Mike Hynes is the Superintendent of Port Washington schools and a progressive education leader for change. In my opinion he would make a terrific Commissioner of the NY State Education Department.
After the Pandemic: Our Children Deserve an Education Revolution
Michael J. Hynes
April 21, 2020
It’s amazing how quickly we go from one way of life to
another in the blink of an eye. It happens in an instant. One day we live our
life a certain way…and the next day it is turned upside down. This global
pandemic has historically changed our economy, way of life, use of technology
and how we physically interact with each other. All within a few months.
Millions of parents
have suddenly found themselves responsible for overseeing their children’s
education from home. This is a formidable
challenge to be facing on top of all of the other stresses due to the pandemic.
My hope is that our parents, educators and policymakers will finally realize
how important school is and why it must evolve once our children resume going
back to school in September.
Now is the time for our school leaders to generate a
new compelling philosophy of education and an innovative architecture for a
just and humane school system. We must refocus our energy on a foundation built
on a sense of purpose, forging relationships and maximizing the potential and
talents of all children. Let’s take advantage of the possibility that our
nation’s attention can shift 180 degrees, from obsessing over test scores and
accountability to an entirely different paradigm of physical, mental, and
emotional well-being for students and staff.
It is our collective responsibility to foster
engaging and meaningful environments when educating our children in the new era
of a post pandemic education. As the great philosopher John Dewey stated over
one hundred years ago, “If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s,
we rob them of tomorrow.” The first sentence in the 2018 World Bank Group’s
Flagship Report- Learning: To Realize
Education’s Promise states, “Schooling is not the same as learning.” I
couldn’t agree more. The report continues to speak about that as a society, we
must learn to realize education’s promise. Now is this the time to
revolutionize this antiquated system built on old structures and ideologies. I
recommend we change the purpose of schooling to the following core values:
· Emphasize well-being. Make
child and teacher well-being a top priority in all schools, as engines of
learning and system efficiency.
· Upgrade testing and other
assessments. Stop
the standardized testing of children in grades 3-8, and “opt-up” to
higher-quality assessments by classroom teachers. Eliminate the ranking and
sorting of children based on standardized testing. Train
students in self-assessment, and require only one comprehensive testing period
to graduate from high school.
· Invest resources fairly. Fund
schools equitably on the basis of need. Provide small class sizes.
· Boost learning through physical
activity. Give children multiple outdoor free-play recess breaks
throughout the school day to boost their well-being and performance. We
observed schools in Finland that give children four 15-minute free-play breaks
a day.
· Change the focus. Create
an emotional atmosphere and physical environment of warmth, comfort and safety
so that children are happy and eager to come to school. Teach not just basic
skills, but also arts, crafts, music, civics, ethics, home economics and life
skills.
· Make homework efficient. Reduce
the homework load in elementary and middle schools to no more than 30 minutes
per night, and make it responsibility-based rather than stress-based.
· Trust educators and children. Give
them professional respect, creative freedom and autonomy, including the ability
to experiment, take manageable risks and fail in the pursuit of success.
· Improve, expand and destigmatize
vocational and technical education. Encourage
more students to attend schools in which they can acquire valuable career/trade
skills.
In short, if we learn anything at all from this
pandemic, we should clearly recognize that we need our teachers more than ever
before. It’s imperative that schools focus on a balanced approach to education,
one that embraces physical, emotional, cognitive and social growth. We have an enormous amount of work to do, but our children
deserve nothing less.
I would love for this to happen and I will share this article with those who need to see it. Thank you for charting the course ����
ReplyDeleteThe days of one-size-fits-all education needs to end. Requiring all students to take higher level math and sciences, but allowing little to no time for creative studies is a recipe for the "I hate school" culture so prevalent among teens. If we allowed students to pursue the learning that truly interests them, we would truly be preparing them for a future they will excel in.The current system wastes so much time, and makes kids feel that if they dont fit the mold, they are stupid and destined to fail.
ReplyDeleteThis article is right on track. I am an educator, and I agree with this superintendent. As educators, we are told to differentiate instruction, yet all children take the same test. This doesn’t make sense to me. Make exit exams more personal for EACH child.
ReplyDeleteI am applying for a curriculum and Instruction position and wrote a lot of this in my cover letter. There is no going back.
ReplyDeleteAs a teacher who retired after 37 years, I find Mr. Hynes admonitions to be so on target it is unbelievable. These goals should have been education's beginning years ago. I found that the most important thing I did in the classroom was to NURTURE the students - to give them self confidence as well as mastery of subjects. I was very fortunate to have been an arts teacher and administrator and I was able to reach students in a special way. However, I also taught academics from time to time and use the same ideals, no matter what subject I was teaching. There are some wonderful teachers, administrators and administrators in our systems. But there are too many that do not understand this aspect of education. The children come first, not the test scores, not even the grades, the character, personalities, and feelings of the students. Thank you, Mr. Hynes. Maybe someone will listen.
ReplyDeleteAs a teacher who retired after 37 years, I find Mr. Hynes admonitions to be so on target it is unbelievable. These goals should have been education's beginning years ago. I found that the most important thing I did in the classroom was to NURTURE the students - to give them self confidence as well as mastery of subjects. I was very fortunate to have been an arts teacher and administrator and I was able to reach students in a special way. However, I also taught academics from time to time and use the same ideals, no matter what subject I was teaching. There are some wonderful teachers, administrators and administrators in our systems. But there are too many that do not understand this aspect of education. The children come first, not the test scores, not even the grades, the character, personalities, and feelings of the students. Thank you, Mr. Hynes. Maybe someone will listen.
ReplyDeleteGood thoughts. We're having discussions on these issues every other Thursday night, including this Thursday at 7:30 pm. Sign up for that here: https://forms.gle/VtvHsHqFpJ2yuYUk8
ReplyDeleteThere's more food for thought here: https://www.priweb.org/blog-post/learn-at-home-blog-2
Fabulous post- and we need more leaders like you blazing this trail. Thank you
ReplyDeleteYes!
ReplyDeleteI agree. I was also hoping that one of the bullet points was to leverage other devices other than cell phones and laptops. I believe the TV's of today can be leveraged for more than just entertainment, but also education. License channels strickly for teacher outlets.
ReplyDeleteyou sir are breath of fresh air!!will share every where we need some one like you in Douglas Ma They need a lot of redirection God Bless!
ReplyDeleteYour vision is well stated. The first sentence in the 2018 World Bank Group’s Flagship Report- Learning: To Realize Education’s Promise states, “Schooling is not the same as learning.” We are now seeing this concept in real time.
ReplyDeleteExcellent. Love all these ideas. And suggest that the lower grades (e.g., PreK-3rd) have the lowest number of students since these children are learning to read. Lower numbers can facilitate reading mastery which in turn enables larger numbers of students in higher grades. Students who can read, comprehend, and focus can work more independently.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this....we are so tied up in testing/performance that school has become tiresome, often boring and a source of anxiety. There needs to be a much stronger connection between neurological and emotional development and curriculum and teaching styles. We have pushed our children into boxes where more than 1/2 of them struggle to learn because their brains are not yet at the stage of development to accept the way they are being taught. As a school psychologist I watched as learning became an anxiety provoking chore for many kids instead of an opportunity to enjoy and explore new ideas. This is really the time for us to look at where we are and make substantial changes in the way we are educating our children. Emotional well being is so much more important than grades. We want our children to learn to be grow up to be successful and hopefully happy problem solvers not robots. Anxiety has sky rocketed in school age children...and is a huge reason than many kids dislike school. Even worse the increased rates of suicide in this population should be a CLEAR indication that instead of supporting them we are pushing many over the edge. Certainly parental involvement is another key factor....but we cannot control what goes on at home....so we must become the safe place for them...not the straw that breaks the camels back. Let us grab this opportunity to really make the changes our children need!
ReplyDeleteThese 8 core values are perfect examples on how we can all make that 180 degree education upgrade. John Dewey said it best.."If we teach today's students as yesterday's, we rob them of tomorrow." It would not only be a disservice to educators, parents, and students to NOT take this opportunity to fix an antiquated school system, but how truly sad it would be to reflect back on all of us of how we failed to take the innitiative to do so. We have to be better than that.
ReplyDeleteWell said. We can do this if we have the will to do so. Before and after the election we need to let our elected officials know that this is a priority! We must hold them accountable to make education fair, accessible and focused. Thank you for this excellent article.
ReplyDeleteAMEN!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAs a retiring teacher, I totally agree that we need to embrace what we've learned during this time. Accept the value of meaningful homework, free play (for all grade levels) during the school day and the importance of the technical, skills-based (CTE) instruction I received in high school that was pushed aside in favor of the far less valuable standardized testing.
I am a Sub Teacher in the Lancaster SC School District and look forward to be a part of this change!
ReplyDeleteI’m in full agreement. As a High School Principal and mother to a middle school child, I have never been more inspired or felt more at peace with myself, my take on where education needs to go and with the enlightenment I see happening with my child as she is now an observer of nature and systems versus a screen (in spite of a remote education). The ideas within this time for change and how we can benefit from a new logic are abundant. I’m on board with thins completely.
ReplyDeleteI’m in full agreement. As a High School Principal and mother to a middle school child, I have never been more inspired or felt more at peace with myself, my take on where education needs to go and with the enlightenment I see happening with my child as she is now an observer of nature and systems versus a screen (in spite of a remote education). The ideas within this time for change and how we can benefit from a new logic are abundant. I’m on board with thins completely.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, as a Middle and High School Principal the best thing I have seen in 22 years. What can I do to help?
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of what is being said, but would add a couple of things. I think it is important to include in a child's education the teaching of critical thinking and financial literacy: two areas that can help alleviate narrow-mindedness and continual financial irresponsibility. Also, to say only 30 minute of homework a night would indicate that the same amount of time applies to all children to finish certain learning tasks. Not realistic, but I get the point.
ReplyDeleteThanks for great insight on needed change!
Forwarding to all my representatives, local, state, and federal!
ReplyDelete