7 years ago.

By Martin Fleming

Our public school is seven years behind where they should be today.  We needed a vision of tomorrow yesterday.  It is probably true that 20-25% of the Chinese and Indian children that complete schooling in high academic standings exceed the number of the total number of children we have in our public, private and charter schools.  They both also have 5 times the number of children in school than we do.

Their number (India and China), of brilliant graduates could only be obvious . 

The numbers we are talking about are staggering and we should fear them.  Manufacturers and other name brand merchants are moving their business’s oversees because of the new numbers from these two countries.  Proof is when you now call for technical service you reach India or another Asian country (other than China), to assist you (those high academic students).  Companies are moving factories to China.  With over 1.5 billion, they have quite a bit of cheap labor.  Their labor is cheaper, the materials are cheaper and their numbers of well qualified high intellect individuals abound all around.  China’s stock market is rising at an incredible rate.  It can’t do this for long and it’s our opportunity to change how we educate our children to take advantage of what yet may be to come.  I’m not sure what that may be but I do know that even though we had two of our schools reach excellent (from what I’ve heard so far) we cannot overlook the fact that we had dropped at least 10% lower in the others.  Is this a sign that our strategy is not working.  If the tests were truly harder why did Aurora succeed where others couldn’t?

China’s and India’s economy is far below ours.  The cost of one technician in the U.S. will pay the salaries of 20 to 30 of theirs.  Why wouldn’t a company move?  Everything is cheaper overseas and businesses in the U.S. know it.  They are selling us out for the almighty buck. Corporate Administrators Stockholders along with Private industry and large business owners are moving.  What jobs and trades will available in the future and is our current education we providing our children preparing them for those positions.

Our intellectual and physical labor force is outsourced to other countries as you read this. It has been going on for several years. Our local labor is consumed by illegal immigrants, migrant workers and even legal immigrants.  Unemployment is going up.  Real estate has gone soft.  What will be left for our children in the years to come?  What is left for our children now?  I can’t believe that the way we are teaching now is going to take our children into the future. 

America is no longer the major world economy.  The economy doesn’t really belong to anyone.  The economy is now global.   Everything everyday is practically done on a global scale.  It is unbelievable what is happening outside our community. 

Construction cannot occur without the building materials.  The labor force cannot perform their duties without tools.  Factories cannot produce an end product without raw materials.  The laborer cannot bend the metal without the machine.  The accountant, broker, car salesman, and every other task at hand cannot be without the use of computer.  From your desktop, cell phone, PDA to an organizer the computers are all around.

However, these are not necessarily available at a whim to all children.  The one’s who need its magic the most.  The computer is a wonderful and powerful education machine.  Children who have a computer learn at a faster pace and become more knowledgeable about all sorts of things.  The computer dominates every factor of our life. We have found their introduction one of the most phenomenal happenings to man in the last century.  Why is it then that we are taking so long to get a computer into every child’s hand?  When we all know the power they can deliver.  When we all know what they can do.  It should be the mission of every person to help achieve this goal for our children.

In the late 70’s and early 80’s Ford released thousands of employees in Walton Hills and called only a handful back.  The workers were replaced by robots and the cost of vehicles skyrocketed.  Then the computer arrived.  20 years later the computer dominates. You now see it by self check outs in some of the local stores.  The future holds checkouts that don’t exist.  What ever is in your cart is automatically tallied just before you leave the store and credited to your account.  You didn’t even have to see a human, sign anything, punch anything or see and employee anywhere in the store.  Shelves will be restocked by robots.  Not the walking and talking kind but robots with computers and sensors. 

We have to increase the number of academic students in the schools.   We cannot do it with the current method of teaching.  I believe that in the next ten years, the majority of the students will have to be in the 50-60% bracket of high academic achievements in order to survive and help create work for those who are lower. We need to improve and accelerate the rate at which our children learn.  We have indeed come a long way in the past 20 years in education, economy and technology.  However, our technology has outpaced our education.

If we overwhelm the system with personnel, and overlook providing the tools and materials to our children, the future of our children is at jeopardy.  The tools and equipment are more important than the chiefs to run the show.  

If you reduce the size of the staff and provide a computer to every student, we could practically eliminate all course books, workbooks and study guides.  It could be put on a computer.  We have to reduce the size of personnel in order to achieve this goal.  We need the funding to do it.  We would also greatly reduce the amount of copy paper, school paper and any other kind of paper use.  All tests can be on the computer.  The savings would not only be perceived by the school district but the taxpayers, students and parents as well.  Even the school board is developing a paperless environment to perform all their meetings.  Shouldn’t we carry this same concept over to the teaching staff?  The board believes it would save a considerable amount of money.  With the amount of money they say we would save I would imagine the savings within the entire school system could be ten fold.

A Teacher proficient in Computers and their use, especially in education along with the skills to teach subjects using the computers, is the teacher who is the most benefit to the system.  They have to compete with children who now have them.  Training would be required for those currently teaching and any new teachers would require testing to make sure they have the required computer skills.  Teaching staff can use the summer months with pay to improve their computer competency. 

Teachers with these abilities could then be offered a higher pay to compensate for their additional knowledge.  However, they themselves must continue their education in computers and required testing to attest to their skills and knowledge.  Just as we do in the real world.  Increase in pay would then be assessed by the Teachers ratings.

We would not require the use of non-IEP assistants.  The computer would be the focus of the students’ attention at the times they need to be.  Have you ever seen a child sit down in front of a computer when they found something of interest to them?  They can research for hours and you never hear a peep.  Home work and all other assignments can be delivered on the computer.  Home work can be assigned and downloaded the next morning on their arrival to school.  Before class begins the teacher would have the graded homework before class starts.

A teacher in the classroom today should have a high level of computer expertise.  Those parents out there that have children with their own computer know what I am talking about.  There are times that the child seems to know much more than you.  So imagine what the teacher should know to stay ahead of the student they are teaching. 

Computers do bring out the brilliance and talent of a child.  The child can interact with the machine without ridicule and abuse.  They can also feel a sense of reward and accomplishment when a task is completed.  It enhances a child’s confidence. 

Just as a course book is used the computer is used.  The Teacher still interact with the children for the most part of the day.  The computer is only a tool.  Not a Teacher replacement.  The need for a Teacher in the classroom is more critical today than any other time in the past.  Children will always need and require the Adult/Child interaction throughout the day.  This is mandatory.  Children should never be left alone without Human intervention.

I build computers, install operating software, application software, install networks, servers, repair printers, computers, notebooks, diagnose and a host of others.  Anyone who knows me knows of my abilities.  I have two grand children that have their own computers.  I must say, that for being so young, they are quite adept at using the machines.  Both have had a computer since they were 6 months old.  They have received little or no training. 

Before they went to kindergarten I had them helping me assemble the computers (of course with constant and non-stop attention, and they were gone over again when completed).  They learned the name of the components and hardware both external and internal.

They amaze me.

Children in grades 1-2 would have difficulty adapting but by the time they get to the third grade, they would begin to understand the use of the machine and its benefits.  However, for this to happen, the student must have a computer.  In these lower grades we could provide assistants to help with the constant questions the children have.  When moving to the third grade, the assistants would no longer be required.  However, the children would have to be able to take the computer home and bring it to school each day. 

Yes, the startup cost is high, but a bond can be produced to cover the cost or possibly a levy could be introduced just to pay for the computers and associated software needed.  The school could become a secure wireless network providing us the opportunity to remove all the wires strung through the school.

In fact, most of the school could be converted to a secure wireless network and greatly reduce the costs of operation.  Wireless equipment for morning announcements, sporting events television, video, and internet are all possible now. The abilities to expand are endless. 

Unless our children are equipped with the technology today, they will most likely have a difficult time surviving in the future.  We cannot wait any longer and must get this technology into our children’s hands.  The sooner we do this the better.

Corporations have downsized due to robotics and the use of the personal computer.  Their profits have gone up and their product has improved dramatically.  If we could downsize the personnel in our school system and provide the tools and materials our children so desperately need, the end product we produce will be far superior to the excellent rating the state and our community so desire.  My vision is to see that we get these materials and tools to our children. 

The money we provide in levies should be used for these tools and materials.  Let’s see if we can get the money to the children of our community.  In order for this to happen the school has to reduce the percentage of money that is used for payroll and benefits.   Eliminate programs that we don’t need.  Get the schools budget for payroll and salaries down to 60-65% so we can get the materials and tools to our children.  I believe that this will solve our crisis and move us all forward.

If we pass this levy, then we are telling the Administration and Board we are satisfied with the current standings of our children.  The state testing has been around for about 15 years and we have yet to reach the excellent rating across the board.   My perception of the excellent rating is the state is saying we have achieved the minimum requirements as desired by the state.  If they don’t want to reduce education to state minimums, then we shouldn’t accept the state minimum of excellent as the goal of our school.  We should be looking beyond.  Our children deserve it of us whether you have children or not.

Please say NO to the School Levy, so we can begin anew and build for a strong future for our children and fellow citizen.  Request that the levy be split into two separate levies.  A permanent improvement levy at 2.6 mils and a 1.0 mil Operating Expense levy separated and not apportioned.  Since computers can be purchased through the Permanent Improvement levy, increasing the mills in Permanent Improvement would insure the funding will go to equipment and materials.  If our school board would do that, I would surely support the levy.

I have been attending Board Meetings for over 4 years now, have done a tremendous amount of research.  The analysis of what I have seen is appalling and frightening.

We can no longer put off until tomorrow what we should have started 7 years ago.