Fast Co. article #8, "Schools That Think," by Sara Terry, April, 2000

This article highlights four model schools in the U.S. that are considered cutting edge reformers for educating children. The one I found most interesting was North Jackson Elementary School in Jackson, Mississippi. North Jackson was described as previously being a traditional public school in every sense--state adopted textbooks and curriculum with teachers lecturing to students listening passively in class. A new principal, Joyce Pully changed all this with her attitude that education could be done better. Her vision was anchored in her past experience and research showing that real learning takes place in many different ways, and must be relevant to children's lives.

Pully introduced several new ways of teaching including "thematic teaching" which is instruction that ties together several disciplines with a single theme. An example given was the theme of ancient Greece studied through reading, art and science. Another technique they use is "cooperative learning" which means students work in pairs of in small groups collaborating on assignments. Keeping students and teachers together for at least two years provides continuity in learning which gives students stability and reinforces accountability with teachers.

I was most interested in learning how a new principal can come in and make big changes in a school. To begin with, Principal Pully says North Jackson was well-run before she arrived and the staff were very dedicated. She worked hard to build trust with teachers and parents as she shared past work and current research on learning. Most importantly she involved teachers and staff in decision making. Pully also gave everyone permission to take risks and make mistakes as they tried new approaches. The changes were gradual at first as teachers had to learn how to write and plan their own curriculum. One teacher commented on the personal reward of writing her own saying, "When you're teaching out of a textbook, it's really set. It's all cut-and-dried. This new method seems more fluid. You can go your own way. You can ask yourself, "How can I best teach this so that children master it?"

This article made me think about how complex our education reform issues are in Minnesota and how complicated it is when lawmakers are involved. The schools presented in this article all took a grassroots approach to change. Some were schools that transformed themselves; others were new charter schools who received funding and took a lot of risks. They were successful mainly because they got very good teachers who were passionate about changing the way education works and knowledgeable and interested in diverse learning techniques. Instead of big budgets and bureaucracies, they were initiated by energy and imagination.

I shared this article with my son's fourth grade teacher which was a great opportunity to hear about some of the innovative efforts in his school. He agreed that writing his own curriculum would be difficult at the front end, but overall more rewarding. He added that the grad standards do increase paperwork for the teachers, but some of the innovative classes he mentioned were created to meet these standards. However, he really seemed especially excited about a new science unit he was writing with a colleague. He definitely had energy and imagination when he talked about it and I would bet it will be a very rewarding class for both him and his students.

-- Anonymous, May 21, 2000