~ Contributing Author: Dr. Stacie Herrera ~
Our education system is in the middle of a curricular shake-up! Schools are being pressed to implement new standards, testing, textbooks, and technology. With this level of change, teachers, parents and students feel overwhelmed and confused. The rollout of information has not been consistent in my district and I’ve heard that other districts are also suffering from too much change, too fast.
The adoption of Core Values would allow schools to develop common ground and resiliency to combat the overwhelming change. Knowing that school staff, parents, and students are working together with shared core values will allow all members to weather the storm of Common Core, Classrooms of Tomorrow, and new standardized testing formats. Without a strong sense of community, more change and unease may tear schools apart.
Schools are spread thin – underfunded and lacking resources to fully implement the changes stipulated by legislators. School communities are in desperate need of developing programs that will support the social-emotional aspects of learning. The extra funding is not available, but the desire of school administrators is there.
The establishment of Core Values gives school staff, parents, and students a common safety net when the unexpected happens. A healthy dose of prevention may be just what our schools need to ride out the latest trends in education. Now is the time to support the connections! Now is the time to support an initiative that will bond all of the stakeholders within a school and create a stronger, more resilient educational community better prepared to implement the latest educational initiatives.
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