A Retirement Reflection
By Jim Havelka
SUPERINTENDENT'S CORNER
I'm retiring at the end of June after 37 years as a public school teacher and administrator, including 27 years as a Superintendent. So, a colleague suggested that rather than go quietly into the night, that I write at least one article reflecting on what has changed in education for good or ill during the last 37 years.
First, I want to stress that I believe most of the changes have been positive. I'm not one of the crotchety old timers who believe that everything was a lot better back in 1973. In fact, in my opinion, the standards weren't as high, on the whole the teachers weren't as good, and the kids weren't as well behaved and eager to learn. We certainly face challenges today, but I think we've made a lot of progress in four decades and I think the prospects, especially in our rural schools, are bright.
To back up those generalizations, I'd like to point out several positive trends that have been developing over the years and that are now beginning to produce results.
The first is a belief that nearly every child can learn effectively and can meet a fairly rigorous set of academic standards. Hard as it is to believe today, Special Education as we know it did not exist in the public schools in 1973 and students with learning handicaps were either left to struggle in their regular classrooms or, if their handicap was severe enough, denied a public education altogether.
The passage of the Education of All Handicapped Children's Act in 1975 changed that and for the first time provided that every child, regardless of disability, was entitled to a free, appropriate public education. In the early years of Special Education, that often meant a watered-down curriculum in a separate classroom, but eventually, educators put into practice what the law intended -- that most disabled children could attend classes with their non-disabled peers and that, with appropriate modifications, they could meet the same academic standards. Today, we start with the assumption that the regular curriculum can be accessed by almost every child and that we, as educators, need to find a way to make that happen.
The second is an assumption that school systems and teachers, not the family or the community, is responsible for children learning. Again, looking back on the 1970's the concept of "equal educational opportunity" for all students was often more honored in the breach than in actual practice. I started my teaching career in the Omaha area and I can assure you that there was little equality between the sparkling high schools in the suburbs and their counterparts in the inner city. And, it was assumed that students in those inner city schools could not achieve at a high level and that the achievement gaps based on race or socioeconomic status would always be with us. Today, those conditions and assumptions are changing. Recently, I heard Governor Heinemann speak about Nebraska's achievement gaps and he was adamant that we are not going to narrow them, we're going to end them! Forty years ago I don't think we would have heard that from the Governor.
A third trend is holding teachers and administrators accountable for what happens on their watch. In the year that it has been in charge, the Obama Administration has made it very clear that it intends to hold school districts accountable for failure. Among its first initiatives are grants to improve what it calls Persistently Low Achieving Schools (PLAS). PLAS school improvement grants provide a lot of money for improvement, but, in almost all cases, they require the district to begin the school improvement process by firing the failing school's Principal and most of the school's teachers. I don't believe that firing the Principal and teachers is necessarily the path to improvement, but it does send a message about accountability.
Finally, I think we have developed in the last forty years an increasing belief in the value of education. When I graduated from high school in 1966, certainly less than half of our class went directly on to college. Many went to the military, as I did, and many went directly to the work force. A high school diploma was considered a sufficient credential for a middle class life. Today, only a few of our graduates do not go on to a four-year or two-year school and parents and students clearly understand that high school had better not be the end of the line. In an increasingly technological world and increasingly uncertain economy, education is valued and understood as the path to a solid future.
So, I feel pretty good about what we've accomplished since 1973. Our schools are more accessible, more equal, more accountable, and more valued than they were in the "good old days" and I have every confidence that the next forty years or so will bring even more improvement. For the sake of my grandchildren -- and yours -- I hope I'm right.
Thank you, patrons of North Bend Central Public Schools, for your help and support during the 11 years that I've served as your Superintendent. It is a maxim among Superintendents that communities get exactly the schools they deserve. We have a great school system because our community makes it so and I believe that will continue. Best wishes. --JIM HAVELKA, Superintendent
