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TOPIC: Mobility as a Barrier to Education

Lesson Element .1: ADefining Mobility@

Why is Mobility a Barrier to Effective Education?

20% of students in the U.S. move each year.

This includes both moves within the same school district as well as moves to another school district.

Even if the move takes place within the same district, the student may end up in another school

The mobility between school districts and in particular between states, makes a big difference in creating the barrier.

Typically five or six students out of each class of thirty will be new to the school.

Some areas, particularly those with military base presences, have a higher rate than 5 or 6 per year, of new kids to the school.

In some schools the influx rate of new kids is more stable, but the mobility barrier can kick in even there.

The teacher faces a dilemma because of mobility.

Do you ignore the differences in the learning levels of the new kids to the old kids, or do you conduct a review for everyone? Most teachers opt to conduct the review.

The average teacher is forced to spend up to six weeks reviewing at the beginning of the school year.

This is a waste of 15% of the curriculum time available just to get everyone on the same wavelength.

Causes boredom for the kids who really don=t need the review.

The educational system is badly affected by having kids appear from nowhere, with uncertain levels of knowledge.

All socio-economic levels move about.

In some parts of the country, this is skewed one direction or another.

In the midwest, South, or far west most of the mobility comes from migrant workers.

This is the worst type of mobility.

The workers and their kids appear and disappear in four to six week cycles.

Lesson Element .2: AA National Curriculum@

Mobility Cuts Across All Socio-Economic Levels.

In the military it includes all levels from junior enlisted to senior officer corps.

In the private sector it includes senior corporate executives climbing the corporate ladder, to sales people who simply grow bored with their jobs and move on.

It also includes deadbeat Dads and Moms who cross state line to avoid child-support payments.

Fairly recent state and federal legislation is making a dent in this problem.

The mobility problem is a growing one.

Bottom Line: Bad Education in Any State or Community Will Affect the Entire Nation.

Kids with a bad education in Mississippi may move to Virginia. Virginia then has to deal with the consequences of the bad education.

Likewise, kids from Virginia may move to New York. Then New York has to deal with the differences in educational levels.

The Answer to the Problem of Mobility is a National Curriculum.

We already have a hidden national curriculum with all of the disadvantages of a national curriculum and none of the advantages.

The Problem is that Nobody Can Change the Current Curriculum Which is Out of Control.

Theories which propose a national curriculum are popular, but when we try to decide what to teach, we seem to be unable achieve an agreement.

Goes to the elemental question of who you trust and who you don=t trust.

Most everyone seems to have a private agenda for their proposed curriculum.

Dr. Allen was a strong proponent of having the national goals that came out of the 1989 Charlotesville, VA, conference called by President Busch.

Finally people were talking about national standards. This was a big step forward.
The concept that all the state governors would sign on to the standards was a step in the right direction.

Unfortunately, the goals they came up with were horrible.

Dr. Allen still would vote for them, but only for the reason that it is a first step and puts the foot in the door for future, more realistic and effective goals.

Lesson Element .3: AHitches to a National Curriculum@

All the Issues of Mobility Affect Not Just the U.S., But Are Issues in the Entire World.

Standardized curriculum is affected by both critical and mundane issues.

Dealing with units of measurement, Feet vs. Meters.
Differing languages to express the same ideas.

Perception of what curriculums should include changes from one geographic location to another.

Perception is based upon local concerns, religious or cultural traditions, etc.

The Issue of Mobility is Not Going to Simply Go Away. It Actually Will Grow to Be More of a Problem.

People will still move and there will be more diverse populations to deal with the issues.

This further drives the need for a standardized curriculum.

Once a National Standard Is Agreed Upon, it Is Only the Beginning of the Process.

The first steps at Charlottesville produced terrible results. But it was a start from which to modify the curriculum to a more productive one.

Its unlikely that we will ever achieve an ideal curriculum.

Too many people have differing ideas over what is right or wrong for inclusion.

Example: The national history curriculum efforts fell apart over the omission of information about Thomas Edison.

Some contended that by including Edison we would be teaching lies.
We never talk about the negative side of Edison. How nasty of a man he was in many ways. How he stole credit for inventions he didn=t create.
Although he was a brilliant man in many ways, we were unable to come to a consensus as to include or exclude him.

Dr. Allen has no objection to including Edison as long as we don=t mythologize him.

Another Problem With the Initial Attempt at National Curriculum is that Many People Haven=t Really Read the Proposed Standards.

Too often these people support national standards but are also ready to support the concept that everything we as Americans do, must be right.

National Math Standards are a good example of flawed standards.

People who think the NCTM=s are great haven=t really analyzed what they say.

They call for no ability grouping at all in math through grade eight.
Although heterogenous classes can be effective, with a marginal teacher they fall apart.
Homogeneous grouping is much easier and the results more predictable, although the result may not be a beneficial as heterogeneous grouping.

The standards also permit the use of calculators at any time. If the student prefers to use a calculator rather than learn the basics by hand, it=s alright?!

Lesson Element .4: AThe Real Nature of Mobility@

Mobility Becomes the Scapegoat for Our Lack of Standards.

Leads to a discussion of national standards.

Real consequences to a mobile nation if you don=t have standards.

Society has the right to expect certain levels of knowledge.

If you don=t have those levels, you become a burden to society.

If you are mis-educated in one area of the country and move to another area, then the new area must bear the costs of reeducating you or supporting you on welfare.

How Should We Design Schools?

Do we design schools for those who stay or for those who move?

Traditional model: Same locale education from Kindergarten through sixth grade.

Not realistic anymore. Little expanding realms of consciousness has given way to a random order of mixed elements.

Children incoming into the system have entirely different perspectives, experiences and degrees of education from those who were educated locally.

We Must Ensure that Education is Realistic and Not Rooted in a Mythic Notion of what it Should be Like.

Theoretically, you could move each year and either have U.S. History twelve times or no times.

Lesson Element .5: ANational Curriculum Examples: History@

The Way in Which We Teach History is Fragmented.

We teach about Columbus in the fifth, eighth and eleventh grades.

Dr. Allen believes it would be better to have a two year sequence in U.S. History.

Could be taught anywhere along the line as long as it wasn=t fragmented.
Would be more powerful than the current method we use.

The Current System is Predicated on Outmoded Concepts.

History is taught in the eighth grade based on the fact that in days long past, many students would finish eighth grade and then enter the work force.

State examinations are built on the fact the eighth grade examination will have history in it.

Obviously, most 8^th grade students no longer enter the work force. But we still plan our curriculum around that concept.

By combining the history into a two year block we can compact the curriculum, save a year and be much more effective.

The Reason the System Hasn=t Changed is Because there is No One in Charge.

Mobility makes the agenda more powerful and more difficult to monitor achievement.

Should teachers be held accountable for the knowledge base of incoming students?

School Curricula Should not be One Hundred Percent National.

Dr. Allen would like to see if be two-thirds national and one-third local.

This is the paradox. The change would actually give more local control.

If the local board knew they were already meeting the national standards, they would have the confidence to do the remaining one-third their own way.

This would give more accountability and local control.
Becomes a matter of trust.

One of the Biggest Effects of Mobility is that it has Watered Down the Curriculum.

James Conan, President of Harvard University in the 1950's stated forty years ago:

AThe only reason U.S. education hasn=t failed given the high rate of mobility is it=s been so watered down.@

The rate of mobility has increased since the 1950's and mobility has caused further watering down of the curriculum and is a major barrier to effective education.