Putting the Pieces Together

By Daniel R. Durkin

To create a system that supports the Common Core State Standards and the next generation science and social studies standards.

• the standards - what a student should learn
• the materials - how a student will learn
• the teacher - who a student will learn from
• the school - where a student will learn

Yet the new standards alone will not make this opportunity successful. To be successful, the other elements - the materials, the teacher, and the school - must be consistent with the standards. The pieces of the educational experience must fit together.

And to be successful, we need a system that puts the pieces together.

The system would clearly communicate the educational goals to the student and their family. It would evaluate and select the educational materials, including technology. It would provide continued professional development to the teachers, to translate from lofty goals to classroom reality. It would fund the time when teachers can learn. It would provide instructional coaches to the teachers, to help the teachers apply the new standards and incorporate resources. It would assess the students and the teachers, and use this feedback to be better.

I want to create a system that enables both the student and the teacher to thrive.