Just Maybe Why Educational Reform Never Seems to Work!

The following is based on my many years of watching educational reform. But, it's local and statewide news that has prompted me to push for substantive change. Hopefully, my message will resonate with you, wherever you may live.

Read almost any article about educational reform or educational progress (e.g., Collier County, Florida educational progress) and you'll see terms like "school district, school board, university faculty, teachers, administrators and unions." Sometimes political officials get mentioned, too. Occasionally, as in the recent article about Collier County's community outreach bus, there will be inclusion of "community members." But, always lacking is any mention of businesses that will hire the high school and college graduates and of any community-based businesses and organizations that are helpers in the educational process (e.g., tutors, college preparatory and guidance counselors/advisors, internship opportunities). Without these end game players, the story isn't much different than the college faculty who continually bemoan that they get kids who are not ready for college.

I am lucky, I guess, that my professional society (the American Meteorological Society) keys on the entire process (or at least tries to). They bring together private sector businesses, government officials and university faculty to try to create a viable pipeline for students who wish to enter weather and related careers. Most recently, the Society and its membership have been exploring how to outreach to other business in which weather plays a role. In short, instead of looking inward, the AMS is looking to broaden its interaction with all members of the Weather and Climate Coalition.

I am certain that other organizations have similar mindsets.

Personally, I am, also, working with Howard University in Washington, DC and a growing consortium of colleges across the U.S. to build the process backwards. We want to ensure that interested middle and high school students have a chance to cultivate their interest in weather careers even before they reach the hallowed halls of academia. One of our objectives is to bring more high school and middle school teachers into this program.

Yet, the educational community only seems to outreach when it wants donations, financial or legislative support of its educational programs or has need of science fair judges. Okay, I'll give you the occasional guest visit to a classroom, as well. Otherwise, it's sort of, "thanks for your contribution, now go away."

So where is the business input INTO the substance of our educational and educational reform programs? I am disappointed that businesses aren't demanding a seat at the table; I'm dismayed that school systems aren't out there asking for that private sector involvement.

The pièce de résistance in this ongoing process surfaced in an article in today's (September 20, 2010) Naples Daily News. One keyed on Governor Crist's Task Force on Education and the second on Collier and Lee County's efforts to capitalize on Race to the Top funding program. Both clearly excluded private sectorites in the process.

Even President Obama failed to recognize this when he gave his "students should work hard" speech last week. He noted, correctly, that, "nothing will affect their (student) success in life as much as their education." He also noted that, "The kinds of opportunities that are open to you will be determined by how far you go in school. In other words, the farther you go in school, the farther you'll go in life."

Unfortunately, what anyone learns in schools needs to have a purpose. Sure it is fun to learn (at least for some of us). But for most, they need knowledge, skills and abilities to enable them to succeed in the workplace both individually and for their employer. In short, students alone are not the clients of our school systems. Rather, colleges and businesses have to considered clients, too.

My challenge, therefore, to these in-the-news efforts and others is to push for the development of an educated, thinking and productive workforce. The efforts need to capitalize on the educational initiatives that most businesses have already included in their business model; they need to outreach and bring onboard the real-life component to the educational marketplace, businesses, the ultimate end users.

There's never been a better time to ensure that the private-public partnership, that is so often touted by government officials at all levels, finally becomes a functioning and contributing reality in the educational community.

I'm ready and I know others in business are, too!

Disclaimer - H. Michael Mogil is a Certified Consulting Meteorologist and national weather educator; he and his wife own and operate Mathworks Tutoring, LLC, a Naples-based tutoring business.