Christmas, Christmastime is Here…
...Time for Toys and Time for Cheer
Channeling the Chipmunks
Who can’t recall the fun and joy of hearing the Chipmunks’ Christmas song. (It’s actually amazing they haven’t been cancelled yet. Too many boys? Criticism of the cute buck teeth, glasses or differences in weight?… Alvin’s singing even gets criticized for being flat!)
As I scanned the many items and news to share in this weeks’ Forza, these cute little critters just sum up what we need more than anything when it comes to our kids: Joyful, fun, engaging banter and song looking forward to a festive time of year, hopefully with some gifts and goodies coming their way. Many of us (though not all) can help create that atmosphere in their own families, but what else can we do?
We can contribute to Toys for Tots or our local church and synagogue collections; we can give away coats, visit the needy, the elderly and more,and we should do all of the above.
But now and in the future, we must focus on bringing cheer back to our children. The impact of social media, societal pressures are just immense, leading to record numbers of students medicated, depressed, suicidal, and not engaged. What would it take to turn that around? Here are three important areas of focus:
Cheer
For children to be happy and overcome the societal pressures of life, they need a solid foundation, as renowned author and clinical psychologist Erica Komisar writes.
“Children have irreducible needs that when left unmet, leave them vulnerable to mental illness,” Komisar argues. “The more we can be there physically and emotionally, the greater the chance your children will become mentally stable,”
(And I might add, cheerful).
But that doesn’t necessarily alleviate a parent’s stress. As noted economist and author Emily Oster who has studied the data says, “The biggest parent stress disadvantage is in households with an income of $35,000 to $50,000; in this group, parents are almost 16 percentage points more likely to register as stressed.”
And this is precisely the group of parents (though not all) that education innovations were originally designed to help - students who are disengaged, or who have no option where they attend school, or even have access to what could be a life-saving opportunity.
In 1988, Minnesota expert, teacher and father Joe Nathan counseled the National Governor’s Association on the fastest way to bring students who dropped out back to school. He helped enact the nation’s first legislation that would allow at-risk students the chance to attend any public school in the state. One would think that poor kids couldn’t or wouldn’t want to attend school once they dropped out, or would have all sorts of excuses as to why they couldn't move or find a place where they could belong. But contrary to the conventional wisdom, within weeks of this program being launched more than 10,000 “dropouts” went back to school, and the majority graduated within a year of being on time. What’s more is they were happier, more satisfied, and by finishing, many continued onto college or careers. Minnesota’s pioneering program launched the public school choice movement, and subsequently, charter schooling in the U.S.
The lesson here is simple: school matters. The right school matters most, and real knowledge is power. When we get it right, our kids do better, and our parents feel less pressure because of it.
Choice
One of the most transformational tools at every policymaker’s disposal is the expansion of education choice. Giving parents the power to choose the best educational path for their children has proven to improve student outcomes. School choice initiatives—whether through charter schools, ESAs, voucher programs, microschooling and more—allow families to select options that best meet their children's needs, particularly in areas where public schools are failing.
From a national push for school choice to expanded scholarships and ESAs that have real teeth and a greater share of state and local dollars connected, choice is a means of providing options for families, especially those in underserved communities. In areas where public schools have historically struggled, school choice is a silver bullet.
But that’s not all. With the rapid advancement of technology, our new leaders must advocate for revolutionizing the education pathway for every student and boost the use of VR to better meet students’ individual needs. We know that technology has the potential to accelerate how students learn, providing personalized, knowledge-rich educational experiences. Equally important is availing themselves of experiential learning that doesn’t confine them to a desk or classroom but unites the millions of educational resources that exist throughout the world and are accessible via thousands of new programs and portals. Just look at Elon Musk’s new STEM-based school endeavor, where he aspires for students to engage in project learning that fosters creativity and curiosity. If that’s what helps you become an Elon Musk we should be all for it. (And maybe in his new role with the new President he can make that happen for all kids).
Change
The best gift for our nation’s future–particularly the kids–is change. As the nation’s new leaders begin to take their places, from the White House to the Halls of Congress, throughout state legislatures and even local communities, we lack the rigor and relevance in policy that is going to ensure a bright and cheerful future for all Americans.
Our nation’s education system still falls behind most industrialized countries, and it seems not a quarter goes by there isn’t another indication of a true emergency taking place.
The most recent TIMMS report shows steep declines in math and science, despite huge efforts post-Covid and another $190 billion of federal funding to stem learning loss. All those funds appeared to do is boost staffing, which now have superintendents crying about a “fiscal cliff” as they have to consider actually letting inactive or ineffective staff people go (and probably will not).
Workforce development is also struggling as more and more industries report failure to find workers who are well prepared to address the needs of the future. Thankfully, Trump Education Secretary-nominee Linda McMahon is talking about education and workforce development as a priority, but it’s going to require an innovative and integrated approach from Kindergarten all the way through postsecondary and career programs. Maybe it includes reauthorizing the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, as House members are currently discussing, but it’s also so much more.
For starters, we need to listen to successful K-12 education leaders who engage in educating and training students for life. They know that workforce programs and college pathways tend to focus on limited, vested interests, and money is diverted to pet programs in numerous communities throughout the landscape rather than to the schools who are getting the work done. The overhaul of the Education Department (that cannot come too soon) is just the tip of the iceberg. Our nation needs change in this and all manner of education, and it starts with ensuring that money follows students.
These are but a few Christmas gifts for our children. Drop me a line or comment on Substack if you have others!
Cheer, Choice, Change…Bring it home, Chipmunks! -
Want a plane that loops the loop,
Me, I want a hula hoop!
We can hardly stand the wait.
Please Christmas, don't be late.
Thanks for reading! - Jeanne