One way to focus a conversation is to ask participants to discuss in depth one of the Nine Common Principles as it relates to their school. Principal Neil Culhane of Avon High School in Avon, Connecticut asked his staff to read a recent issue of HORACE that focused on the principle of decency (Volume 7, No. 4), and to talk
At Fairdale High School in Jefferson County, Kentucky, to extend the conversation about the metaphor of “teacher as coach, student as worker,” several athletic coaches offered the following teaching guidelines in their own words. Work specifically on individual weaknesses one on one, demonstrating the correct execution of the stroke, etc. Communicate exactly what is expected in terms of punctuality, behavior,
The Coalition has used this technique in beginning the conversation at schools in the exploratory stages. In groups of around five people, consider a few of the following questions. (Warning: Pick only one set of these questions; to “cover” all of them will only lead to superficial conversations.) For each one, come up with three answers to share with the
Get a diverse student committee to rewrite the Nine Common Principles of Essential Schools in their own words. Then circulate it among the teachers for their reactions. Train people in the consensus method of decision-making, where a decision is arrived at only when everyone agrees to help implement something. This proves useful for major decisions from contract negotiations to school
Time to talk. Space to talk. People to talk with, ideas that spark more ideas, and a school climate that invites honest inquiry to happen. If Essential School ideas about teaching and learning are going to take root, these things must come first. Today, Pueblo County High School in Colorado’s District 70 looks like a traditional “shopping mall high school,”
The school should focus on helping adolescents learn to use their minds well. Schools should not attempt to be “comprehensive” if such a claim is made at the expense of the school’s central intellectual purpose. The school’s goals should be simple: that each student master a limited number of essential skills and areas of knowledge. While these skills and areas