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The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education/December 2014
2014 CABE/CAPSS Convention GENERAL SESSION Pasi Sahlberg: The right things to do The Convention Friday morning Keynote Speaker was Dr. Pasi Sahlberg, a noted Finnish educator and scholar. Dr. Sahlberg has a long career as an education advisor for the Finnish government and other nations, including the United States. Finland has garnered interest in recent years, as they have been ranked #1 in education by many international standards. Dr. Sahlberg spoke of the similarities and differences of educating young people in Finland and to the rest of the world; most notably the United States. He said that Finland has no “magic bullet” – that makes them so successful. He admitted that most innovations in Finnish education originated in the United States. The difference is that Finland was courageous enough to do what needed to be done, where the United States often lacks the political will to take the bold steps needed to improve education. He encouraged us to look at what we do well and do more of it. Some of the differences were attributes to a different culture – women in Finland have a higher status and children are expected to be successful. Children are required to learn at least two languages and most Finns speak four. Additionally, he advised us not to let testing drive instruction. In Finland, every teacher MUST be good. Every child receives early childhood and preschool education.
Four things you won’t find in Finland 1. Unhealthy competition In Finland the public schools have almost no competition, there are no charter or magnet schools and private schools are virtually non-existent. 2. Standardized teaching and learning Too many teachers teaching from a script. Creativity and teacher responsiveness to student learning mean lessons are adjusted on the fly. Individualized learning is important in Finland. 3. Test-based accountability There are no grades and the only test that matters is given when students are 18 years old. 4. Market-like school choices The goal is that every child must be successful; every teacher must be excellent and every school must deliver an excellent education. There are no competing interests. Several closing comments from Dr. Sahlberg:
• The whole child is the focus of the Finnish schools. Art, music and physical education are all important. One-third of a child’s school day relates to art, music and physical education. In elementary schools, children get 15 minutes of play each hour. • The well-being and health of children are critical. Thirty-three percent of all students are identified with special needs, but the emphasis is on prevention rather than “repair”. • “Teaching is not rocket science – it’s harder than that”. We must empower teachers by redesigning the teaching profession to focus on the needs of the children rather than the needs of the adults. Dr. Sahlberg ended his presentation with a quote from Winston Churchill, “You can always count on America to do the right thing; after they’ve tried everything else”. His belief is that we already know the right things to do to be successful and encouraged us to go forth and do them. Nicholas Caruso Sr. Staff Associate for Field Services, CABE
Rick Mastracchio: A Connecticut Astronaut at the CABE/CAPSS Convention The headliner of the Friday evening general session of the 2014 CABE/ CAPSS Convention – Astronaut Rick Mastracchio – was out of this world! Mastracchio – who has totaled 228 days in space across four missions, according to a Convention program profiling general session speakers – is a product of the Constitution State, having grown up in Waterbury, and he detailed how his experience in Connecticut’s public schools provided a solid foundation for his future successes. “I attended Chase Grammar School up to 8th grade and then went to Crosby High School [and graduated in 1978] and I had great teachers the whole time,” he said. “We are here to talk about education, so I think I need to mention my teachers because I had a lot of great teachers growing up.” Mastracchio noted that he was fascinated by the science he was taught in elementary school. “A lot of people ask me: how did you become an astronaut? How did you get to where you are today? And I always tell them, and this is true, [that] back in fifth and sixth grade, when my teachers would talk about science and the planets and NASA and airplanes and
things like that, it would just capture my attention,” he recalled. “And it just amazed me that these things were going on out there,” he added. “But I never knew I could be an astronaut; no one ever told me I couldn’t do something, so I decided I would go ahead and do it, what the heck?” Before that, though, he got his degree in engineering from the flagship public university in his home state, the University of Connecticut, which received a rowdy cheer from the crowd when mentioned by Mastracchio (he also has two masters degrees from other institutions). From 1982-87, Mastracchio was employed by Hamilton Standard in Connecticut as an engineer in the system design group, according to the convention program; while there, he participated in the development of high performance, strapped-down inertial measurement units and flight control computers. In 1987, Mastracchio moved down to Houston to work for the Rockwell Shuttle Operations Company at the Johnson Space Center, added the program; in 1990, he joined NASA as an engineer in the Flight Crew Operations Directorate. Six years later, in 1996, Mastracchio was on the cusp of realizing his dream when he was selected as an astronaut candidate; he started training in August 1996. But his path out of this world – literally – started in Waterbury with the great educators he had as a youth. One of them was a high school guidance counselor who reasoned that Mastracchio should be an engineer since he was “really good” at math and liked science. “I had some great teachers who pointed me in the right direction,” he recalled. – Chris Seymour Reporter, CABE
Bill Daggett: 70% of Youngsters Not Eligible for Military Founder and Chair of the International Center for Leadership in Education Dr. Bill Daggett was our keynote speaker Saturday morning of the CABE/ CAPSS Convention. In his keynote and a workshop he presented after the General Session, Dr. Daggett spoke about the struggles of our students. Among his points were that school boards associations, both in our state and nationally, have become the “voice of reason” at this time of reform. In regard to the need of our schools to adjust to newer thinking, different demographics and other concerns, he said
that it is so hard to change because the “newest solution becomes the enemy”. This is due to “entrenched interests”. As proof of the issues that face our students, he noted that nationally 70% of our youngsters out of high school are not even eligible for the armed services. Among the major reasons was that they lack diplomas, cannot pass literacy tests, are incarcerated or are obese. “If they are not even ready for the military, what makes anyone think that they are ready for 21st Century jobs?” he asked the audience. And, he added, the military now requires the same job skills as 21st Century occupations. What kind of trends will we see in the future in education? Dr. Daggett said that one of the ones we, as board members, parents and citizens, must better understand is that the Internet will soon be “anticipatory” in that, because of artificial intelligence, will be even quicker and more responsive to the needs of users. He asked, “Are your children on FaceBook?” When many answered “no”, he half-jokingly stated that was because “you’re on it.” But, what many people, especially youngsters, don’t realize is that wherever you go on the Internet, you leave “footprints”, which is how large companies can target you for ads. He spoke in favor of the Common Core State Standards and continued to discuss the issues facing the country and the State in his workshop. If anyone would like a copy of his PowerPoint for either the General Session or the workshop, email Karen Wilkins at KWilkins@leadered.com. Robert Rader Executive Director, CABE
WORKSHOPS New Professional Learning System Coming Along The collaborative process behind the development of a new professional learning system for Connecticut’s educators was the focus of one Saturday morning workshop at the 2014 CABE/ CAPSS Convention. “Supporting Educator Effectiveness and Student Learning Through a New Vision for Professional Learning in Connecticut” was presented by Director of Leadership Development for the State Department of Education Sarah Barzee; Division Director for Education Effectiveness and Professional Learning from the State Department of Education (SDE) Talent Office Shannon Marimon; and SDE Talent Office Consultant Kimberly Audet. Audet touched on the Connecticut Academy for Professional Learning, which she said will “build a vision of professional learning.” She explained, “We have convened a large group of stakeholders: there are reps see PROFESSIONAL page 13