Panel talks new education techniques
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on May 9, 2016 1:46 PM
It's a novel approach to education.
No bells. No textbooks. No class periods and subjects.
Teachers hired on one-year contracts.
And no tests.
The audience at the Paramount Theatre was taken on a "virtual field trip" Wednesday night, during the showing of "Most Likely to Succeed," a 90-minute documentary on the changing face of education. High Tech High, a school in California, was the predominant subject of the film.
"The reason we've asked you to come see it is not because we hope to replicate it in Goldsboro," Tamara Berman-Ishee, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction for Wayne County Public Schools, told the audience. "We want people to have an opportunity to see a different way of educating students and a different way of education in the 21st century.
"So keep an open mind."
WCPS and the Chamber of Commerce hosted the event, which included a panel discussion by some heavy hitters -- Dr. June Atkinson, state superintendent of schools; Steve Hill, executive director of STEM East; Mark Meno, group head of research and engineering at FRC East, recently named STEM Employer of the Year; and local representatives Dr. Michael Dunsmore, superintendent of WCPS; Dr. Kay Albertson, president of Wayne Community College; and Col. Mark Slocum, 4th Fighter Wing commander at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
The event drew an audience of leadership from the city, county and base, as well as teachers, parents, community members and a smattering of children.
Mrs. Atkinson and Mrs. Albertson said they are already seeing "kernels" of the shift in education, with more project-based learning opportunities and "soft skills," as portrayed in the film -- less emphasis on academics and more on employable characteristics, like work ethic, time management and being a team player.
Despite the lack of standardized testing in schools like High Tech High, scores are 10 percent above the state average and their college acceptance rate is 98 percent, the documentary pointed out.
Hill said such efforts can happen, but must be fueled by the community and employers, rather than part of a political agenda. He said he is already seeing the benefits of project-based learning, and Wayne County is poised to accomplish it.
"You're in a region that's the hardest region -- in the bottom 25 percent (in education)," he said. "This is needed more here than anywhere else in the U.S.
"If we don't do something different, you're going to keep getting more of the same."
Dunsmore agreed with the individualized learning approach, reiterating that the intent is not to create a version of High Tech High as much as to figure out ways to improve the educational climate in Wayne County.
Local attorney Billy Strickland posed a question that kicked off the discussion -- "Is the state actually going to get the guts to make some of these changes?"
Mrs. Atkinson said the state Board of Education has made efforts, but agreed it has been a challenge with such things as the A-F scoring system, which she called "a grade of poverty."
"We need to move away from one-size-fits-all to personalized learning," she said. "We know that we want to move away from the teacher-centered approach to a student-centered approach and have project-based learning."
Meno said when he hired potential engineers, he looks less into their academic grades, the "three R's," and more toward what he calls the "5 C's" -- "I need them to be creative, to be able to collaborate, communicate, (have) critical thinking skills and confidence.
"I know they have got the reading, writing and arithmetic. I don't care. If you can't do those five things you're not hired, because I don't owe your kid a job."
Dunsmore said the school system has to do a better job and will need the community to buy in and support it.
"We have the ability here to do some things that are unique," he said.
Slocum, who has been vocal over the past year about sentiments shared by military personnel's perception, whether real or perceived, of the school district, chose his comments carefully. He cited examples of a leader living on a campground rather than moving his family here, others getting out of the military or being stationed here without their children rather than enroll them in the public schools.
He said he has had extensive conversations with Dunsmore as well as local officials, with an eye to the future. He said he recently asked Goldsboro Mayor Chuck Allen, "What does Wayne County 2020 look like and what can we do to help?"
"This is a first step. I think this is awesome," he said of the discussion. "We have got the right guy (gesturing to Dunsmore). We need to rally the support, the financial support, efforts to make the school system better."
Meno suggested the only ones they do not need to worry about are the students.
"The kids don't need to be sold. In my observation, it's everyone else," he said. "We spend so much time on selling the kids on the benefits. It's just wasted energy."
Slocum said he believed in the potential for the district to become the most successful in the state and even the nation.
"We have an incredible time right now, an incredible moment where everybody's in agreement toward going toward something, to have these people getting together, everybody's on the same sheet of music," he said. "With the community involvement, the base involvement, everybody getting together, I don't think there's anything we can't do."
Dunsmore said efforts are already underway to start the process.
"We're going to start scheduling our community meetings again," he said. "We did six at the beginning of the year. We're going to do six again and one at the base. We're going to get out there and start talking about these things.
"I want to hear what people want. We're going to get some plans and ideas out there as we're moving forward. We're going to keep pounding this until we get it right."