Educational Innovation

Technology and the Future of Work: “Crisis of U.S. Education”

jruss — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:49:41 -0500

This short document summarizes Al Shanker's speech to the Stanford University conference. He focused on the need to restructure traditional school and look for different models of education. He compared schools to an assembly line factory, but argues that students should be conceived of as workers rather than as products. Shanker cites schools in Germany that have implemented different educational models and urges American school systems to do the same.

Address to NYSUT Representative Assembly

jruss — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:21:18 -0500

Al Shanker delivers this address to the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) organization. Shanker begins by discussing various laws affecting funding to schools. He then turns to reform efforts. He talks about the teacher shortage and ways to recruit new teachers. He mentions the need for higher salaries, smaller class sizes, and increased time away from students. He notes that these are difficult to achieve but that giving teachers independence and respect is one easy way to make the job more attractive. read more »

california english: “Improving Our Schools: Drastic Change or Fine Tuning? An Interview with Albert Shanker”

jruss — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:49:41 -0500

Al Shanker answers Berkeley Education Professor Ken Lane's questions about education reform. Shanker believes that the recent focus on reform is good, but he thinks that not enough is being done to enact change. He states that recent efforts at reform change only slightly the way education has worked for years. Instead, Shanker calls for a drastic overhaul of the entire educational model. He says we need to engage students in ways other than reading and listening, noting that different students learn differently. read more »

Education Leadership: “On Restructuring Schools: A Conversation with Al Shanker”

jruss — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:21:18 -0500

Al Shanker answers questions about his vision of how schools need to change. He thinks that a new system of incentives must be developed to encourage educators to take charge of their own school reform efforts. Shanker believes that one aspect of restructuring involves different roles for teachers. He also sees a role for technology and speaks of creating a national lesson plan database. Shanker also discusses the role legislators have played in school reform.

Little Rock Economic Conference

jruss — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:49:41 -0500

In this brief speech, Al Shanker discusses with then President-Elect Bill Clinton and Vice President-Elect Al Gore some of the challenges facing American education. He states that standards have been lowered to the point that high school diplomas are virtually meaningless. He compares the U.S. to other countries that have higher standards and also treat other problems differently. He notes that many European countries have early childhood education programs, and he advocates for a national day care program in the U.S. read more »

Rochester Teacher Association Leadership Conference

jruss — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:49:41 -0500

Al Shanker applauds the Rochester Teacher Association for its efforts to collaborate with school administration to reform education. He tells the members that they are embarking on new territory and that there are no easy answers he or anyone else can provide them. He compares it to the campaign to unionize teachers in the 1960s. Shanker also addresses whether collaborating with administration is really the role of a union. He asserts it is because the interests of its members are still in mind, and only teachers have the expertise to begin to tackle this problem. read more »

Shavano Institute Conference: “Defining the Risks: Diagnoses and Cures”

jruss — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:49:41 -0500

Al Shanker begins by commenting on government funding to education. He notes that there has been an increase in funding, but he questions whether this has really changed educational results. He says that incentives besides money need to be developed in order to retain good teachers. Next, he turns to the main topic of his talk: whether the nation is still at risk, referring to a 1983 government report “A Nation at Risk.” Shanker answers affirmatively that the nation is indeed still at risk, citing a recent report from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). read more »

Testimony before the House Subcommittee on Elementary, Secondary and Vocational Education

jruss — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:48:29 -0500

Al Shanker comments on bill H.R. 3347 whose purpose is to allow for greater educational innovation efforts at the state and local levels. He believes in the goal of the bill, but he has a few requests that, if enacted, will calm his reservations: that protection against the privatization of public education be included and that the extent to which programs can be consolidated is adequately defined.