a law requirinj more "souls41- and village of 50 < to hire a schoolmaster)to teach the children to read and write. Even in that day^education chance. far toQ important to be left to VPISU-1 .DOC, (SPC,ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 26 George Washingtojijleclarfed that knowledge is the^ires$ basis of public happiness. Horace Mann-e&lled the common Sphool the "dreatesLjdiscovery eve^rnade. ^ 26 VPISU-1 .DOC, (SPC,ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 coun lie—in his celebrated visit to this oncluded that the Amejri^an people appear to enlightened in the world. It cannot in the "powerfully" c of th e people to the support of^he "Democratic Republic." VPISU-1 .DOC, (SPC,ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 ^ , ^-i — 26 ** 45 million children^h^^^ffj&abh morning to chools trom Bangor) Maine to Mission Bay> California. And all of Ihis has been accomplished lot by a^washinston directive but bjLloca^citizens who have been committed to the audacious dream of C the c hool for thrcommon goo VPISU-1 .DOC, (SPC,ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 26 in ^V^J^ftYh)U6> VPISU-1 .DOC, (SPC,ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 26 '— ~—-—— fpvVHt/ "Has the quality oreducati worse, about the s^jneTttui 48 percent said "about the same "Is there sojne^dtier school to which you would like to send yoW_ch>m?~^hlS school could be publio-oi^ pi/ivicite. inside, or oulbiflfc ul yOlli disiaagtijidtfa-yertJLr > IYA VPISU-1 .DOC, (SPC,ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 seems obuirn s a more imperiled institution than the -scho are system is ih^greater crisis than J The penal system is much mare gravely weakened than the schools. And what S^Tyscore would you give to Congress? 26 VPISU-1 .DOC, (SPC,ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 26 Recently, at The Carnegie foundation, we surveyed 22,000 teachers from coast and a shtJcking 87 percent reported that "lack of parental) support" is a problem at their school. 89 p^rcent say thalf"abused and neglected children' is a ent reported is a problem. oor health among And many teachers wrote powerful and poignant comments about the desperations o#4heir-students. VPISU-1 .DOC, (SPC,ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 One teacher put^it this way: I'm sick and tired?of seeing my bright-eyed first gra kids fade into the "shadows of apathy" and become deeply troubled by age 10. 26 VPISU-1 .DOC, (SPC,ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 26 In another Carnegie survey of\5,(J0p fifth- and eighth-graders re found-that Sent go home 6very) afternoon to an empty SbAty percent said they wish they coulcKspend more time with their mothers and their fathers. say they often wish they had more things ent say their family never sits down a meal. ^ 26 VPISU-1 .DOC, (SPC,ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 isjthat this institution above all others thologies in our culture If n l l - p i i l i l u ' P ^ M f a t i n f i t"Piglf1 j " " t M j ^ VPISU-1 .DOC, (SPC,ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 26 VPISU-1 .DOC, (SPC,ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 IV. REFORM EFFOR And speaking ofj^ood news, let' recognize that since 1983, high school graduation standards in^his country hav^be^n raised in 42 of the 50 states. About three-ffourt 1&8&, adopte 26 VPISU-1 .DOC, (SPC,ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 26 Inl^ 20 percent of the nation's high schools had A4yancQcTPlacement programs. Today, 46 percfent have such programs. And minority student participatioifin Advanced Placement has increase ercent in just five years. VPISU-1 .DOC, (SPC,ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 26 the academic perfo students on the n ^— jf has increase and Hispanic I—overall—nearly 60 percent of all high school graduates in VPISU-1 .DOC, (SPC,ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 26 celebrate the fact that: during the past twenty years, lifelong learning in this country has—quite literally—exploded. VPISU-1 .DOC, (SPC,ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 26 VII. TEACHERS When all is said_and done, :ellende in education means excellence in teaching. l^success story in American education Lnistra^ors and most especially the who peyrfo^gi libroically)every single day. re dimply must give nioic dlgnily and more-status totheteacheiv, - ' - V f VPISU-.l.DOC, (SPC,ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 consequential that 0, 1990 President Bush declared (as \the number one objective for th^ nation — W that ready to learn: VPISU-1 .DOC, (SPC,ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 26 s of life that curiosity abounds s the time when learning exponentially expands And, above all, it's in the^early years when children'are empower VPISU-1 .DOC, (SPC,ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 LANGUAGE s wrote on one occasion that childhood is for language. dpa and can observe this process erectJW dirty diapers and burpings late at I'm absolutely dazzled by the capacit^)of little 3- and 4-yearolds to use language not only for affectioj but also as weapons of assault 26 26 VPISU-1 .DOC, (SPC,ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 When I which is the cult world— stones may break my we used to say sticks bones, but names will never hurt me. Wha I'd say this with tears running down my cheeks thinking, hit me with a stick, b*ut stop the wo>ds that penetrate so deeply VPISU-1 .DOC, (SPC,ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 26 I'm suggesting that schoolreadine ss means that every child must be nguistically well prepared. And for this to be accomplished wOuldn'tU be wonderful if all childre: ron: at was Wouldn't it be wonderful swers to their questions instead of "shut up And wouldn't it bejvonderfi would t e television set o their children VPISU-1 .DOC, (SPC,ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 26 I'm suggesting that if we expect all children to be well prepared for school, —— ^re^simply must have fronies^id parents who first giv< to their children. Above all we must cjreate iij this country a public lov^ of VPISU-1 .DOC, (SPC,ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 GRANDPARENTS ily influence, I'm 26 VPISU-1 .DOC, (SPC,ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 26 Anthropologist Margaret Mead said on one occasion that the strength of anvculture is sustained rationsjvitally interact, ections vertically across the J And yet in America today, we're building • a kind of horizontal cAilture, with each age group living all alone We've even "i d" this generational separation. VPISU-1 .DOC, (SPC,ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 Today- children are in schools • organized by age, \ college students sp^nd time separated on campus ' NT \ adults are in the workplace, and older people increasingly are living all alone. 26 fittl-J — J n r ~ f " — i \ ^Uicnui^ rWr L fy fit. wo (/^y £.19 itT f ^ AWT ^ K \Tl> T™ o*L ASCD-A.DOC, (SPC,ELB/lb), March 26, 1993 54 55 ASCD-A.DOC, (SPC,ELB/lb), March 26, 1993 I The tragedy o&tf*. is The tragedv^s to mitmentS) undefined, ^ ( ^ o n v i c t i ^ s undeclared, and serviceSmfulfiUed J \ And the search for meaning can be taught in schools in a variety of waysi through y of^he world s great religions, ourses in which) etl cal choices must be iT4u nx- ^ V uc VPISU-1 .DOC, (SPC,ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 are being called upon not only to eliminate graffi ne, we condemn them for not meeting our 26 VPISU-1 .DOC, (SPC,ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 26 Several years ago I couldn't sleep. Instead of counting sheep counted all thejt£achers I had had. 'rather vividly" fifteen or more—and, I must ere a few nightmares in the bunch. ^ teachers, But then I rec the truly outstanding individuals—in college or in school—who had truly changed my life. \ I I then thought about Miss Rice, my first-grade teacher, who, the first aay-of school, said: "Goo ng class. Today we learn to read. It was Miss Rice who taught me that language and learning inextricably interlocked. VPISU-1 .DOC, (SPC,ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 26 , ^ ^ r O It thenoccurred tothings me^hat great teachers I've had had -four in the common. They were { well informed. They related jgrhatLlhey knew to the readiness of students. ey create active, not passive, learning ronments. uman beings. Classroom^in New Haven ikeri^(Olh?er Twik VPISU-1 .DOC, (SPC,ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 I'm suggesting that great teachers live forever. And the key to excellenee is to invest in teachers. ( And Clinton ite the Teachers of the Year from all 50 states to a dinner in"the East Room of the White House. And why notielevise this moment of national celebration—prime time. 26 49 After all, we have eel r visitiij^ potentates from Is it unthinkable that we would have a state dinner • for ttsi in >.an$as; or New Hampshire, VPISU-1 .DOC, (SPC,ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 CONCLUSIO John Gardner said on one><pccasion, sanation is never^finished, It has to be rebuilt with 26 VPISU-1.DOC, (SPC.ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 Recently, Marian Wright Edelman of the Children's Defense Fund ____ that captures the spirit of what I have in mind j|irr^d to me thatreading thisprayer might be an appropriate way to end my remarks tl»s~-SH 53 VPISU-1.DOC, (SPC.ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 63 PRAYER The prayer begins "And ^re alst} |>ray for children whose nightmare^ come^in the light o^ day, who rarejjr see a doctor, who (never* see a dentist, who aren't spoiled by^anybod^, and who go to bed hungry) and cry themselves Cileepr^> VPISU-1.DOC, (SPC.ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 64 for children ed, es before dinner, find ^bheir siioes. 3 "And we also pray for Children who can't run down the street in a new pair of sneakers, who^ never j&et dessert, who don't have any rooms to clean(up, ^ and whose pictures aren't on anybofl^'s dresser. VPISU-1.DOC, (SPC.ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 65 "Dear Lord we pray for children who wart id we pray for ^those who tnust be carried. "W/re pray, for those we neverglve up on and also for those who et a second pray for those we smotherjsttth love, and, we pra^ especially) for tho^e^ho will grab the hand>of^anybo^ kind enough to hold) it.11 VPISU-1.DOC, (SPC.ELB/dmo), October 18, 1993 57 It is my deepest hope that as we move toward the year 2000, this country will be c o m m i t t e d not just to improving the nation's schools, but, above all, to creating si better world for children. success story nt to serve all children notjjust the privileged few.