Beyond Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic

Much of what I am going to share today comes from a paper published by Richard Rothstein in Phi Delta Kappan December 2006 titled, The Goals of Education.

The current overemphasis on academic skills in our schools is contrary to what leaders in American history have espoused. Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson all expressed goals for public education that expanded beyond reading and math. They felt there also needed to be political and moral goals.

Franklin thought history particularly important because "questions of right and wrong, justice and injustice, will naturally arise" as students debate historical issues "in conversation and writing." He also felt that physical fitness was as vital as intellectual fitness because "exercise invigorates the soul as well as the body."

There has been a fear throughout American history that public schools for the poor would include only basic reading and math skills and not the more important intellectual development that could empower the working class. As far back as 1830 in Pennsylvania a committee that had been appointed to examine urban public schools denounced urban schools for instruction that "extends [no] further than a tolerable proficiency in reading, writing, and arithmetic." Equality, the committee concluded, is but "an empty shadow" if poor children don't get an "equal education...in the habits, in the manners, and in the feelings of the community."

Horace Mann concluded after visiting Russia in 1837 that basic education in reading and arithmetic did not alone ensure democratic values. Students in Prussia were literate but supported autocracy. For this reason, Mann felt that schools in a democracy could not be held accountable for academics alone but must inculcate democratic moral and political values so that literacy would not be misused.

In 1938 the NEA which at the time was a quasi-governmental group composed of not only educators, but also professionals and policy makers in education, issued a report that proclaimed, "The safety of democracy will not be assured merely by making education universal." Or, in other words, making all Americans literate. The dictatorships [Germany, Italy, Japan, and the Soviet Union] have universal schooling and use this very means to prevent the spread of democratic doctrines and institutions.

Of course we want a literate American people, but we must also consider why that is important. I would conjecture that it is not only so each individual person can increase his or her earning power, but is also so that the principles of democracy that we treasure and value so highly will continue to exist. In order for the latter to occur, we must conclude that being literate for a democracy means more than being able to read, write, and do math.

We'll continue with this discussion tomorrow.

Academic Rigor With Heart

I am choosing to take a detour today and save until tomorrow the further conversation about civic learning.


Yesterday for class Dr. Hite took us to BYU's (Brigham Young University) library to meet with Rachel Wadham, the library education specialist. Just being in a library inspires and awes me. Yesterday's experience was no exception as I caught Rachel's contagious enthusiasm for learning and accessing information.


When I first discovered libraries as a young girl, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I couldn't read enough books or gather enough information fast enough to satisfy my curiosity or desire to learn. The more I learned, the more I knew there was to learn, and I wanted to know it all. This insatiable appetite to learn it all is even harder now to address with the rate at which knowledge is expanding exponentially and when it is so accessible through so many avenues.

In spite of this strong desire to use my mind and to learn from books and other sources of intellectual knowledge, that alone won't quench the thirst or feed the hunger. The heart must be included in the search.

A few quotes to explain the importance of the heart in regards to learning:

• "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." Antoine de Saint Exupéry from The Little Prince.
• "The heart has eyes which the brain knows nothing of." Charles H. Perkhurst
• The human heart knows things the eyes don't see, and feels things the mind cannot understand."
• "..it came to a time in my life when my heart told me things that my mind did not know...." Harold B. Lee quoting a prominent university professor
• "When we understand more than we know with our minds, when we understand with our hearts, then we know that the Spirit of the Lord is working upon us." Harold B. Lee
• "The heart is wiser than the intellect." J. G. Holland
• "If I create from the heart, nearly everything works; if from the head, almost nothing." Marc Chagall

In order to learn from the heart and allow it to guide our rigorous intellectual and academic pursuits, it is imperative that we take time to be still and to listen. The heart whispers so we have to listen closely.

It is important that as we pursue the getting of intellectual knowledge with academic rigor that we don't look beyond the mark by being past feeling. There will be times our hearts will provide answers to questions such as how to best meet the needs of our diverse learners that all the intellect and all the knowledge in all the libraries of the world won't provide.

Civic Learning For Minorities

"Knowledge about the ideas embodied in the Constitution and the ways in which it shapes our lives is not passed down from one generation to generation through the gene pool. It must be learned anew by each generation," declares Sandra Day O'Connor, former U. S. Supreme Court Judge and now co-chair of Campaign ForThe Civic Mission of Schools.

According to William A. Galston, Saul Stern Professor of Civic Engagement at University of Maryland, College Park, this is even more critical now: "While the importance of civic education is perennial, several needs combine to make it especially urgent today: the U. S. must integrate an unprecedented wave of immigrants into the mainstream of civic life: left un-checked, troubling inequalities in the civic participation of different socioeconomic and ethnic groups could exacerbate undesirable political and policy trends: and civic education is one of the few forces that can resist the rising tide of materialism in U.S. culture that numerous surveys have documented."

The statistics don't look too promising. In the 2001 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) test of U. S. history, more students scored below "basic" in history than in any other subject tested, including math, science, and reading: 13% in grade 4 scored below basic; 36% in grade 8; and 57% in grade 12. In other words, the longer they are in school, the worse it gets.

The statistics from the last civics assessment in 1998 paint an even bleaker picture, especially for minority students.

As our nation becomes more diverse our schools must step up to the plate to provide, especially for our minority learners, the opportunity to gain the knowledge, develop the skills, and cultivate the attitude needed for civic participation. Yet, the 2003 Council for Basic Education survey found that principals in schools with high proportions of minorities were more likely to have reduced time for history, civics, geography, the arts , and foreign languages so they could devote more time to math and reading.

Tomorrow's "blog post" will explain why a focus on only reading and math is detrimental and how the issue can be addressed so one focus doesn't have to be sacrificed for another.

Education Vision

Recently a summit on the achievement gap was held in Sacramento, California. What was presented at that summit has stirred up much conversation and debate. One such conversation/debate was between Richard Rothstein and Russlynn Ali which was printed daily for a week in the Los Angeles Times.

A couple of days ago I had the opportunity to access the whole transcript. While reading it, I found myself highlighting, writing "YES!!!" and starring Richard Rothstein's ideas, thoughts, and suggestions. For the next few days I'm going to draw upon his comments for my daily post.

Today I'm going to address an issue that takes us back to former posts centered on David McCullough and the need for history.

Rothstein notes one great harm NCLB (No Child Left Behind) has done to American education, particularly to disadvantaged children, and that is something called curriculum narrowing. At this point in time the law only holds schools accountable for math and reading. Inevitable result?- Something which sociologists have long called "goal displacement"--doing more of what you are accountable for and less of what you are not.

I would add something that I learned in my leadership class with Dr. Julie Hite at BYU--- "goal displacement" can cause an organization to focus on peripheral goals only because they are easy to measure, and not because they have any relationship to the long term vision or mission or goal of education. Thus, the most important educational goals are sacrificed.

Rothstein goes onto say that this is something well known in organizational theory. Management expert W. Edwards Deming urged businesses to "eliminate management by numbers, numerical goals" because they encourage a focus on short, not long-term, results. Peter Druker gave similar advice. What management experts are suggesting today is to use "balanced score cards" to measure success and not rely solely on financial indicators.

According to Rothstein, nobody is suggesting that better math and reading instruction be ignored. Yet, and this is an important "yet," to increase the low-income and minority children's chances for success, we must guarantee them a balanced education that includes more than math and reading instruction.

Rothstein comments that in Senate testimony, historian David McCullough observed, "Because of No Child Left Behind, sadly, history is being put on a back burner or taken off the stove altogether in many of our schools in favor of math or reading."

When schools only focus on reading and math, there is a decreased focus on social studies, history, science, art, music, etc., particularly in schools that serve low-income and minority students because this is where reading and math scores are the lowest. Even if the gap were narrowing in math and reading (which it is not), the gap is widening in other areas that are equally important but may be harder to measure numerically. And I would add that for minority students, especially English Language Learners, participating in subjects such as art, music, science, and history can help build self-confidence that can then translate into greater success with reading and math.

Rothstein quotes Chester Finn and Diane Ravitch, both once prominent NCLB advocates: If NCLB continues they write: "Rich kids will study philosophy and art, music and history, while their poor peers fill in bubbles on test sheets. The lucky few will spawn the next generation of tycoons, political leaders, investors, authors, artists and entrepreneurs. The less lucky masses will see narrower opportunities."

Although NCLB has made us recognize and acknowledge achievement gaps which we must do if we are to better meet the needs of our diverse learners, it is a draft that must be revised or even possibly rewritten altogether. This is true of even the best well laid plans.

And although NCLB's vision may be noble, I would question whether it is a vision. I see it as a goal to achieve a vision. That is part of the problem. We have not, yet, done what needs to be done to clearly articulate an education vision that will identify the purpose of education itself. NCLB may have been putting the cart before the horse, and therefore, we have focused on all kinds of "displaced goals," jeopardizing the realization of the true education vision we haven't yet identified.

Without a proper clear, articulated vision, we may win a battle, but lose the war. The "won battle" may be that we have children who have reading and math skills while we "lose the war" to have a well-educated society because we've neglected and sacrificed other important and critical aspects of education.

One of these important and critical aspects is history and civic learning. Rothstein quotes from the Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools that Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor now co- chairs: "As civic learning has been pushed aside, society has neglected a fundamental purpose of American education, putting the health of our democracy at risk."

Identity: It's Not Either Or

Did you hear about the time when a president went to visit a nursing home?

He walked up to a lady in a wheel chair and tried to be polite, but found that he wasn't being very successful at carrying on a conversation with her. Finally, in desperation he said, "Ma'am, do you know who I am?" She answered, "No, sir, I don't know who you are--but if you go up to that desk, they can tell you."


Everyone wants to be recognized and appreciated for who they are. Belonging is a strong need for each of us.


An article was posted on November 27, 2007 at charlotte.com about Hispanics joining gangs that describes very well what happens when this sense of belonging is not met. Although the following information comes from N.C., the facts are similar to what other states are facing:

• Hispanic youth struggling to find acceptance in U.S. culture are increasingly turning to gangs and other destructive behavior seeking a sense of belonging.


• In N.C. more than half of Hispanic girls are expected to be pregnant before their 20th birthday (and I'll add that too many of them will be unwed mothers).


• More than 40% of N.C. youth say they have faced ethnic discrimination, often from classmates.


• Some Hispanic students are four to five years behind academically, and they are illiterate in their native language.


• Educators often write off students who join gangs.

The article ends by quoting William Lassiter, manager of the state's Center for the Prevention of School Violence: "The big misconception is that these kids are not savable, that once they're in, they're info life. That's just not true. We need to ask ourselves: How do we serve these kids better?"

In order to serve these kids better, it is critical that we recognize is that young people who are made to feel that they have to sacrifice one culture for another experience a feeling of not truly fitting in anywhere.

Researchers have identified four choices our diverse students have in regards to this

1. Separation: Cultural learners choose to retain their original culture and avoid interaction with the dominant culture.


2. Assimilation: Cultural learners reject their original culture and seek to identify only with the dominant culture.


3. Integration: Cultural learners seek to maintain aspects of their original culture as well as the dominant culture.


4. Marginalization: Cultural learners show little interest in having cultural ties with either their original culture or the dominant culture.

Research demonstrates that cultural learners who choose integration glean the greatest benefits. When they can bridge the two cultures of their lives, they have higher self-esteem, even when facing apparent discrimination. Also, according to researcher, Dr. Patricia Gándara, "...the most academically successful students were those who remained most closely allied with the culture of their parents." Recent research show that many first and second generation immigrant children are successful not because they relinquish their traditional ways but because they draw strength from their home culture and a positive sense of their eithnic identity.

If we are to better serve our Hispanic youth, it is crucial that we respond to what the research suggests and do "whatever it takes" so they are able to integrate. If we don't, they are left with the other options, none of which is productive. Choosing marginalization is especially detrimental because living in "no man's land" makes joining and belonging to a gang very attractive.

It's also important to remember that for youth to be able to draw strength from two cultures can only make their lives richer.

NOTE: There are two websites that I highly recommend where more ideas can be found on what is needed to give Hispanic youth tools that they need to avoid gangs: www.richardrramos.com and www.bullies2buddies.com Richard Ramos is the author of Got Gangs? and Izzy Kalman is the author of Bullies to Buddies.

Honorable Men and Women Are NOT Hypocrites

If we define a hypocrite as someone who says one thing, and does another, then all great and honorable men and women should be called hypocrites. Why? Because their ideals and goals will always exceed their grasp. They're not pretending to be something that they're not--something very different than living below one's ideals.


I believe this is true not only of the honorable men and women of our day, but also those of the past. If we choose to look for their flaws, we will find them.....and in doing so we will miss the beauty of their high ideals that can influence and inspire us.


I once heard about an experiment called "scan the red." What one does in this experiment is enter a room and only look for the red. What will the person find? More red than she knew existed, even in a familiar room. What is missed? All the other beautiful colors that are there in the room.


A quote from the speech "Citizenship in a Republic" given by Theodore Roosevelt in Paris,France on April 23, 1910 says: It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly...who knows the great enthusiams, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while doing greatly, so that his place will never be with those cold and timid souls who have never known neither victory nor defeat.

Ian Percy suggests that we live a double standard: "We judge others by their behavior. We judge ourselves by our intentions." And Benjamin Franklin said, "Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain--and most fools do." It would behoove us, also, to remember that people are often doing the best they can with the knowledge they possess at a moment in time. Learning from the mistakes of others, as well as our own, would be a more productive stance to take.

This in no way means that we should never criticize. I concur with James Baldwin who said, "I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually." After all, as Walter Ulbricht says, "The nature of a democracy consists in an important degree in the right of the people to criticize problems and mistakes."

Yet, even in criticizing we can be more effective if we remember the following counsel:

• "Sweep first before your own door before you sweep the doorsteps of your neighbors." (Swedish proverb)


• "Criticize the act, not the person." Mary Kay Ash


• "He has a right to criticize who has a heart to help." Abraham Lincoln

Then we have the inspiring words of Anne Frank, who even while suffering from the unthinkable, had the heart to say, "Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart."

Although it might be somewhat Pollyanish to believe that all people are good at heart, I do believe that the majority of people are---those from the past as well as the present. If we look for their ideals and goodness rather than focus primarily on their flaws, except to learn from them, it is my belief that our personal lives and the life of our country will be richer.

The Chinese Finger Trap Lesson

A Chinese finger trap is a simple puzzle that traps the victim's index fingers in both ends of a small woven bamboo cylinder. The initial reaction of the victim is to remove the fingers outward, but this only tightens the trap. The solution to escaping the trap is to push the ends inward toward the middle, which enlarges the openings and frees the fingers.


Doing the opposite of what seems the logical thing to do is also apparent in Karate. Rather than resist the opponent, Karate learners are taught to channel the opponent's energy.


Not only is this concept applicable to a toy and a sport, it is applicable to relationships. The book, Team of Rivals, by Doris Kearns Goodwin reveals how Abraham Lincoln was a genius on how to do this. After Lincoln won the presidential election, rather than keep rivals as far away from the White House as possible, he appointed them to high positions in his cabinet.


Lincoln included in his cabinet those who, prior to his election, were not just his major political opponents, but who viewed Lincoln with contempt. Edwin Stanton had even described him as a "long armed Ape."


Lincoln lived by what he said:

• "Am I not destroying my enemies when I make them my friends?"


• "With malice toward none; with charity for all."


• "It is an old and true maxim that 'a drop of honey catches more flies than a gallon of gall.' So with men. If you would win a man to your cause, first convinve him that you are his sincere friend."


• "A house divided against itself cannot stand." (quoted from the Bible)

As we strive to address the needs of our diverse learners, it is critical that we follow Lincoln's example. We can work through disagreements if we will apply the following attitudes and behaviors:

• It's not you versus me; it's you and me versus the problem.


• Deal with the conflict from where you agree--It's more effective to move from areas of agreement to areas of disagreement, than the other way around.


• Rather than striving to bring adversaries to their knees, bring them to the table.


• First get conflict and violence out of one's own heart and soul.


• Say things such as:

"I hadn't thought of it that way."

"You make a good point."

"You may be right."

In other words, do what my BYU professor, Dr. Julie Hite, admonished us to do, "Move towards your adversaries." A great resource for learning how to do this can be found at Izzy Kalman's website: http://www.bullies2buddies.com/ and/or in his book, Bullies to Buddies.

Lincoln worked so effectively with his four political opponents that he had appointed to his cabinet that at the time of his assassination, each had grown to love as well as respect him even though initially they had considered themselves superior to Lincoln in all respects. Edward Bates even described Lincoln as "very near being a perfect man."

Our efforts in following Lincoln's example may not bring the same accolades from our adversaries, nor should we even expect them to. That isn't really what matters. What matters is the benefits our diverse learners will reap because of our efforts and willingness to work with, rather than against, others.

Be Proactive

Today's post will focus on: 1) What it means to be proactive, 2) The benefits of being proactive, 3) Why it's essential that we be proactive concerning the education of our diverse learners, and 4) What we can do to be proactive.

What it means to be proactive:

• Focus on what is wanted rather than what isn't
• Take responsibility rather than blame outside circumstances, seeing them as obstacles or problems
• Choose and control response to circumstances (people, events, environment)
• Create events and opportunities by setting one's own goals
• Go forward with purpose
• Keep readjusting the sails to arrive at the target goal
• Ask, What can I contribute?, rather than, What can I get? or What can I achieve?

The benefits of being proactive:

• Won't be doomed to work to achieve the goals of others
• Won't be holding high the banner of emotionally charged issues
• Won't go with the flow that leads to undesirable outcomes
• Won't rely on "silver bullets"
• Won't feel "acted upon" leading to resentment and ill-will

Thus...Circle of influence will be expanded which will result in an increase of power

Why being proactive is essential to improve the education of our diverse learners: If those who are knowledgeable about "what works" for diverse learners through research/study and/or experience don't take a proactive stance in advocacy, they will find themselves taking a reactive stance to the policies set by those who are not knowledgeable about the issues. 'A reactive stance is not nearly as powerful as a proactive stance.

What to do to be proactive:

When Linda Darling-Hammond was in Salt Lake City for an Education Policy Forum, I asked her to respond to the following comment by the late Dr. Ronald Edmonds from Harvard University:

"We can, whenever and wherever we choose, successfully teach all children whose schooling is of interest to us. We already know more than we need to do that. Whether or not we do it must finally depend on how we feel about the fact that we haven't so far."

Edmonds, R. R. "Effective Schools for the Urban Poor." Educational Leadership 37 (1979): 15-27.

Darling-Hammond's response was enlightening and thought-provoking. She asked, "Who is the 'we'?" It was at that moment that I realized that not everyone knows and that what Walter Kelly's creation, Pogo, said, "We have met the enemy and it is us" definitely applies. It is up to those who have researched and studied this issue to educate those who aren't knowledgeable.

By taking the following steps, we can expand the "we."

1. Be knowledgeable about the issue focusing on "what works" rather than what doesn't
2. Network with others who are knowledgeable
3. Work together to identify, pinpoint, and prioritize the key points/goals/desired outcomes and be able to succinctly articulate them
4. Devise a plan that will embrace a variety of avenues to share #3 with policy makers, students, educators, parents, community groups, the general public, etc. and let them know specifically how they can contribute to the cause
5. Follow up so everyone feels responsible and accountable
6. Keep "readjusting the sails" until the desired goals and outcomes are achieved

Victor Frankl survived the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz by discovering the ultimate freedom "to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." We are facing some dire circumstances in the education arena, especially in regards to our diverse learners. It is my hope that we who are committed (and those who should be!) to serving our diverse learners will grasp a proactive attitude....and choose our own way... a way that advocates for what works for our diverse learners.

Wisdom About Learning from Kevin Eikenberry

Kevin Eikenberry has inspired me with ideas about leadership at least weekly over the past year. Below you will find the message I received yesterday. It fits perfectly into what I've posted the last few days.

Human beings are natural learners, and yet we don’t always harness that ability in a conscious way to help us achieve greater results. These approaches are meant to help you become a more conscious, intentional learner. Consider these approaches as habits that you can add to your daily or weekly regimen to improve your learning ability and agility.

The Three Approaches

Two articles.
I’ve already partly described this first approach. Take two articles (any two articles), read them and then look for the similarities and differences between them. Consider where they are in alignment, and consider the basis of the story or argument to see if you agree or not. This may be easy if you read two articles from a favorite trade journal or publication, but let me encourage you to consider branching out for your sources. This approach can lead to wonderful and serendipitous results when the articles come from more disparate sources. How about a newspaper article and a blog post in a different topic area? How about a trade journal article and a piece from Ladies Home Journal? Some of the best results (beyond the practice you gain from doing the exercise) will come when you haven’t “planned” your two sources upfront.


Two people.
You can do a similar thing, substituting people for articles. Have lunch with different people each of the next two days, or schedule a meeting with someone interesting. When you meet with these two people (whether planned or not) don’t focus on small talk, but get them to talk about their passions. Talk about ideas and plans. Learn more about their interests. After having done this, apply the same thought process we discussed above. Compare and contrast what you heard and discussed. Look for common lessons and ideas. Look for new ideas that might come to you with these conversations as fuel for your creativity and learning.


One of each.
Don’t have time to visit with two people today? You can use this same approach of comparing, contrasting and reflecting using one conversation and one article as the fuel for your thinking.


All three of these approaches require one important component – you must do more than read and listen, you must think. Thinking is a critical part of the learning process, and one many of us don’t truly do enough of!

[To learn more about Kevin's work, visit www.kevineikenberry.com]

Writing Is A Powerful Tool

I once heard that we should always carry two books with us--one to read and one to write in. Yesterday's "blog posting" addressed the importance of the first kind. Today's "blog posting" will address the value of the second kind...and how the two complement each other.

David McCullough in an interview with Bruce Cole, Chairman of NEH, said, "Writing is thinking. To write well is to think clearly" and William Safire states, "By elevating your reading, you will improve your writing or at least tickle your thinking."

To read is to empower

To empower is to write

To write is to influence

To influence is to change

To change is to live.

--Jane Evershed--

More than a Tea Party

According to McCullough there is something about the pen that focuses the brain in a way that nothing else does. Francis Bacon suggests, "Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man."

Writing can be especially power for our diverse learners. Elie Wiesel has said, "Write only what you alone can write." Each diverse learner has a story to tell that only he or she can write.

We must encourage that story to be told. Often that will mean allowing the student to tell that story in his/her home language.

Learning English

In Cool Salsa

Translated by Lori M. Carlson

Life

To understand me

You have to know Spanish

Feel it in the blood of your soul.

If I speak another language

And use different words

For feelings that will always stay the same

I don't know

If I'll continue being

the same person.

Martin Espada, a famed poet, is convinced that giving diverse learners a voice through poetry will make a difference for them. He feels that young people have a hope regardless of their life's circumstances and in spite of the millions of people in the U.S. who are prejudiced against them and feel they don't belong here. Most young people feel that if they can make their voices heard, things will change. Therefore, Espada wants to help them find the poetry in their own experience.

Espada feels that poetry will help our diverse learners maintain their dignity and sense of self-respect...and therefore, be better suited to defend themselves against the world. Plus, poetry humanizes---and makes the invisible visible. In this way, their voices through their poetry can be a political tool.

After all, "The pen is mightier than the sword."

Edward Bulwer-Lytton

McCullough and Reading

David McCullough said in his 2003 Jefferson Lecture for the National Endowment for the Humanities: "We are what we read." He added that this was no less true in that distant founding time of our nation. Therefore, when he studies the life of a person, he not only searches for what the person wrote, but also searches to discover what he/she read.

McCullough mentions in this same speech that reading is a means of education and gaining knowledge. But books mean more than knowledge in the basic sense. Books allow minds to meet, ideas to be exchanged, and experiences to be remembered or imagined. Those who don't read impoverish themselves.

Dr. Seuss said it succinctly:

The more you read,

the more things you will know.

The more that you learn

the more places you'll go.

Considering that reading is so important, it is critical that we keep the following in mind:

• "It is a great thing to start life with a small number of really good books which are your very own," said Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The results of one research project indicated that while the average American home had 137 books, the average Hispanic family with an English Language Learner (s) only had 26. There are many Hispanic homes that have none.
• A book doesn't have to be read in English to carry the message. For instance, a monolingual Spanish speaking student who is learning English doesn't have to wait until he/she is proficient in English to read books---Let her read Anne Frank in Spanish. According to Dale Rees an ALS (Alternative Language Student) Coordinator in Salt Lake City School District, "Ten years from now the student won't remember whether Anne Frank was read in English or Spanish, but she will know that she read it."
• Mark Twain said, "The man [child] who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them." In other words, focusing only decoding skills, especially for English Language Learners, won't help them to fall in love with books. Exposure to books is what creates a love for books....and a by-product of a love for books is a desire to learn to read them.
• Children, including our diverse learners and English Language Learners, can comprehend more than they can read on their own. Therefore, we must read books to them that they are unable to read on their own.
• Great literature comes from many different cultural backgrounds, not just the dominant culture. Therefore, we must not only expose all children and youth to a variety of genres, but also to great literature from a variety of cultures.

May all of us follow the counsel of William Faulkner, "Read, read, read." As we do so, and as we encourage our young to do so, we will reap the benefits that David McCullough claims come from reading.

Advancing the History Cause

"Take heart and take action," says David McCullough. "Get worked up, go and fix the problem, because it is fixable." After all, he adds, "There are more public libraries in the United States than McDonalds' fast food restaurants."

According to McCullough, since we are a government of the people, the answer as to what is to be done to advance the cause does not depend on some longed-for leader, but rather on the the person in the mirror.

What to do:

Universities:

David McCullough feels that universities must change the way they educate teachers. He feels that teachers get their degrees in education and they don't know any subjects. He suggests that teachers should have majors in the liberal arts to help ignite the passion for history. Teachers without passion for history won't spark any passion among their students as it's this passion that makes teachers effective.

Schools:

• Tell stories


• Delve into literature from history (biographies, poems, speeches, etc.) from all ethnic backgrounds, not textbooks, to improve reading---According to David McCullough the quality of textbooks are so filled with "politically correct mush" that they kill the interest of students.


• Write and participate in historical plays


• Encourage all students to participate in history fairs

Parents:

• Turn off the TV more often and when it is turned on, use it more productively--watch the History Channel, "American Experience," the C-SPAN presidential series, etc.


• Have conversations about history at the dinner table or in the car


• Visit historic sites


• Read to and with children the history literature


• Keep journals to record one's own personal history
  

Libraries:

Become involved in the "We the People" project sponsored by NEH (National Endowment for the Humanities)

There is so much to learn about tolerance, patience, courage, human nature, and life from those who have gone before us. Winston Churchill reminded us, "We haven't journeyed this far because we are made of sugar candy."

"Indifference to history isn't just ignorant, it's rude. It's a form of ingratitude," McCullough emphasizes.

As each of us commits to fight the battle we face of raising a generation that is historically illiterate, may we also follow the example of McCullough who describes himself as a "short-range pessimist, but long-range optimist." Not only have there been great accomplishments in the past, there are more to come as we accept the opportunity to build upon the past.

What American History To Teach?

"The history curricula of public schools should be constructed around the principle that all people have been significant actors in human events.....The history of minority groups is critical to the understanding of the American past as well as the present.... A successful history education should help students understand what binds Americans together while simultaneously promoting respect for America's pluralism and diversity."

From the Organization of American Historians' Statement

on Multicultural History Education

Looking at history through the lens of different groups of people, will more likely than not result in a clash of perspectives. Therefore, it is critical that each perspective be based upon sound historical scholarship.

Sound historical scholarship can't help but reveal the flaws and imperfections of individuals and groups of people as well as their sterling attributes. After all, they were human, as we are. We must also remember that our history of them was their present. They were living it, not looking at it with hindsight.

It's also important to remember that people from our nation's history such as our founding fathers were aware of their imperfections. Their inability and our nation's inability to live up to the ideals they espoused should in no way diminish the importance and value of those ideals. It is the responsibility of each succeeding generation to carry the torch, striving to come closer to the ideals.

We can only carry that torch and be an educated participant in our democracy if we know our history. Being cynical and negative about our nation's history will dim, if not extinguish, the light of that torch. David McCullough has said, "Cynics don't get much done. Cynics don't advance the cause."

Tomorrow's "blog" post will carry on this discussion focusing on what we can do to advance the cause.

Teaching History and Multiculturalism

As I read LaVarr Webb's comments on David McCullough's visit to Utah in Utah Policy a couple of days ago, I felt that maybe it was time to tackle once again a controversial topic in the multicultural arena.

Historian Daniel Boorstein said, "Trying to plan the future without a sense of the past is like trying to plant cut flowers." Famed author and historian David McCullough states that if we are to be successful in the present, it is critical that we study history and be knowledgeable about the past

McCullough also made the following important points:

• "Because you were born into this particular era does not mean it has to be the limit of your experience. Move about in time, go places."


• "..you can't understand yourself or your country without a sense of your past."


• "History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. History is who we are and why we are the way we are."


• "..history is a larger way of looking at life."
  

In spite of the fact that probably most would agree with all these statements, the results revealed from one survey is indicative of what our young people know (or rather don't know) about history: The survey shows that almost half the kids polled don't know the purpose of the Declaration of Independence. And about 1 in 6 parents don't know that the document declared the American colonies free from British rule. The survey also shows that only about 1 in 8 children can correctly identify the nation's founding fathers, that only about half know that "the shot heard round the world" started the Revolution, and that a third don't know that the "Redcoats" were British soldiers who fought in the Revolution - and not in either the Civil War or World War I.

This is a travesty. Yet, there are some things happening in education that could help explain reasons for this. One is the focused emphasis on reading and math in order to meet NCLB mandates....and forgetting that teaching history could help with reading comprehension. Another reason could be the paranoid educators feel ---that while teaching history they may say or do something that is not politically correct and/or in contradiction to multicultural advocate demands.

Tomorrow's post will further address this issue--with help from the wisdom of David McCullough on this topic.

Lessons to Learn from "Wet Pants"

As I read the story "Wet Pants" which was sent to me this morning by my good friend, Richard Gordon, not only was I touched by the depth of care shown by a 3rd grade girl, but I saw a new application. There are lessons Susie teaches through her example that anyone wanting to make a difference for diverse learners will want to learn and apply.

WET PANTS

Come with me to a third grade classroom..... There is a nine-year-old kid sitting at his desk and all of a sudden, there is a puddle between his feet and the front of his pants are wet.

He thinks his heart is going to stop because he cannot possibly imagine how this has happened. It's never happened before, and he knows that when the boys find out he will never hear the end of it. When the girls find out, they'll never speak to him again as long as he lives.

The boy believes his heart is going to stop; he puts his head down and prays this prayer, 'Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now! Five minutes from now I'm dead meat.'

He looks up from his prayer and here comes the teacher with a look in her eyes that says he has been discovered As the teacher is walking toward him, a classmate named Susie is carrying a goldfish bowl that is filled with water. Susie trips in front of the teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl of water in the boy's lap. The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while is saying to himself, 'Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!'

Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy is the object of sympathy. The teacher rushes him downstairs and gives him gym shorts to put on while his pants dry out. All the other children are on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk. The sympathy is wonderful.

But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been his has been transferred to someone else - Susie. She tries to help, but they tell her to get out. You've done enough, you klutz!'

Finally, at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, the boy walks over to Susie and whispers, 'You did that on purpose, didn't you?' Susie whispers back, 'I wet my pants once too.'

May God help us see the opportunities that are always around us to do good..

Lessons Susie teaches:

• She was observant


• She was empathetic


• She didn't blame anyone, not even the little boy, for the situation


• She didn't organize a committee to help


• She thought in terms of how she personally could help...and it didn't matter that he was a boy and that she was a girl or that she was only 9 years old


• She didn't wait for the authority person, the person with the "power," --the teacher--to address the issue


• She didn't ask to be recognized for the good she had done. In fact.....


• She allowed herself to be ridiculed and misunderstood--without whining or murmuring

The boy taught some lessons, too:

• Pray for help


• Recognize the help when it comes


• Give thanks for the help both to the Lord and to the person who helped

Most of the time Heavenly Father answers prayers through someone else. A spiritual leader will strive to live in such a way that he or she can be the answer to the unspoken, as well as the spoken, prayers of his/her diverse learners and their families.

Raise the Education Banner

John Florez in his recent editorial in the Deseret News emphasizes the need to act. Spiritual leaders need to raise the education banner and rally the "troops" so that we can do in education what needs to be done to make a difference for our diverse learners.



Stop tinkering, build common-good ed system
By John Florez
Published: November 19, 2007


Floods, fires, failing crops — it didn't matter. In times of crisis, Americans have pulled together. However, our debate over school vouchers revealed the ominous threat this generation faces: a loss of commitment to the common good. The debate centered on how to fix education against how to "save it" — privatization, choice, accountability, save the children, the poor and minorities. All were patchwork solutions to fix an outdated institution that is now making our nation lose ground in the global economy. Missing from the debate was the concern for our nation. It was parochial, all about "me." No one asked the question, How should we restructure our education system so our nation can succeed in a constantly changing world?


The crisis this generation faces is one of confidence and lack of leadership. Our nation was built and prospered by individuals who were not afraid to act. They did so with confidence in themselves and in their fellow citizens. They dared to dream and were not afraid to fail. Standing still when you have to defend your country or your family is not an option.


We have stopped believing in ourselves. We seem to be living in fear and unable to muster the will and the confidence past generations had. Today we are more divided and blaming each other for the failure of our schools, but much of the blame rests with the average citizen who sits back and does nothing.


My loving critics complain that I do not offer specific solutions. All too often, individuals look to others for solutions, but our democracy doesn't work that way. It was designed so that people kept informed and took action when our government needed a push — sometimes a big one. We live with the myth that leaders mean someone else, rather than seeing ourselves as leaders. The solutions rest with each of us. The voucher debate was started by leaders who had the courage to reach out to others and act.


Changing institutions requires leaders who offer a vision of what institutions ought to do that promote the public's interest, rather than tinkering with the system as we have done with education.


When the owners decided that the old downtown Key Bank Building was not worth fixing, it was blown up, making room for a newer building designed to meet today's needs. We need leaders who have the courage to do the same with education: Build a new education system that can prepare children and adults with the skills needed to succeed in the new economy.



The voucher fight also brought out the strengths of our people. We care enough to argue and to fight for our beliefs. It wasn't about vouchers. It was our way of trying to fix a failing system that has left caring citizens frightened about the future of our children. It also brought the ingredients needed to bring about change. It started with someone who stood up and offered a solution and found others with the same passion. That's the way our democracy works.



There was a tremendous amount of human energy mobilized and over $8 million spent. Can you imagine what we could do if we combined that passion and money to build a new system? What if we came together around a common goal to restructure our education system so it can prepare our people with the world-class skills needed to succeed in today's global economy?


As my friend the late Judge Frank Wilkins often said, "That's big medicine."


Utah native John Florez has founded several Hispanic civil rights organizations, served on the staff of Sen. Orrin Hatch and on more than 45 state, local and volunteer boards. He also has been deputy assistant secretary of labor. E-mail: jdflorez@comcast.net

Overcoming Injustices

Today I am addressing a topic that is extremely delicate. Therefore, it is my hope to approach it in a very sensitive manner.

There is no question that groups of people as well as individuals have suffered discrimination and the consequences of it throughout our nation's history---at the hands of a system as well as from individual people.

While we fight against discrimination in all its forms and strive to eradicate it, our diverse learners need every tool possible to achieve in spite of it.

It is my belief that the work of Dr. Terry Warner provides some important tools we can give our diverse learners. I'm sharing today some thoughts from a speech he gave at BYU on January 16, 1996 titled Honest, Simple, Solid, True.

He states in this speech that the way a person can become hones, simple, solid, and true is to do it Jesus' way. Jesus suffered more degradation than what has been suffered by Native Americans, African Americans, Latter-Day Saints in Missouri, or victims of the Holocaust. He suffered without taking any offense whatsoever, without becoming mistrustful, without retaliating or withdrawing or concentrating on Himself. Rather than resisting evil, he suffered. Why? Because of his loving kindness. His love never diminished for anyone including those who caused his suffering.

By sharing this I'm not suggesting, and I'm sure Dr. Warner would agree, that we condone injustices. I just want our diverse learners to be able to respond to these injustices in a way that will help them overcome the paralyzing effects of victimization.

Dr. Warner goes onto say in this speech that the Savior's love can achieve what force cannot because where force calls forth counterforce, love calls forth love. The Savior can provide one with the assurance, hope, and strength needed so as not to become hostage to anyone who seems to want to do harm. One will, therefore, be able to see all actions of disrespect, scorn, and even abuse as opportunities to choose good over evil. The important word here is choose.

Towards the end of his speech Dr. Warner says:
In all generations idealists and revolutionaries of many religious and political persuasions have tried to rouse the world to bring an end to violence, to pull down oppression, to oppose every form of domination of one being over another, and many remarkable souls have dedicated all they possessed to make these ideals real.

How grateful we are for such people. In fact, it would behoove all of us to follow their example. Yet, as Dr. Warner, says, "But only one, the model of all peacemaking, entered the wine press alone and actually broke the power of selfishness, enmity, and death.

It is only through following the Savior's example and implementing the principles that He taught and lived can we be truly successful in fighting injustices.

Be Intelligent

To best serve our diverse learners, we must not only be well- educated and knowledgeable, but we must also be intelligent. To be intelligent requires one to be filled with light and truth. It is possible to be forever learning and never arrive at light and truth.

What must we do to move from being educated and knowledgeable to being intelligent?

• First step: Be humble knowing that no matter how much we know (or think we know!), there is still so much more we don't know. We will learn line upon line and precept upon precept.


• Second step: Seek to learn from the most excellent sources, not just the good or even the better. In order for souces (literature, art and music, people, articles, movies, websites, etc.) to be categorized as excellent, they must teach, enlighten and inspire us.
• Third step: Feast upon and ponder the lessons being taught by these excellent sources.
• Fourth step: Always have a pen and notebook close at hand--in the car, in the bathroom, on the night stand, and in one's brief case--to record insights and ideas.
• Fifth step: Within 24 hours teach someone else what was learned.
• Sixth step: Apply what was learned.


• Seventh step: Be open to new ideas and thoughts even when they are diametrically opposed to one's personal ideas and thoughts. This will require listening to the "voices" of others, including those who are not formally educated.


• Fourth step: Be willing to be wrong.

Being filled will light and truth--being intelligent--will lead to wisdom. Wise and intelligent, not just educated and knowledgeable, answers are required to respond to the question, "How can we best serve our diverse learners?"

Potential

Last spring I wrote a paper for a Linguistics class about the importance of cultural/ethnic identity. In the paper I said:

Did you hear about the time when a president went to visit a nursing home?

He walked up to a lady in a wheel chair and tried to be polite, but found that he wasn't being very successful at carrying on a conversation with her. Finally, in desperation he said, "Ma'am, do you know who I am?"
She answered, "No sir, I don't know who you are--but if you go up to that desk they can tell you."
Everyone wants to be recognized for who they are.

INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this study was to determine if ethnic/cultural identity was important to Utah Hispanics/ Latinos who had achieved academic success. Because the fervor in Utah (and the U.S.) right now is “English Only” and the desire to assimilate our culturally and linguistically diverse students as soon as possible, this study wanted to determine if there might be a more productive alternative. The hypothesis is that Utah Hispanics/Latinos who retain and value their ethnic/cultural identity while also learning the rules, customs, practices, perspectives, etc. of the dominant culture, will experience greater academic success. This hypothesis is based on the rationale that students who retain their primary ethnic/cultural identity will have stronger family ties as families are critical to young people developing a strong sense of identity. This strong sense of identity and identification with ethnic cultural values can serve as protective factors (Alford, 2006) . One’s primary culture can offer support as a young person deals with the stress and anxiety when striving to adapt to new roles and social expectations in a new culture (Decapua & Wintergerst, 2004) Young people who are made to feel that they have to sacrifice one culture for another, may experience a feeling of not truly fitting in anywhere. Plus, having two cultures from which to draw strength can only make students that much richer as a person.

The research for this paper supported the fact that young people who are able to navigate both the dominant culture and their heritage culture do better not only academically, but also in life generally. They have a greater sense of who they are.


Yet, there is an important component to remember as we strive to help young people realize their potential. Their potential lies not in any particular cultural or ethnic identity. Potential lies in the fact that they are literally children of God. When we think deeply about what that means, it can have a profound impact on how we interact with our diverse learners.


Once again I'm reminded of the words of C. S. Lewis and how they relate to our diverse learners:

"It is a serious thing," says Lewis, "to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship...... There are no 'ordinary' people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.

--C. S. Lewis, From The Weight of Glory.