rote, noun
: mechanical or habitual repetition of something to be learned. “a poem learned by rote in childhood.” synonyms: mechanically, automatically, unthinkingly, mindlessly
The local moms who began planning Pagosa Peak Open School four years ago had a vague idea that an Archuleta County charter school might be able to provide a different type of education, for families looking for something beyond the status quo.
That belief led them to make 17 visits to schools in Colorado and New Mexico — schools that were already offering their families this or that alternative. Following those visits, the founding board settled on “Project-Based Learning” as a model that seemed to be working well in a few select schools, and they also settled on a name that paid homage to one model school in particular: Jefferson County Open School. JCOS had been founded in 1970 upon “open school” educational theories, but more recently had transitioned to a PBL model.
None of the founding Board members had ever started a school, but we thought we had a great idea for an educational alternative in our community.
The PBL model is based around the theory that a person — a child, for example — typically retains skills and information better, when the learning process involves real-world activities that have relevance and meaning to that person individually. Many public school classrooms do not offer much in the way of real-world activities, but rather rely mainly on “rote” learning — (seemingly endless?) repetition of skills and information that, to the student, may feel to have little or no relevance to his or her present life, or to his or her future.
The founders of Pagosa Peak Open School believe not only that certain skills and knowledge can be successfully shared through the PBL model, but also that children will develop a valuable sense of confidence and independence through the completion of ‘projects.’ We believe academic skills were important, but also that other positive character traits will be developed through this style of learning.
According to my research into the economy of Archuleta County, it would appear that maybe half our full-time population is involved in some type of paid employment. The US Census estimates our 2017 resident population at about 13,300 people, and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics listed about 4,082 documented workers in 2017. Many other people are self-employed, own businesses, or work ‘under the radar.’ So I’m making a guess when I say ‘half of our full-time population is employed.’ Maybe 6,500 workers?
I’ll get back to these employed residents in a moment.
The state of Colorado — like every state in the Union — administers standardized tests to help measure student achievement and to help keep school districts and charter schools accountable. Unfortunately, the standardized tests administered here in Colorado focus almost exclusively upon three skill sets.
The Three ‘Rs.’ Reading. Writing. Arithmetic. The same three skill sets that have been the primary focus of public education for the past 100 years.
At our Pagosa Peak Open School board meeting this past Monday evening, we received a report from our School Director, James Lewicki, about a document that we are preparing to file with the Colorado Department of Education (CDE). The document is called a ‘Unified Improvement Plan’ and it’s a crucial part of Colorado’s school accreditation process.
During the spring of 2018, the third and fourth grade students at Pagosa Peak Open School participated in the standardized test required of all public schools in Colorado, the Colorado Measure of Academic Success (CMAS). Those third and fourth graders performed reasonably well on the Reading test, but got relatively low scores in Math and Writing. The scores were low enough to rank our new school as “Priority Improvement.” This ranking put Pagosa Peak below Pagosa Springs Elementary School, which was ranked “Improvement” — the next-higher accreditation level. As a result, the Pagosa Peak staff and School Accountability Committee began work on an improvement plan, focused on reading, writing and math skills.
Just to be clear, almost 10 percent of Colorado public schools were ranked at “Priority Improvement” or at the next lowest ranking, “Turnaround.” Most of those schools have been in operation for much longer than one year.
I also want to be clear about something else. Pagosa Peak Open School was created to address “the whole child.” Yes, we intend our students to achieve decent test scores in reading, writing and math, but ‘The Three Rs’ are, in our view, only a part of a truly comprehensive education.
The education experts at the Colorado Department of Education, unfortunately, do not attempt to assess a fully developed child. Their testing focuses almost exclusively on the three above-mentioned areas of academic achievement.
Reading. Writing. Arithmetic.
So many aspects of a child’s blossoming personality are completely ignored by the CMAS testing program. The ability to work cooperatively, for example. The ability to think outside the box, to innovate and create. The ability to speak persuasively. Musical ability. Mechanical ability. Spatial intuition. The ability to stand in another person’s shoes and understand a different viewpoint. Courage. Generosity. Compassion.
So many different types of skills, and knowledge, and character strengths — necessary to a functioning community — are completely ignored by the testing and ranking systems used by the Colorado Department of Education. The assumption, coming from the highest levels of our educational bureaucracy, seems to be: “If you can read, write, and do simple algebra, you’re ready for adulthood.”
I’m not sure how many of the 6,500 employed individuals in Archuleta County spend a significant portion of their day writing essays or working mathematical equations? (And I ask that question as a person who writes every day, and who is fascinated with numbers and statistics.)
Here are the first two pages of jobs available in and around Pagosa Springs, as listed on the Indeed.com website on December 11, 2018:
- Freelance Resume Writer
- Part-Time Event Specialist
- Satellite TV Technicians/Installers
- Customer Service Representative
- Cosmetologist/Barber
- Operating Room Assistant
- Grocery/Stocking
- Package Delivery Driver
- Grocery Night-Crew
- Shop Worker
- Patient Account Representative
- Driver Helper
- Police Detective
- Part-Time Retail Merchandiser
- Associate Claims Service Representative
- Part-Time Retail Merchandiser
- Housekeeper
- Nutritional Service Worker
- Transporter
- Bar Staff
- Forestry Intern
- Preschool Teacher/Aide
- Water Treatment Plant Operator
- Sales Professional
- Housekeeper
- Waitress/Waiter
- Part-Time Retail Merchandiser
- Well Tester/Flowback Operator
How many of the above jobs require a knowledge of algebraic equations and the ability to write a persuasive essay?
And how many require a very different skill set?
Just asking.
Read Part Three, tomorrow…
Bill Hudson began sharing his opinions in the Pagosa Daily Post in 2004 and can’t seem to break the habit. He claims that, in Pagosa Springs, opinions are like pickup trucks: everybody has one.