Living and Learning in Central Oregon

NY Times – Contemplating the Boobs We Were

After reading this article I can’t help but reflect on the math that we are teaching out students and how our math curriculum lacks personal finance.  Why is this?   Do we not want students to understand the seriousness of credit card debt?  Are wanting them to leave college burdened with thousands of dollars in college loans?  Is there some kind of conspiracy here?

I firmly believe that we need to raise the bar when it comes to our math standards.  We should be leading the world in mathematics and science.  Emphasis on these subjects will lead us toward energy independence and provide us all with an improved quality of life.  But at the same time we are teaching advanced mathematics and scientific methods we should also be insuring our students can balance their checkbooks.  The current economic crisis is going to set us back several years. Money going to bailout banks could be have been used to finance scientific research that would make our world better.  Calculus and personal finance – they should both be required in a world class school system.

A tradition in my school district is the annual college day in which all staff members are to wear the colors from their favorite college.  Ducks and Beavers were well represented at my school but there were SDSU Aztecs, UCSB Gauchos and other non-Oregon schools showing their colors too.  It was a great way to show off our colleges and to put the goal of attending college into everyone’s mind.

Last Friday we had a discussion among our district leadership around the concept what being a world class school district really means. It was one of those times where we could share our thoughts in a very honest, non-threatening way. We did not come up with an answer but generated many ideas that will be revisited over the course of the year. So what does world class mean? Here is one idea that a small district in TN:

• At Home with HomeLink: Free Internet Access Connects Families and Schools | Edutopia

  how one small town is trying to make their schools world class

  tags: BLPwordclass

  • The Greeneville City Schools system has a logo that features a compass, a globe, and two phrases that aren’t often uttered in the same breath: “small town” and “world class.” In this context, at least, the words aren’t a paradox. They’re an expression of a community’s commitment to educational excellence.

    The 15,500 residents of Greenville, nestled in the foothills of Tennessee’s Unaka Mountains, support their 2,726 K-12 students with uncommon fervor and focus. Parents, philanthropists, taxpayers, and teachers all pitch in to ensure excellent programs, top-notch instruction, and a state-of-the-art learning environment, despite the school district’s small-town budget.

  • “We honestly believe that if we’re not preparing our students to effectively use technology, it’s the same as if we’d never taught them to add, because the world of technology for them is like a hammer for a carpenter — it’s just ubiquitous,” says Larry Jones, the lead technician and network administrator for Greeneville schools.