Agenda - 12-11-1991 - Laserfiche WebLink

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There are valuable lessons to be learned from these experiences. Among the lessons are: I. Regardless of how important and needed any of these reforms might be, if they are classroom immune, they will not result in school improvement. r> It is fine for teachers to have great salaries, dues check -off, lots of holidays, high morale, and what they call "empower- ment." But, unless it translates into better achievement for students there is no real school improvement. <> The state governance structure is broken and it needs to be fixed. But, unless it impacts positively a classroom full of alienated, bored students, there is no real school improvement. a Local school systems can have total flexibility and complete autonomy. But, unless it translates into increased student learning there is no real school improvement. II. It is time for local communities to seize the initiative for school improvement. a We've tried top down initiative and it has not been effective. ca Local initiative is already working. Right now, both near and far away from Raleigh a revolution is taking place. In Granville County, Mooresville City, Haywood County, Vance County, Richmond County, Davidson County, Gaston County and others, school people, parents, students, business leaders - -all local people, are demonstrating that true, fundamental reform occurs when it happens at the school house, not the state house. I, today, call on every local school system to convene your awn education summit. I urge you to do so between Februa ry 25 and May 15. As you plan your summit, I urge you to reach out to school personnel and beyond - -to the business community, a chambers of commerce, county commissioners, parent groups, civic leaders, agricultural leaders, media in your area, candi- dates, members of the General Assembly and others that might need to be included. We will be offering you suggestions and infotniatioiy bu, it must be your summit. We will provide you with results of the Governor's summit, the Legislative summit, our legislative program, the State Superintendent's 20 points, America 2000 goals, the State Board of Education priorities and other information. All of this is purely for your information. It is imperative that the summit results reflect the priorities of ygmrr community. I would urge you to be very selective. Concentrate on things that are "doable" not "pie -in- the - sky." Select just a very few things that in the collective judgement of your community would do the most to improve your schools. Then network with any and everybody you can to accomplish those things. Grassroots decision making is efficient. It rarely requires prolonged studies and lots of pilots. It happens NOW. It is also sometimes wrong. But, feedback and assessments is quick. When you're flattened by a mistake you can get back up. When you're flattened by conformity, you're down for good. It is our conviction that school improvemer, will occur only if local communities take the initiative. That's our only motivation for this effort. Ow K