Promising Futures

This was a document prepared by the commission of secondary education highlighting the present conditions in Maine, clearly stating future goals, and offering an extensive and detailed list of proposed changes to work towards meeting those goals. Granted this document was written in 1998, it still has validity today. The ten core principles of the commission were: 1. a safe, respectful, and caring environment, 2. high universal expectations with a variety of learning opportunities, 3.understanding and actions based on assessment date, 4. teacher practice which values and builds upon the contributions and needs of each learner, 5. equitable and democratic practice, 6. coherence among mission, goals, actions, and outcomes. The biggest problem outlined repeatedly in the document was that every aspect of school life should be coordinated with the same goal and that goal should be to exceed the standard. The standard is outlined in the NCLB for each subject. The school structure, schedule, assignments, and assessments should teach students the necessary knowledge and skills outlined in the standards. Suggestions for teachers such as keeping the same students with a teacher throughout high school, lessening the quantity of students each teacher is responsible for, and adding professional development days or workshops for teachers. The final key is that for a school to attempt a change any sort of change all teachers, staff, administration, and even the community have to be on board.

I think a lot of what was written for suggestions in this report has basis in recent research and information about how students learn best. A lot of books that I have read in practicum and in other education classes at Farmington have said a lot of similar things. This report was written 12 years ago, I wonder if information was collected today from the schools in Maine what the report would say.