© 2007 Institute of Current World Affairs
The Institute awards long-term fellowships to develop a deep understanding of an issue, country, or region outside the US and to share that understanding with a wider public.
Institute of Current World Affairs - Home Page

Below is a hobbled text version of a PDF document.
In order to read the actual document please click the link below and register if necessary.
(One-time registration is free and very quick.)
Read article

5/13/1971 - Promises and Problems: An American Fortnight in Education by Irving J Spitzberg

NOT FOR PUBLICATION INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS IJS I PROMISES AND PROBLEMS AN AMERICAN FORTNIGH IN EDUCATION Program Public Policy Studies Claremont Colleges Bonita Avenue Claremont California 91711 May Richard H Nolte Executive Director Institute Current World Affairs Fifth Avenue New York New York lOO17 Dear Mr Nolte Before embarking study educational policy I taken brief important American experiments education I taken order inform myself first about American education My Los Angeles Washington Texarkana Boston I decided American education I could where contemporary American educational frontiers where exploration going By investigating problems adventurous American projects I could understand crucial issues facing decades In wsletter I shall report impressions American education gleaned fortnight Appended letter complete itinerary Journey which ought reader guard My travels Europe known American fortnight Monday London Friday Berlin Saturday Rome Friday Paris Sunday Europe The limitation approach American educational problems obvious The I taken experience impression trends promises problems impressions hours given innumerable patient perceptive people general impressions nevertheless The caveat which reader given brevity visit particular place I unable pursue comprehensive thorough investigation particular experiment which deserved The coStraint mercy those arranged schedule location therefore I unable explore diverse sources information manner which would enhance objectivity impressions Having stated qualification spite constraints allowed develop perspective American education which I would missed I personally different approaches problems education I chose breexlth experience intensity investigation basis overview I divide impressions categories report primary secondary education discussion higher education sorts institutional arrangements education combined report conversations public officials analysis various strategies change American education The analysis strategies change raises important questions which reader ought throughout report How change educational policies And educational policies change With these questions experiments primary secondary education which I visited during educational fortnight I PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION Three problems among which afflict public education United States promise solution These problems include substantially chsmge curriculum order create effective educational process How restructure internal organization schools order enhance educational process How chsmge governing apparatus public education order involve elements community problems education Let address myself problem separately Two sorts substantive innovation school curriculum evident travels In public schools Texarkana Arkansas experiment using instructional methods educational dropout prevention program Although I skeptical about reliance technological hardware educational purposes I observations indicated students individual slide projectors audio players conjunction programmed audio strips appear working industriously enjoying doing Also utilization these technologies Texrkana allowed dropout prevention program student problems individual basis The effectivensss dropout prevention program Texrkana demonstrated scientifically however tentative statistical information seems indicate effective preventing dropouts students grades seven through twelve there dropouts during present academic however dropout prevention program itself students participati program dropped Another example curriculum innovation Bi Cultural Bi Lingul Follow Through Program Cucamonga California This program originated Professor Manuel Prez University Clifornia Riverside offers school district mjority Chicano students curriculum built around English Spanish language culture equally important components Courses taught languages students Materials relating Anglo culture Chicano culture being developed This program accepts cultural diversity guiding principle draws heritages English Chicano Americamm teahing tools These innovative programs examples possibilities substantive educational change However program encountered problems contains drawbacks For example Texrkana district learned hardware itself especially helpful their first supplier hardware learning systems snappy individual learning dubious course materials through hrdwre Quality program important quality physical equipment And lingual cultural program Cucamonga though encountering unusual problems other those expected research development project demonstrate applicable situation other small rural school district The techniques lingu cultural truction tried urban setting One promising characteristic Texarkana Cucamonga rograms their staffs recognize their problems limitations attemtlng The second general problem redesign organization schbol itself order promote education being number different cities which I visited The Parkway School Philadelphia excellent example design there single school Parkway known school streets because there school building Instead students Parkway attend classes Basements churches rooms museums artists workshops become classrooms And degree Parkway school without faculty There faculty school Parkway presently three units faculty staff about students courses listed catalogues taught people outside school example course called Sex Education Social Relationship taught staff Planned Parenthood Philadelphia A course public education offered staff Citizens Committee Public Education Philadelphia The communitY whole curriculum resource Parkway School The additional faculty interested community persons teach courses volunteer basis In addition older students teach younger students college students teaching assistants established faculty members Yet there difficulties Parkway School found difficult manage community resources efficient manner Developing resources evaluating existing components haphazard Only recently there person responsibility undertake these tasks And there person A school streets creates management problems which exist though often hidden traditional schools With Parkway School planning expand students educational management becomes problem dealt A change traditional operating procedures evident Texarkana dropout prevention project There program being teachers employed directly school district instead operated Educational Development Laboratory division McGraw Hill contractor hired school district EDL basis hours taught years experience compensated according actual performance students leave program This performance contracting attempt establish objective criteria which evaluate learning experiences students reward accomplishment these objectives Parkway Program Course Catalogue Community Alpha Philadelphia The problems performance contracting experimentation without adequate knowledge planning illustrated Texarkana experience The first contractor under performsm contracting agreement Dorsett Educational Systems advantage school district The contract between Dorsett district stated district would students before after would Dorsett certai dollar amount student achieved least improvement those improved nothing those improve When school district giving final examination ascertain achievement student students school district examirer Oh submarine example I times After inquiry school district examiner discovered students nmber examples final examination prior Dorsett taught So final examination objective independent evaluation students achieved However because inadequate contract administration school system already contractor The Texarkana school district prepared sophisticated problems created their sophisticated strategy reorganizing schools It should noted Texarkana schools improved administration appears EDL providing sound learning program The Bi Lingual Bi Cultural experiment Cucamonga experimented organizing school involved parer children schools actual learning experiences Parents trained along students teachers techniques educating Spanish speaking children Family considered important adjunct school Another example roles within schools found William Lloyd Garrison School South B New York City The changing relationship school community involved creation professional roles One teachers school assigned community relations liaison faculty member responsibility develop maintain cordial relation ships between those community those schools Even community aison coordinator started develop resources neighborhood resources school I should observe impression these experiments changing structure organization school rarer experiments changing substance curriculum If impression correct devisln organizing indlvidul schools important frontier which adequately eXplored innovation level could profound impact schools The final problem interest rearranging manner which public schools governed The reaching traditional attempt reorganize governance decentralization New York City schools There attempting break large manageable units related series smaller communities This attempt traditional urban parent student citizen their suburban counterparts I personal interest decentralization process because I involved investigation problems decentralization New York during difficulties I S Ocean Hill Brownsville There promise decentralization often obscured problems However during recent I visited decentralized District Number South Bronx promises overcoming problems After discussions faculty students principals community people Board Education personnel appears decentralization New York City Schools profoundly chnged distribution power control An example reallocation power experience dealing financial crisis early March central Board Education thought would million fiscal unless undertook policy economy The Board indicated would freeze hiring substitute teachers effect other economy measures In Board unable execute these policy measures reorganization New York City Schools vested hiring policy within limits examination system other operational decision making power thirty local boards People decentralized districts Livingston Street Board Education frankly acknowledged local boards would followed directive central board The unreality central board stated policy massive political outcry which united factions New York City which spoken other years This public response City government needed lands crisis although funds borrowed against budget questionable acc6unting procedure Even Board wished implement policies there indications along could implemented would actually legislative authority political power Community control indeed New York City issue community control given district In local district which I visited ethnic distribution majority Puerto P large minority Blacks smaller minority whites The local governing board includes representatives ethnic community The Local Board President local District Superintendent indicated despite disagreements among various groups there great cooperation There appeared bitterness which characterized Ocean Hill Brownsville IS201 There still legacy insecurity among administrators teachers about impact mnity control their careers expect insecurity disappear Community control decentralization New York City process evolution logical includes investing budgetary authority hands local boards superintendents developing smaller decentralized divisions authority curriculum personnel Community control extend individual school Also techniques needed protect rights those participating system Decentralizing control protecting rights individuals system competing elements reorganization school governance The challenge which maintains flexibility which seems creeping New York schools after decades inflexible bureaucracy Another example changing relationships between community schools learning center South Boston T center founded group community people attempt provide place students community persons after school The Learning Center Originally funded federal grant funneled through Boston Public Schools neighborhood group The origin design Learning Center intended provide common meeting ground community students teachers In But provided additional resources students example learning environment teachers bring their students Learning Center during school In addition provided community center parents community their children learn improve their children performance school And future promises possibility actually providing occasions teachers students community discuss their problems Center continuing funding The Boston Scho District funding Next operating discretionary grant U S Office Education But least community continues control learning institution Boston Another quite different example innovation school government City Nashville Davidson County Metropolitan Nashville where governing county Metropolitan Nashville truly integrated governmental umbrella urban suburban rural United States The expect impact organization operation schools clear although citizens officials Nashville quite proud However arrangement obviously provides potential dealing number problems which afflict other metropolitan areas United States For example dealing desegregation Metropolitan Nashville community resources within control integrate syste Also Metropolitan Nashville taxing power extends central suburbs rural areas This means suburbanites resources central their costs novelty American education All these experiments indicate promise dealing important problems facing contemporary American school systems however depressing isolated these experiments Only New York City decentralized given first toward meaningful conunity control handful districts developed lingual cultural programs there metropolitan school system school really become school without walls The challenge American education develop approaches these problems develop strategies implementing promising techniques large scale efficient effective manner To point I return newsletter Also continuation report I shall comment problems higher education United States conclude analysis existing strategies hhange Yours sincerely ITINERARY March Los Angeles Claremont Colleges Texarkana Experiment performance contracting Little Rock Arkansas Nashville Metropolitan government New York City Decentralized District International Center Educational Development College Human Services New York City School Board Offices New Haven Conversations Yale Amherst Hampshire College Boston Kennedy Institute Of Politics South Boston Learning Center Commune Philadelphia Parkway School Washington D C A I D American Association Universities Office U S Commissioner Education New York Los Angeles May Cucamonga California Bi Cultural Bi Lingul School Experiment eceved New Yor May