After the Pandemic: Our Children Deserve an Education Revolution by Michael J. Hynes
Mike Hynes is the Superintendent of Port Washington schools and a progressive education leader for change. In my opinion he would make a terrific Commissioner of the NY State Education Department.
After the Pandemic: Our Children Deserve an Education Revolution
Michael J. Hynes
April 21, 2020
It’s amazing how quickly we go from one way of life to another in the blink of an eye. It happens in an instant. One day we live our life a certain way…and the next day it is turned upside down. This global pandemic has historically changed our economy, way of life, use of technology and how we physically interact with each other. All within a few months.
Millions of parents have suddenly found themselves responsible for overseeing their children’s education from home. This is a formidable challenge to be facing on top of all of the other stresses due to the pandemic. My hope is that our parents, educators and policymakers will finally realize how important school is and why it must evolve once our children resume going back to school in September.
Now is the time for our school leaders to generate a new compelling philosophy of education and an innovative architecture for a just and humane school system. We must refocus our energy on a foundation built on a sense of purpose, forging relationships and maximizing the potential and talents of all children. Let’s take advantage of the possibility that our nation’s attention can shift 180 degrees, from obsessing over test scores and accountability to an entirely different paradigm of physical, mental, and emotional well-being for students and staff.
It is our collective responsibility to foster engaging and meaningful environments when educating our children in the new era of a post pandemic education. As the great philosopher John Dewey stated over one hundred years ago, “If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow.” The first sentence in the 2018 World Bank Group’s Flagship Report- Learning: To Realize Education’s Promise states, “Schooling is not the same as learning.” I couldn’t agree more. The report continues to speak about that as a society, we must learn to realize education’s promise. Now is this the time to revolutionize this antiquated system built on old structures and ideologies. I recommend we change the purpose of schooling to the following core values:
· Emphasize well-being. Make child and teacher well-being a top priority in all schools, as engines of learning and system efficiency.
· Upgrade testing and other assessments. Stop the standardized testing of children in grades 3-8, and “opt-up” to higher-quality assessments by classroom teachers. Eliminate the ranking and sorting of children based on standardized testing. Train students in self-assessment, and require only one comprehensive testing period to graduate from CONTINUE READING: NYC Public School Parents: After the Pandemic: Our Children Deserve an Education Revolution by Michael J. Hynes