| Multiple entry points to education |
5/23/03 5:14 PM |
| Author:
Tim Doyle
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The idea of "one size fits all" or "the one best system" is always an appealing idea when one needs to sell a concept as large as Education to taxpayers, legislators, parents, school officials, students, even teachers. The trouble is that anyone that works in or around any kind of school for even a little while discovers that there are as many types of teaching and learning as there are students and teachers. To echo a point made earlier in the week in a different discussion — there need to be multiple and recurring entry points to education. Adult education attached to K-12 systems works best for some individuals and at different points in their lives and community college, CSU, ROP, on the job training may the answer at another time. To limit the number of program possibilities or to create program priorities inevitably leads to those excluded programs being seen as less educational and eventually less necessary to fund. The passionate comments about the value and need of quality education from parents of K-12 special education children earlier in the week leads me to wonder how we can exclude Adults with Disabilities from a priority category. Should my educational goals as a graying lifelong learner be dismissed as low priority or not really education-oriented? More than defining priority areas, what is needed is for schools, teachers and students to have models and support in the process of defining student goals and successful outcomes as well as successful teaching methods to bring about those outcomes.
Posted as a reply to:
adult education by valerie lichtman
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