Reconceptualization of Schools for 2025

In creating effective public schools for year 2025, we must have our communities, businesses, and leaders realize that education is paramount. As George Lucas eloquently stated, "education is the single most important job that the human race has". The focus of public secondary schooling as we have defined in our vision statement is to "foster independent thinkers who are ambitious and innovative". The best way to insure that this aim is reached successfully is through recruiting, preparing, and retaining the best teachers. Research has shown the United States is lagging behind many developed nations in Europe and Asia, such as Japan, Finland, and South Korea (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/11/26/world/main530872.shtml). This gap continues to widen as the United States systems delves into mediocrity. Attracting, developing, and rewarding great teachers is common practice for these high-achieving nations. In Korea teachers with 15 years of experience make 221 percent of the country's GDP per capita, while teachers in the U.S are in the middle of the scale around 96 percent of the country's GDP per capita http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/09/teacher-pay-around-the-world/ .

We must make education a funding priority rather than putting it on the backburner. Providing higher compensation will attract high quality students into the teaching profession. With better teachers in the classroom, students will be challenged to think innovatively and their talents and abilities will flourish.

The structure of educational system will be integrated throughout students’ lives and will continue on throughout their lifespan. Education will no longer be viewed as a separate sphere from other activities of life but will be synthesized into one sphere of constant learning and development. As Gardner has argued in 5 Minds for the Future, "the burden of education must be shared by parents, neighbors, the traditional and digital media, the church, and other communal institutions"(165). The schools will utilize the opportunities created by technology for students to access information, engage content, and construct their own perspectives. The implementation of blended (online/classroom) classes will allow for students to have more choice in their educational path, and will also enable high achievers to advance expeditiously or pursue more rigorous course loads. 

With regard to the types of student our schools will be servicing, we will have a massive student population that is extremely diverse. In Oakes piece, Teaching to Change the World, she explains that "with increases of about 5 percent expected  every year projections are that schools will be teaching 50 million children by 2014" (5). With growth rates continuing, this means that by 2025, the student body will move upwards to roughly 75 million. These students are an invaluable asset towards the human capital for our nation. We must treat their educational process with utmost care and diligence, so that we have innovative and productive workforce for the future.

The curriculum of 2025 will focus intensively on developing the synthesizing and disciplined minds as defined by Gardner (3). With students exposed to a plethora of information instantaneously due to technological advancements, students will need to have the skills to understand and make use of these wonderful resources. Curriculum in the future must focus on depth rather than the breadth commonly focused on in today's standardized obsessed environment. As George Lucas' Foundation "10 Big Ideas for Better Classrooms Striving to Improve Public Education" highlights that integrated studies, such as cross-curricular projects give learning meaning for students and promote success. It is also crucial that assessments are not simple multiple choice examinations. As Howard Gardner explains in the aforementioned video, "Once you leave the world of testing you have to think for yourself". The schools must prepare these students with higher order thinking tasks, which prepare them for the challenges they will face when entering the working world. Standardized test will still be prevalent as a means of accountability, but courses will no longer be test-centered but rather project-centered. Essential content knowledge will be learned through higher-order thinking tasks, group projects, and independent research. 

Lastly, the pedagogical framework will move towards greater accountability, increased training, and higher qualifications for teachers. A master's degree in education will be mandatory, as higher pay will mandate higher qualified and well-trained employees. Accountability measures will drastically increase as teachers will be exposed to observations by peers, administrators, and third-party pedagogically professionals (i.e. a teacher accreditation board). These evaluations will provide constructive feedback for the teachers, prevent teachers from growing complacent, and would help rid unproductive educators from the school system. With increased funds teachers would be required to enroll in three courses biennially (one course in technology, one course in content, and one course in pedagogy). More training would provide teachers with the skills and methods to stay ahead of the curve and lead our students to success.

As a teacher for the future, I hope that we can make these positive changes happen for our school system. Not only will these changes help to close the achievement gap, but they will ensure student success and foster productive citizens for the future.