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COMMENTARY
(10/12/2011)
Today’s children are not disposable
by
Dr. Patrick Michel,
HFM BOCES District Superintendent
I’m impressed to see my colleagues publically engaging the
issues of school districts around the state. Some have written
about the needs of poor, rural and small city school districts
while others call for cost-cutting measures—allowing us to
provide much-needed programs in our schools. Important topics,
agreed, but are we missing the most important issue of all?
We must come to grips with an existing education system that
cannot meet the needs of this generation of school-aged children
without substantial fiscal investment, in a time when there is
no money.
Let’s be honest about the affect of this prolonged economic
downturn, the suffering caused by the high rate of unemployment,
and dramatic cuts in state support for education.
In New York State’s quest to be more business friendly, increase
jobs and stabilize the economy, we have reluctantly agreed to
sacrifice the here and now.
I fear that we have given up on a whole generation of children
that will receive far less educationally, will be ill-prepared
for college and the workplace, and will fall short of the
engaged citizenry we need to perpetuate our republic.
I am amazed at the silence surrounding this pivotal issue.
Our education delivery system is broken and we have two choices:
Invest the monumental sum of money it will take to sustain a
system that still operates much as it did more than 100 years
ago when most people still lived on the family farm, or come up
with a new design.
I’ve heard again and again about global competition and that we
are in a race. Right now, it’s as if we are competing in a
NASCAR event with a Model T. Our present education system was
new and innovative when the Model T first rolled off the
assembly line.
We could invest money in experts to soup up our education “car,”
but imagine the cost. Blaming the driver—our teachers—is not
productive and makes no sense. They are driving the “car” they
were given. How frustrating to have people in the crowd scream,
yell, and make laws requiring the driver to go faster when it is
beyond the capability of the car they drive.
Now is the time for hard conversations at the state, regional
and local level. Today’s children are not disposable, and the
consequences of not adapting our education system to the 21st
Century will play out for years to come for every one of us.
 The
conversation starts on Thursday, Nov. 3 at HFM BOCES. You are
encouraged to participate in a regional summit about educational
and economic development in Fulton, Montgomery and Hamilton
Counties. Experts will help guide small-group discussions in
various areas, and we expect to create our regional response—an
action plan—to the crisis in education that we face.
The Mohawk Sacandaga School Boards Association, Fulton
Montgomery Community College, HFM BOCES, and the Fulton and
Montgomery Chambers of Commerce have collaborated to bring our
education and business communities together for this event.
You are invited because your voice is needed. The summit begins
at 6:00 p.m. and concludes at 9:30 p.m. In those three hours, we
will find solutions together. I look forward to seeing you
there. |
