A Logical Warning You Can't Ignore:
Everybody knows, from comparisons with other nations and logical personal observations, that American schools have problems. BIG PROBLEMS! Obvious facts should also substantiate the following: Whenever the public asks educational authorities for solutions, education's managers usually are reluctant to offer any that might become productive - unless the answer helps to build their educational empire or maintains management's status quo. Moreover, the public should be smart enough to realize that this is normal, natural, and to be expected - if the manager's livelihood seems threatened. Let's see how and why!
It's an established fact of our societal life that adding managers seems to bring the need for more and more management (in our search for perfection). Managers certainly know this - and, that managers are compensated with more money and prestige when they have more to manage! So logic, for school managers, dictates that protecting one's "bread and butter" usually must take precedent over almost any imagined improvement (or detriment) for education. Moreover, to the manager, it usually matters little that the process automatically builds costs and very few acceptable results (except for the managers)! So, for the public, the logic to be learned from all this should be: Try not to ask school authorities for proper solutions to most of education's problems - even though the manager may seem to be a truly dedicated and responsible person in authority! Almost always his hands are tied. Perhaps some further information will shockingly demonstrate why.
Is it a Fixable "Education Nightmare?"
Dr. Myron Lieberman, a nationally recognized analyst of educational issues, wrote an excellent book titled "Privatization and Educational Choice." It was published by St. Martin's Press, Inc., NY, NY in 1989. In a tiny part of the book Professor Lieberman takes the reader on a fictional "you-are-there" type of visit whereby a conscientious and dedicated school board member spends years trying to prepare for implementation of curriculum improvement in mathematics. After failing with this, the frustrated board member tries to create merit pay for instructors who demonstrate they are worth it. Again, he has no success. To paraphrase and properly portray what Dr. Lieberman says in the book, we'll call our board member Good Samaritan Brown and nickname him "GSB."
GSB, after many years of hard work, manages to get elected to the local school board and then helps four more people to do the same. He knows they are friends who think as he thinks. GSB now has a majority and control of his board.
Ah ha! GSB now thinks! I can improve mathematics! Then he finds out that the district's textbooks, as previously adopted, are very difficult to change and that it could take years to get any approval by the State. So, instead, GSB decides he might try to train the district's mathematics teachers for a similar type of improvement. But this is opposed by the teachers and their union. After further investigation he finds that the huge expense and great effort needed may result in no improvement for the following reasons. The union requires that training be offered during the regular school day which is very expensive and disruptive for everybody. Then he is told it's possible that recently trained teachers may also leave the district for better employment or for retirement. And, as time passes, GSB discovers that his friends on the board have become disillusioned with the project and are prepared to vote against it. So GSB, thoroughly frustrated by now; turns his attention to his cherished merit-pay plan for teachers.
Once again, GSB must wait years for the current collective bargaining contract to expire with the union. Meanwhile, GSB discovers the following: The district's administrators finally admit that they are against merit-pay for teachers since their subjective evaluations will be too carefully examined and create great dissension among teachers who might think they deserve better evaluations. Soon, GSB finds even more objections.
The teachers' union is strongly opposed which causes some of his friendly board members to be reluctant to support merit pay. After all, elections are coming up! So GSB decides to meet with the Union's President, Mr. Big Shot, whom we'll call BS in our story.
BS offers to speak candidly to GSB - off the record. He states emphatically than the "union is not overly concerned about merit pay for bootlickers or anti-union teachers." Then, BS lets GSB understand in no uncertain terms that no president of a teacher's union, including himself, can stay in office when nine out of ten teachers will probably complain to him that they deserve merit pay just as much as those who got it.
After this, GSB tries to get BS to accept an appeal process which would protect unjustly treated teachers. But BS says he will have none of that. He states flatly this would put the union in a very unfavorable position. If the union supported either side of such a controversy it would be a no-win situation for the union. He says, unions support pay raises for all members and not for individuals. Union politics demand equality. Merit pay does the opposite!
BS, as a good union president, goes on to say that he has even more objections to merit pay. Other schools aren't using it and this creates even more controversy. Also parents won't support it, especially if the union calls a strike to prevent implementation of merit pay, and, as a result, kids have to stay home. BS then asks GSB: Is it worth the certain headache everyone will suffer now when the possible benefits may come sometime in the distant future? What if merit pay turns out to be a disaster? Can GSB ever hope to be reelected then?
So GSB suddenly realizes he has made some BIG mistakes by trying to sponsor improvements, no matter how worthy. He only regrets the huge time lost on these impossible projects and even wishes he could strangle the "do-gooders" in educational fields who proposed such nonsense in the first place. His final thought: How can I retreat from the mess I'm in and still save face?
BS rescues him. The union president suggests the "status quo" for now. He goes on to recommend that an investigating committee be appointed to study the problem. Soon, BS says, the merit pay issue will die and everything will return to normal. Such a compromise is certain to satisfy the public that something is being done. So GSB happily does as suggested and it works perfectly. Thus the nightmares in education continue and the status quo reigns.
Dr. Lieberman indicates throughout the book that trying to satisfy all of the various and wide interests involved in public (or nonprofit private) education is almost an impossibility. Thus, helpful changes such as school choice or vouchers are almost dead upon arrival. He holds out some hope if private schools - operated for profit - are utilized much more extensively than they are today. Such schools may have enough independent power and authority to push through improvements which just parents, as consumers, will either buy or refuse.
Then the good doctor finally has this to say: "In my opinion, the extent of dissatisfaction with public education will be a key to whether voucher plans will be enacted widely." But, as any reader will see later in this web site, dissatisfaction with public education is not sufficiently widespread to expect much of a change. Believe it or not, in many polls the majority of parents usually give the schools of their children a "B" rating or better.
In other words, vouchers or school choice may become feasible only when the public has a more acceptable choice outside of the public and private (nonprofit) schools existing today. This is especially true when about 95% of the private schools are nonprofit or church oriented. Thus, the extensive use of a huge chain of very desirable and profitable "Harrison System" schools would be a perfect way to initiate a loud clammer for an acceptable voucher or school choice program. Let's see why!
The Harrison System requires no change which demands approval from educators or even inside-or-outside-of-education authorities or politicians. It can be used in almost any school type of setting by any teacher possessing a "self-management attitude toward pupils." Face it, no legitimate reason can be logically voiced against System utilization unless the objector's selfish self-interest becomes obvious. After all, who wouldn't want children to acquire a superior academic education and to be trained as self motivated, self disciplined, self responsible and self-managed humans? The obvious answer is: Only selfish managers or organizations trying to protect their "bread and butter" or their "irons in the fire!"
Moreover, Harrison System training is available almost on a do-it-yourself basis and with very little cost or change from customary teaching methods. In fact, as System teachers decide to stresslessly and effortlessly instruct more and more pupils better and better, the savings for the public can be tremendous. Furthermore, such teachers can become wealthy and famous (as indicated on our other web sites).
Rather than rely on just one authority for information see what some others have to say about the education nightmare and some possible solutions to it.
What Does Professor Finn Think?
Chester E. Finn, Jr., professor of education and public policy at Vanderbilt University and director of the Educational Excellence Network, wrote a fine book called "We Must Take Charge - Our Schools and Our Future," published by The Free Press, New York, in 1991. The book, using opinion polls, reveal "that most parents, teachers, and administrators think their local schools and their own children are doing just fine." Using the book's jacket as a source for quotations and information, it reveals that Professor Finn believes we can avert disaster by improving accountability and quality control. He thinks we should eliminate "bad ideas, fads, buck-passing, dubious theories, and stodgy practices" in the teaching profession.
Professor Finn also suggests changes which will reorganize education, such as requiring our schools to meet prescribed achievement in: core subjects; useful testing; and pupil performance in relationship to prescribed standards. To accomplish these improvements, Professor Finn suggests that they be championed by all Americans.
Finn then asks the public to offer children and parents lots of options and resources. For instance: Learning in July as well as in March; learning in museums as well as classrooms; more school choices; and giving educators more authority at the school level. Then we are urged to revitalize education from the bottom up and to hold each school accountable.
Such suggestions are laudable but impossible to achieve if we use Dr. Lieberman's information as a guide. At every step or decision made toward accomplishment, we have someone's protected "livelihood" or "irons-in-the-fire" standing in the way. So, no matter how hard anyone tries or how many people champion the change, someone somewhere will be able to torpedo the effort. So, it seems crazy to believe America could ever get sufficient people to champion the necessary education changes as suggested by Professor Finn, or to even budge from the status quo as cherished by education's managers.
Also, in conclusion, some of Finn's readers may realize that education of children should contain a lot more than just mastery of academic subjects. Such logic is strongly indicated by Dr. Lickona, the next author cited below. But even beyond this, common sense should tell anyone that character education is really what makes or breaks American society - not just academic subjects learned. We can hire sufficient academic and technical assistance from overseas. But each U.S.citizen's characteristics bring forth the type of superior democratic society and production in our business world that make America the giant that it is. So both academic and character improvement must be included to avoid an education nightmare. The Harrison System does this almost without effort or stress. Let's see if management methods will!
Dr. Thomas Lickona Believes Character Education is Needed!
Dr. Thomas Lickona is a developmental psychologist and Professor of Education at the State University of New York. He wrote a very readable book called "Educating for Character - How Our Schools Can Teach Respect and Responsibility, Bantam Books, NY, NY, published in 1991.
The book's jacket states that Dr. Lickona has used twenty years to research the best way to teach "respect, responsibility, hard work, compassion, and other values so desperately needed in today's society." He also admits that teaching values such as these often bring controversy and possibly even fear. Often, parents have their own values which they want implemented into their children. When there are so many different values possessed by the public, the reader may wonder how this can this be accomplished in an acceptable way.
Dr. Lickona believes he offers many practical and successful programs to teach moral development. The subjects taught are numerous, such as how to create a caring classroom and how to handle sex, drugs and alcohol education.
Toward the end of the book Dr.Lickona offers an outline for "Getting Started and Maintaining Momentum." Basically, this is what he says:
1. Create "a Leadership Council." Gather together representatives of all the people who may have an interest in developing the program desired at a particular school. Get their input and support.
2. Survey the people involved. Find out what they want.
3. Make an assessment of what values the school teaches now. Ask, how can they be improved?
4. Create a Plan. Use the survey and assessment (above) to build goals.
5. Ask for feedback. Then use the improvements if applicable.
6. Create a Committee of Parents. Seek input on values and disseminate new info about changes to all parents involved. Encourage fostering of values at home.
7. Form subcommittees with a special-focus. For example: A policy for discipline that's schoolwide. Cafeteria improvement. Better behavior on the playground. Sportsmanship on the ball field. Assemblies operated by students. Try to counteract vandalism. Try to foster service in the community.
8. Promote values with a center containing resources for all to use.
9. Develop "Values" Workshops for everybody involved at the school. Have all of the staff attend.
10. Create a system of "Buddies." Share notes on improvements.
11. Create a Democratic Government composed of Students. Give pupils practical responsibilities for making decisions about school jobs.
12. Make the curriculum values-centered. Some examples are: For 2nd Grade, illustrate "The Rule of Law" by playing kickball without rules. Discuss why rules are needed. Then play the game with rules. For 5th Grade, illustrate "Truth" through choices and consequences. Use a classroom story where the child in the story accidentally smashes a window. Talk about what are his choices and what may be the outcome or consequence for each.
13. Acquire publicity for your program.
14. The Program should be properly evaluated. Study everything for improvement!
About now the reader of this web site, after reading what has been previously presented, should be saying to himself or herself, "My Gosh! How does Dr. Lickona think such an elaborate plan as suggested could ever come about? If the excessive costs and variety of values involved didn't sink it, the number of different people participating would. Face facts, each person involved could have their various 'livelihoods' and 'irons' to protect!"
Instead of such an elaborate, hard to implement, and costly program, it seems logical that Dr. Lickona might have approved of the Harrison System (if he had known about it before writing the book). As stated previously, the System is a simple, do-it-yourself program which can be almost costless and stressless for everybody. It automatically teaches values that everybody wants - both at school and at home. And the values are absorbed as the academic subjects are learned - without using class time. It requires almost no change from customary teaching techniques. And, perhaps most important of all, the System tremendously improves American education at less and less cost (as teachers gradually decide whether or not they want to teach more and more students to become wealthy individuals).
Probably you, as the reader of this web site and as a thinking individual, should also expect the business world to be interested in the Harrison System. Let's take a look at another book written by a business executive and see what Big Business thinks about the "Education Nightmare!".
What Does Big Business Have To Say About the Education Nightmare?
The business community has a huge stake in the proper education of American children. Not only do BIG and little businesses need future employees properly trained in academic endeavors, but they also require workers who permanently possess the proper attitudes, character, morals, and work ethic. Believe it or not, all of these are automatically educated into pupils by the Harrison System - with only an attitude change needed on the part of the teacher. For non-believers, please click on the following link and then return here: http://www.behaviormodsuperkids.com/index.html
Jack E. Bowsher has written a very interesting book called "Educating America," published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., NY, NY, in 1989. It explains desirable education from the viewpoint of the "Lessons Learned in the Nation's Corporations." Let's paraphrase a little of the book and see what he has to say.
Problems in education seem to be caused by two major issues: 1st. Costs of education are huge and rising beyond inflation. 2nd. Education's quality has decreased as the need for it rises in the workplace. Solutions to just these issues, Mr Bowsher says, would go a long way toward improvement. The book's jacket contains a succinct overview of what's in the book.
Mr. Bowsher, retired Director of Education External Programs for IBM, advocates looking at the many corporate training programs for solutions to public school problems. First, he suggests a detailed look at each problem to discover why the proposed solutions today are wrong. Then he recommends solutions using corporate education as a guide - especially those that contain incentives and accountability. And, finally, he is not for wasting money or teachers on something already broken.
Then the book's jacket says Mr. Bowsher discusses, in depth, a "Systems Approach" with proper management and measurement involved. He goes on to suggest "new delivery systems and technologies." After this he recommends "five phases" of management and "how-to" methods for restructuring education in America. Basically, the solutions are based upon what works in the business world.
The reader of "Educating America" should notice that
Mr. Bowsher approaches solutions in public education from the "Top Down"
as most businessmen and authorities do. This hasn't worked in the past for
public education and won't work in the future - if what you have read so
far is an indication. Face facts! There are too many different
"irons-in-the-fire" and too much "bread and butter" to be lost. As soon as
the energetic reformer gets one thing accepted another objection is found.
So the status quo remains despite the best of efforts and no matter how powerful
the individual. Merely examine the progress in education attempted by our
American Presidents for proof. All have tried to improve education without
success.
The Crux of the Problem (Education's Nightmare) Comes
from Trying to Achieve Solutions from the Top
Down!
Adding to the problem of seeking solutions in education is this fact: Most humans, alive today, have been educated and conditioned by parents and education's managers to think in terms of automatically seeking answers from the "Top down rather than the bottom up."
Our education and conditioning tell us that the managers are the people in control. Changes and improvements must come from such authorities - never from the bottom up. And, when we add all of the interests of other controlling components of education, such as unions, colleges of education, school boards, politicians, big business, foundations, etc., which have a reason to maintain the status quo, constructive change seems impossible. So, the public continues to wring their hands in despair as they watch education's managers build their "Empire" with few useful results and with costs going through the roof. About now you should be asking: But what can be done? The answer is: Instead of moving from "the top down" - let's examine solutions from "the bottom up!"
Solutions are Available - From the Bottom Up!
Gerald Grant is the Hannah Hammond Professor of Education and Sociology at Syracuse University and Christine F. Murray is Associate Professor of Education and Human Development at the State University of New York College at Brockport. Together they wrote a book called "Teaching in America - The Slow Revolution," which was published by Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1999.
Both professors advocate a slow revolution to reform education from the bottom up as was done for college professors in the past. They feel that elementary and secondary schoolteachers should be given more authority "for hiring, mentoring, promoting, and, if necessary, firing their peers."
The book analyzes proper teaching practices so as to build competent teachers who can take control over decisions now dominated by male administrators. The authors maintain that what is needed is not better managers but better teachers. This can be done by recruiting the best instructors; honing their skills; and properly evaluating their performance.
Both Grant and Murray have the right idea, the solution to Education's Nightmare must be undertaken from the bottom up rather than from the top down. However, their suggestion that the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) might be the controlling factor to achieve this miracle seems ridiculous. The NBPTS is nothing more than adding another bureaucracy on top of the too many already in existence. Using the info previously presented, one can easily visualize the "irons-in-the-fire" and the "livelihoods" that may get in the way of success. Instead, a much more objective and simpler, less costly, and more certain way of achieving success can be developed by using the Harrison System.
The Harrison System to the Rescue!
As indicated previously, many reasons have already been discussed as to why the Harrison System is the one and only solution to "Education's Nightmare!" Anyone still unconvinced as to why this is so, or who may want some exact details, should again be urged to click on: http://www.behaviormodsuperkids.com/index.html However, in conclusion a few of the more important reasons should be briefly mentioned now.
Before we begin, it must be stated clearly that the Harrison System probably won't become a savior for public education until vouchers or school choice is implemented. The reason, again, lies with the many school controllers' "livelihoods" and "irons-in-the-fire" fascination. Face it, the managers in control of public schools are not about to allow a lot of Harrison System schools to exist which easily and costlessly create self-managed pupils and require fewer managers. However, they can't stop individual teachers from using it. Yet they can prevent its mass utilization. Nevertheless, success in any universal way for the public must first come from sufficient competition (e.g. profitable private schools). It's as Dr. Myron Lieberman stated in the first book reviewed on this web site. Thus, the outline and discussion that follows probably pertains to for-profit private schools - only.
What is Possible?
Allan Harrison and/or the Self Accountable Children's Society (a nonprofit organization) are prepared to join with any for-profit or nonprofit school to implement System methods in return for a small percentage of the tuition that the school's parents pay. Harrison and/or SACS will assist as needed. Or, Harrison is prepared to join the proper individual (or individuals) in starting and operating a for-profit private school or chain of schools. Merely e-mail Harrison using the address on his web sites (allanharri@aol.com).
Anyone who joins Harrison in a profitable private school, as indicated above, will help tame the "Education Nightmare" by participating in all of the startling things that follow :"
1. System teachers will be in full control of their classroom. Each instructor will be an independent contractor. The owner of the school (Harrison & you) will annually lease classrooms to each teacher and then contract out his helpful services as building manager. Thus, costs are minimal for the owner. Also, this assures that the teacher must use System methods to make a lot of money or to succeed in enrolling many pupils the following school year (or even during the current school year). Dissatisfied parents will go elsewhere. Teachers will pay the school owner a small percentage of tuition collected. Advertising can be as simple as citing Harrison's web site. It explains everything for the parent and will create eager enrollments.
2. Parents will pay the teacher a specified tuition for each pupil enrolled plus a specified bonus for each month the whole classroom's academic achievement average is raised, as evidenced by a standard test given at the start of the school year and again at its end. Thus, costs are based upon production and accountability is obvious. No teacher will try to teach more pupils than he or she is certain can be raised above the previous academic achievement average. And, if the class falls below the previous average, the teacher will be out of business at the start of the next school year.
3. Huge profits are possible by using the right teachers. With experience, some elementary teachers will be able to instruct 100 to 200 pupils each - and will still earn a large bonus for academic achievement. This has been proven possible in the early 1800's by a Quaker Schoolmaster called Joseph Lancaster (who taught 1000 pupils all by himself and at the same time and started 100 private schools doing the same) and by Harrison when he taught 65 sixth graders, composed of nothing but troublemakers, all by himself (for proof click on the links below). Lancaster used pupils to reinforce learning similar to what takes place with the Harrison System.
4. Buildings used can be portable, inexpensive, and modular. This will allow rooms to be added as they are needed. They can be placed on leased and empty land held for appreciation. Equipment can be purchased used and be shared among the teachers. Many other corners can be cut to save money (merely click on the links below for proof).
Please click on http://members.aol.com/PerfectSchools/index.html and http://members.aol.com/OwnaPvtSch/index.html to discover even more of the many profitable and amazing things available to any Harrison System private school owner.
Sooner than you think, competition will force public and other private schools to implement System methods. And, if you join Harrison now in helping this take place, you can become wealthy and perhaps even famous in the future. So, start today! Time's a wasting!