CORTEZ JOURNAL
SATURdAy, MARCh 31, 2012 5A
commentary
Educational success in other nations
We’ve all heard the comparisons between U.S. public education and that of other industrialized countries. And we don’t rank well in those comparisons. Too often, policymakers respond with outrage at the poor state of education and immediately begin brainstorming their own solutions, citing notions of American exceptionalism as they implore adoption of their fixes. Instead, why not examine what those other countries are doing to achieve that success? Professor Robert Schwartz of Harvard’s Graduate School of Education did just that and spoke about it at last month’s Camden Conference. The approaches used by some of the top performing nations are antithetical to some of
our dearly held values and beliefs, but if we are serious about improving educational outcomes, why not consider making changes? First, the comparisons. According to professor Schwartz, among the 34 nations in the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, the U.S. is 12th in reading literacy. The top five nations are Korea, Finland, Canada, New Zealand and Japan. In science, the U.S. ranked 17th; the top five are Finland, Japan, Korea, New Zealand and Canada. And in mathematics, the U.S. was 25th. Korea, Finland, Switzerland, Japan and Canada were tops. The U.S. also fares poorly in the rate at which students complete high school. In the 1960s, the U.S. topped the list
Others say ThE dAiLy NEwS bangor, maine of nations, but by the 1990s and 2000s, dropped to sixth and then 13th. Korea, meanwhile, went from 27th to first in that span. In four-year college completion, in the span from 1995 to 2005, the U.S. dropped from second to 15th. But here’s the kicker of comparisons which lights a fire under reformers: the U.S. ranks second in spending per student, trailing Luxembourg and followed by Switzerland, Norway and Austria. Professor Schwartz notes that a cursory examination of
the top-performing countries shows some big differences from the U.S. They don’t leave financing of education to “the vagaries of the local property tax or property wealth,” but instead see education as a state responsibility. Rather than a bottomup, grassroots approach to configuring the system, in the top-performing nations “there’s an effort, at the top of the system, to really be clear about goals, and often those get expressed (as) national standards,” he said. Rather than come up with complicated statements of what schools must achieve — think No Child Left Behind — the top performers articulate broad, core concepts at specific grade levels and leave it to local schools to achieve. With some 15,000 locally
elected school boards in the U.S., Schwartz acknowledges that such a change will be difficult. Students in those nations are rigorously evaluated to determine that they’ve achieved. Often, that’s a weeklong evaluation which includes written and oral examination — and no multiple choice questions. “Young people understand that how well they do on those end-of-high-school assessments really have a lot to do with the kinds of opportunities that are now open to them,” he said. Successful nations have elevated the status of teachers, too. In Finland, there are ten applications for every teacher prep course, which itself is a demanding five-year process heavy on clinical work.
Though Schwartz told the Camden Conference that he has high regard for Education Secretary Arne Duncan, he believes U.S. priorities are misplaced. Tying evidence of student learning to teacher evaluation is “not a recipe for progress” in the other countries, he said. Charter schools and other school choice options disrupt, and high-achieving nations instead focus on the system as a whole. Rather than threaten the lowest performing schools, the U.S. should instead do what Canada does, which is lavish attention and support on such schools. These are hard changes to make, but the proof of their success — albeit in other cultures and other political and economic systems — should not be ignored.
LE T TERS
More readers write
From Page 4A
The GOP and our community deserve better
Editor: As a young Republican excited about voting for the first time, I have tried to educate myself about the local GOP and its candidates. While I remain eager to take part in this election, I want to share my disappointment with the Republican Party and the way prominent members have conducted themselves. I was present at the county assembly as a volunteer and was shocked to read Ms. Bohn’s paid advertisement, as it did not represent what actually happened. Ms. Bohn is the vice president of the
Republican Women’s Club and is a precinct captain. I hope that she does not speak for either group. As it turns out, this seems to be normal and acceptable behavior within the party. I found out that another precinct captain, Don Etnier, engaged in unacceptable behavior by calling delegates to the assembly and instructing them who not to vote for, an act in clear violation of party bylaws. He was also present at the ag expo with others, literally blocking people’s movement in front of the GOP booth and forcibly trying to get them to sign Rus-
sell Wasley’s petition while slandering the only DA candidate currently on the ballot. It seems that Mr. Etnier is no more concerned with following the law than he is with following party rules, and it disappoints me that the party leaders have not taken action against people like Mr. Etnier and Ms. Bohn. While their misdeeds and writings may be the most public examples, I fear the problem is more widespread. As a young man who has been raised to believe in the principles of the Republican Party, I find this kind of be-
havior very discouraging. I thought I had escaped bullying and intimidation when I graduated high school, but I have found, by joining the local Republican Party, I may be returning to the same hostile environment. I believe the Republican Party and our community deserve better. As such, I am committed to staying involved and becoming the future of the local Republican Party, promoting harmony and positivity along the way. Cody T. Reim Dolores Via CortezJournal.com
Being paid is not giving back Editor: I did not say “giving back’is lame. That title came from the editor, who did not get my point either. I said the use of the phrase is a lame way of saying nothing else. In response to the two letters in Thursday’s Journal regarding the “giving back” phrase, I offer the following. Yes, giving back is noble but one does not give back if one is being paid. If you pay for goods or services it is not
taking. Neither the city nor the school system gave you anything — you paid for those services through your tax dollars. There are many great places in Cortez to give back (give is the operative word). Giving back means volunteering, and it is disturbing that the phrase is defined so loosely when there are so many wonderful volunteers who do “pay it forward: without compensation or fanfare. Politicians are not giving when one is paid for their ser-
vice. It is not rocket science — just think about it a little deeper than the surface. These are buzzwords to deflect from the real issues. I was disappointed that in the interviews there were few statements as to the real qualifications of the new candidates. Just buzzwords that do not give the voter adequate information on which to cast a vote. The letter was not meant to be cold or callous but rather to stir a deeper thought process.
Cula Garner Cortez Via e-mail Editor’s note: Cortez city council members earn $4,800 per year. They are also provided with dinner at most meetings and travel expenses for council-related trips. Montezuma County commissioners are paid $58,500 (a figure set by state statute) and reimbursed 44 cents per mile. Their benefits include 100 percent of insurance and a 5 percent retirement-fund match.
Work with others to create positive situations Editor: I am a first-year employee of Montezuma-Cortez District Re1. As you all know, it has been a year full of change. I have read and heard from countless people stating how they are unhappy 5.5”with X 6”the change back to
the five-day week, angry at the school board, etc. I have also read letters to the editor at this very paper stating how they are unhappy that the interim superintendent is making some very important decisions yet will only be here on a temporary basis.
excess i s o u t
You know what I say to all these whiners? Get over it! The change to a five-day week has been made. If you want to leave, leave. It is your right and no one will hold it against you. The nice thing about the United States is that adults are free to make their own decisions. TM
Moaning and groaning about the situation will accomplish nothing. Work with others to create positive situations for the community you live in.
Patients must report health care shortcomings Editor:
ees resulted in improved care. They also did not follow up with me. Within hours, I was requiring urgent assistance with a beeping IV machine. After using my call bell for one hour continuously, I used my bedside phone to call the hospital operator to summon the nursing unit staff to come to my aid. I have had care in hospitals in Nebraska, Illinois, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado. I am aware of the challenges in provision of quality health care in our country. Insured individuals pay for the health care provided. When the level of service and care do not meet acceptable standards, the patient must take responsibility and report these shortcomings to the management. If we ever hope to have higher standards, we have to set the standards and ensure they are met. Bigger is not necessarily better.
Recently, I was hospitalized for two days in Banner Baywood Medical Center in Mesa, Ariz. As Banner Health has numerous facilities in several states, I want to inform your readers of my experience. Banner Baywood Medical Center promotes its Vision, Mission, Value and Brand on its website, and this organization fell short in all aspects of my care. Throughout my stay, I received mimimal care, at best. Frequently, I waited long periods for any assistance after pushing my call bell. In one such instance after using the restroom and having summoned help with the call bell and receiving none, I attempted to get myself back to bed. My next recollection was of being on the floor and calling out for help several times. Soon after this incident I was visited by Banner Baywood’s damage control team including the nursing unit manager, paFay L. Kautz tient advocate, chaplain and Cortez social worker. Although one Via CortezJournal.com might think otherwise, neiEditor’s note: Fay Kautz is ther my serious fall or visit a former member of the local from these Banner employ- hospital board.
Hometown HAPPENINGS Find them in the
Gordon Eberlin Cortez Via CortezJournal.com
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