Save me from robotic teaching!

I ran into a former colleague at the grocery store today. We had taught in the same school years ago and I had spoken at a major conference he ran last year. He told me more about what was going on in the field of education since he's involved in middle school education statewide and I'm on the outside sharing my high school Strategies for Success program around the country.

He told me that schools are so obsessed with test scores that they're actually scripting the lessons!! What??? What if a student doesn't understand? The teachers are told to move on. What????? How does that improve test scores? How does that educate? How does that honor kids as human beings in any way, shape or form? Bad enough that they're not supposed to have fun anymore. Bad enough that we've taken away all the classes they love in school to focus on math, science and english. But robotic teaching? Not what we need.

I guess they're trying to model the schools after the Japanese and Chinese who are so good in math. But can they invent? Do we look to China for the best inventions? Or do they manufacture what we invent? Think about it, we send our manufacturing overseas which is not good for our country. Now we're not developing the creativity we need to design the next products, the solutions to our problems.

We've got it backwards...and it's time to turn it around. We can have decent test scores, and creativity, and happy kids. I've seen it happen. Our kids want it. Out teachers want it. Our society needs it. And the time is now.

Why aren't people more open to programs that work?

Another news story about how schools are failing...how we're not providing 21st century tools...how NCLB has not worked. No one has answers it seems..or do they??

Are you one of the people who knows a way to improve schools? Do you wonder why no one ever seems to ask the people who know? Wouldn't it be great if someone out there took the time to really listen to proven methods that work?

Instead, letters come back saying, "We don't accept unsolicited proposals" or "We don't work with companies that charge to help students". Or no response is sent at all.

It's a strange phenomenon in our country. If someone is famous, they can share all their passions - what they cook, what they wear,what they think. I totally understand that first they had to do the work that got them famous and that they want to exploit (said in the nicest way) their celebrity while it lasts. I have no problem with that at all.

But there's got to be a way for the rest of us to share what we know especially if it solves one of society's problems. We certainly do need answers in our country... and they are out there... but we need a way... got any ideas? Our kids need us... and they need us now...we can't afford to wait any longer.