What has changed

                                                    What has changed?

     Public Education has accomplished so much, but teachers and administrators are told – mandated- to do more. They are told not to just teach our students , but to raise them.

I have had the great pleasure of meeting Jamie Vollmer and hearing him speak about education. Check out his bio www.jamievollmer.com .

    We have corresponded a few times while I have been a trustee over ideas and goals for public education. He comes from the USA and as we all know public education has a very different meaning than it does here in Canada. But his message on the need to create our schools so they give all students the opportunity to unfold their full potential is universal. 

    The message I want to share with you is information Jamie had sent me regarding how much we have added to our education over the past 100+ years. The information starts from the early 1900’s. As you know Red Deer Public just celebrated their 125 anniversary just for FYI.

In the beginning schools were established to teach basic reading, some writing , and some arithmetic skills. This is some of what has been added.

1900 – 1910

Immunization and Nutrition

1910 – 1930

Phys. Ed, Practical Arts ,Vocational Education , and school transportation opportunities were added

1940’s

Business Ed , Arts and Music ,Speech and Drama , half day Kindergarten , and school lunch programs were offered

1950’s

Math and Science was expanded, Safety and Driver Education , Foreign Languages were introduced, Sex education

1960’s

Advance Placement programs, Consumer and Career Education, Peace , Leisure , and Recreation Education

1970’s

Special Education, Drug and Alcohol abuse education, Parental education, Women’s studies , Behavior Adjustment classes, African-American studies, School breakfast programs appeared

1980’s ( the flood gates opened )

Keyboarding and Computer, Global and Ethnic education, ESL and Bilingual education, Teen Pregnancy awareness , Early Childhood education, Jump Start and Early Start programs, full day Kindergarten , After School programs ,Alternative Education programs, Stranger/Danger education, Anti-smoking education, Sexual abuse prevention education, Health and Psychological services were expanded

1990’s

Conflict resolution and peer mediation was offered, HIV / AIDS education, CPR training, internet and computer programs were expanded , Tech Prep and School to work programs, gang education in urban centers , bus safety , bicycle safety , gun safety, water safety

2000’s

More standardized testing has been introduced

    All of these items have merit, and all have their supporters, but they all cannot be assigned to our schools. As a community we need to come together and build support what is best for students and our Public Education System.

The bottom line is …..

Schools cannot do this alone.