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It's off to school we go

8/22/2013

The college kids are trickling in. The teachers are battening down the hatches. The returning students exhibit a mix of anticipation and dread. And the parents are giddy with excitement. Or maybe that's just the residual effects of paying for all the school clothes and supplies.

September is definitely a time for new beginnings and fresh starts. What will you do with your fresh start?

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What's an Education For?

8/3/2013

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Why school?

“Anyone can learn anything from anywhere at any time” has been the mantra of Drs. Bill Spady and Chuck Schwahn for years.
You agree with them, don't you?

Last night I watched a You Tube video to learn how to replace the tail light in our car. I was at home. It was "after hours." The lesson was free. It was also effective. It was so effective that I tried to replace the wrong bulbs. My problem was on the driver's side. But the video demonstration showed the passenger's side so that's the side I tried to fix. "Duh."

When I was a school board member in South Texas we brought Dr. Spady to help us audit the system. I was surprised to learn that the State of Texas doesn't really fund learning. It funds having warm bodies sitting in desks for a prescribed educational season. School funding in Texas is based on Average Daily Attendance. [Actually, it is Weighted Average Daily Attendance (WADA) but that just means that certain things are more expensive than others. And then there's the matter of "unfunded mandates" but that would get us way off track.]

When I checked the Texas Education Agency website a few minutes ago I was surprised to learn this:
Is Kindergarten required in Texas?

A child is not required to attend school unless he or she is at least six (6) years old on September 1 of the school year. Enrollment in Kindergarten is not required. However, if a child is enrolled in Kindergarten, regular attendance is required. If the child has too many unexcused absences while enrolled, compulsory attendance charges may be filed. A parent who enrolls a child in Kindergarten may choose to withdraw the child at any time during the school year. Here's the link.

What do parents want their children to learn? Surely they expect something more than "Criss Cross Applesauce."

On Facebook today I encountered a Presentation about an interesting tutoring concept beginning in Abilene this Fall where the emphasis is on:

Cooperation
Diversity
Self-Motivation
Flexibility

I'm pretty sure that education should be more than practice at cramming for an exam. The "tiny" concept is not for every family. But it might be just what you've been wishing your child could have.
http://tinyurl.com/tinyschoolinfo

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It's off to school we go

What's an Education For?

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