KTMS Radio Commentary
In a report titled “The
Annenberg Challenge: Lessons and Reflections on Public School Reform,”
researchers identified several important lessons from their studies.
• First: Every child benefits from high
expectations and standards.
• Even large gifts like those
from Annenberg are no substitute for adequate, equitable, and reliable funding.
• Schools are too isolated.
Reaching out to other schools and forming networks for mutual support and
criticism can help.
The report also found that schools need lots of allies to do their
work. Parents, businesses, and foundations all can play a vital role.
• Professional development holds
the key to better schools. Teachers — both new ones and veterans — are eager to
become better instructors.
• Schools need strong leadership
— not just from principals and superintendents, but also in the classroom, on
school boards, in the community, and in state capitals.
• Schools need accountability.
But those who set the policy and allocate resources should also be held
accountable.
The final lesson learned: Public
education in America is better than its image. Public schools and those who
work with them must do a better job of telling their stories.”
More detailed information about
the report can be found at the website of the Annenberg Foundation at
www.lessonsandreflections.org. That’s www.lessonsandreflections.org.
