I attended Lower Lake Union High School, and at it, like all other schools, we received report cards as to how we were doing in each of our selected subjects. Whether our parents became involved with the grades we received differed from family to family. I happened to have parents who chose being involved, something I was more thankful for many years after high school.
Looking back on those important years of gaining an education that would hopefully help me in the future, as to jobs and overall enjoyment of life in general, I have to think about what might have been more helpful in gaining the best education at the high school level than what I received.
Looking back over the 50 years that have passed since those days, through the experience of everyday life and what I have learned during that period I can see that, as a student, we had very little to say about how we felt about those who were teaching us, and what subject matter was offered. Would it not be a good idea to bring the thoughts of all the students into play, as they are on the front lines? All those involved in their education seem to be missing the voices and thoughts they may have.
I can remember most of the students from back then having thoughts and information bearing on this issue. We also felt no one was or would be listening to what we had to say. We all had some great teachers, but we also had some very bad ones. All kept their jobs year after year. I am a strong supporter for teacher tenure. Since our school was small, and the pay not as high as many other districts, we had mostly teachers right out of college on their first assignments. Some hit the road running, bringing that special gift of teaching to bear right out of the chute. Others showed that they were truly not suited for the job, lacking attitudes, skills, and the character to ever be excellent teachers in the future. Point being, our sex education teacher, sweet, but very old, Miss Thomas, a unmarried lady in her late 60s — need I say anymore? — was not right choice for that assignment.
We the students, even at that young age, could see and understand this. It had nothing to do with the amount of homework, or whether any were easy on us. It had far more to do with making learning interesting and exciting, and lighting a fire inside us to bring our best efforts into play. One of the big negatives was the teachers who directed their efforts to a selected few, and let the rest fall to the wayside. The students needing the most help did not receive it right off the bat, but were put on the back burner, so to speak. Another factor was the student who chose the wrong subject, and would have been helped more if they were moved to a class that would allow them to gain a much better education than what they were going to get. Why waste a whole year until this issue could be corrected. Everyone will learn more when their interest level is high in what subject they are learning.
Wouldn’t it be a good idea to have the students grade their teachers, asking them questions on those issues that make for being taught by a great teacher? This would allow a new view of their education overall, with the Board of Education overseeing whether a teacher improves over time by viewing an ongoing grading thread from those they are teaching. If nothing else, it may switch on a warning light, that a possible and a correctable problem exists. I would also add that problem students being suggested by their peers for help could offer a better view of that issue also. If you’re on the Board of Education, you should not hold that position as being a part time one, sure, but also as one at the top of the leadership to make a difference in the quality of education for our youth. Giving students a voice would allow them to know that there is a real concern that they do get as strong an education as possible, which alone would bring a positive point for the need to gain an education.
Yearly tests are not the answer. Leadership needs to involve and bring needed and better changes to the system that is being used. It would be great to print a teacher’s report card in our local papers, that students can fill out and turn in at each school’s ballet box. Yes, there will be some self serving cards that offer no true assessments, but there will be many more that truly do. I am sure there are many who can offer other points to what I have written, and I hope they do.
Corporate America, over the past 50 years, has used our taxpayer funded educational system to train their future employees, and it is time that taxpayers re-introduce a much wider selection of studies, that build a more rounded, civic minded, and tolerant future citizen for our communities. Involvement of all parties is so important in this and so many other issue of our times, and the minds of our youth are more important than the physical activities the parents have become so involved in. Also, our youths’ time and interest in the high tech games and social media has created an unbalance during their development years, and should be addressed, or at least discussed, as it seems to be chipping away at the creativeness, and true social inter actions that allows for the building of long term, and very needed friendships that are so very important to the enjoyment of a person’s life.
Jim Hall is a resident of Clearlake Oaks
