Dive Brief:
- In an open letter addressed to America, Gen. Colin Powell (Ret.) and Mrs. Alma Powell set as an educational priority an emphasis on students learning "not only reading and math, but fairness, caring, self-respect, family commitment, and civic duty."
- The former Secretary of State and his wife laid out four keys to interacting with children, particularly at-risk youth, in the address: listening to them and shaking their hands and making eye contact; consistency of approach; surrounding them "with love, encouragement and support in every endeavor"; and having "a deep down conviction that they are capable of learning and succeeding."
- The letter goes on to blast "a scandal of misplaced priorities" that sees national spending at such high levels while such little is dedicated to education, but says the work of educating children to be successful adults is the job of the whole community. The more sources of support students have, the more likely they are to stay in school.
Dive Insight:
There is an increasing shift back toward recognizing the importance of social-emotional learning and the development of "soft skills" critical for success in the workforce from the beginning. No Child Left Behind brought with it a zeroing-in on English and language arts and math as the most important subjects for students to learn, to the detriment of subject areas like geography and civics. And with funding and closure decisions often being driven by performance on standardized tests, there has been an increasing amount of pressure to teach students how to pass tests, which in many cases compromises real learning and human development. As those students entered the workforce, we are discovering that much of what they need to be successful was left out of the equation. The ideas of grit and empathy are as important as math and literacy, and there must be equal emphasis on all of the above in ways that push children and encourage them to achieve at higher levels across the board.
Beyond that, however, there is a recurring theme in much of the research that is coming out around serving at-risk students, and that is the idea that the problem with these students might not so much lie with the students themselves but with the adults around them. Basic principles of respect, nurturing growth mindset, establishing consistent expectations, and providing students with the academic resources they need to succeed early on sound like common sense, but are in too many cases missing from too many educators and school officials.
The tone has to come from the top. It is up to district leaders to encourage curricula that is challenging and pushes all students within the district, beginning with kindergarten. Professional development for all individuals involved in a school to promote the idea that any student can learn will be key to teachers fostering a growth mindset that can be passed down to children, and empathy with which to treat the students. As many have pointed out, the future of the national economy is dependent upon schools' abilities to successfully serve these students.