Administrators, teachers, and staff are
about to be rocked with the physical circulation of my book, Understanding the Minneapolis Public
Schools: Current Condition, Future
Prospect, inducing the implementation of knowledge-intensive curriculum to
replace the embarrassing subject area content now inflicted on students enrolled
in the Minneapolis Public Schools.
Impartation of a knowledge-intensive,
skill-replete education is the core mission of any locally centralized school
district.
Fundamentals of an excellent liberal arts
education include teaching with breadth and depth the subjects of mathematics,
biology, chemistry, physics, government, American history, world history,
economics, psychology, English and world literature, English usage, music, and
visual art. In--- count’em---
fourteen--- that’s fourteen, years in the currently
typical preK-12 scheme, there is an abundance of time to convey a great bevy of
information in all of these subjects, with plenty of time also for physical
education and health and an array of vocational subjects (carpentry, plumbing,
auto mechanics).
At grades PreK-5 (elementary school in most
locally centralized schools districts as now structured), students should have
detailed, knowledge-intensive, information-heavy introductions to all of the
key subjects in the liberal arts. At
grades 6-8 (middle school), impartation of knowledge and skill sets in the
liberal arts should continue at ever higher levels, and students should have
increasing access to courses in the vocational and technological arts. With this approach to curriculum, students
will arrive in high school ready to take Advanced Placement (AP) courses in
calculus, biology, chemistry, physics, world history, United States history,
government, and economics. They will
also have opportunities to take specialized courses in those fields, explore
vocational interests, and conduct formal research with a resulting 20-page
paper.
Specifically, at
the three major levels of preK-12 education at the Minneapolis Public Schools,
the following curricular matters will pertain.
>>>>> All preK-5 schools will impart specified
knowledge sets in grade by grade sequence pertinent to mathematics, natural
science (biology, chemistry, physics, anatomy, physiology, nutrition), social
science and humanities (government, history, economics, geography, psychology),
English usage and literature (classical Western, world, ethnic-specific), and
fine arts (visual and musical). PreK-2
students will have a strong grasp of phonics and phonemic awareness, and they
will develop fluency and comprehension by reading a bevy of high-quality
literary works. Students at all grade
levels will continue to read fiction and nonfiction of high quality and
rigor; and they will graduate from grade
5 with a very strong foundation of subject area knowledge.
>>>>> All middle schools (grades 6-8) will
provide a knowledge-intensive, skill-replete education that proceeds logically from
curriculum at grades preK-5. Students
will have the opportunity to study foreign languages provided on the basis of
student expressed interest, student ethnic composition, and the importance of certain
languages worldwide: those to be
considered at each site will include Spanish, French, German, Chinese,
Japanese, Arabic, Somali, and Hmong.
Students will study algebra I, geometry, and algebra II in
succession; master the fundamentals of
American and world history, incorporating a wealth of information germane to
the histories of all major ethnic groups and world populations; continue to acquire strong knowledge sets in
Western classic, world, and ethnic-specific literature; master standard courses in biology,
chemistry, and physics; and pursue
instrumental and choral activity options, as well as continuing the academic
study of the fine arts (visual and musical).
>>>>> On the strength of such rigorous academic
curriculum at grades preK-5 and grades 6-8, students will arrive in high school
(grades 9-12) ready to focus on Advanced Placement courses in Calculus,
Biology, Chemistry, Physics, United States History, World History, Economics,
Psychology, English, and Spanish. They
will be offered a range of subject area electives and multiple options for
acquiring skills in vocations that match students’ driving interests. In grade 12, each student will conduct an
individual research project, producing a paper that follows manual of style
guidelines, with abundant citations in proper form, and meeting specifications
of research papers at the four-year college and university level.
……………………………………………………………………………
Thus, students
will graduate from the Minneapolis Public Schools with knowledge and skill sets
that should be associated with first and second year college students but in
reality will exceed the actual knowledge and skill level of typical students at
those stages in the college and university experience.
All pre-K through
12 teachers will be given rigorous subject area training and knowledge of
constituent student populations.
Teachers will be
mandated to develop pedagogy capable of imparting the knowledge and skill sets
of the rigorous curriculum. While a
variety of pedagogies can possibly deliver such knowledge and skill sets,
academic decision-makers at the Minneapolis Public Schools will stress that
knowledge directly imparted by teachers in the context of whole-class
discussions is typically the most efficient and provides for vigorous critical
analysis and exchanges by students expressing a wide variety of viewpoints.
……………………………………………………………………………
Following the
above described principles of curriculum and teacher training will overturn the
current abysmal approaches to curriculum and teaching, projecting the academic
program of the Minneapolis Public Schools as a model for locally centralized
school districts throughout the United States--- and have favorable implications for public
schools systems throughout the world.
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