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Conclusion
This chapter has presented a variety of approaches to school reform, all of
which share the same aim of better engaging students in school. The
approaches--creating small learning environments, integration, and field-based
learning programs--overlap tremendously, both in content and process. Many of
the goals of these approaches are similar, and those that are different from
the others fit comfortably with them. This chapter has presented noteworthy
reflections of teachers who are experiencing the good and the difficult of
school redesign around the three themes. These teachers have raised many
thought-provoking questions to which there are no clear solutions or simple
answers; if we have achieved our aim, these questions and ideas can guide your
own planning processes. The chapter does not include every issue
integral to the restructuring processes, of course, though it does touch upon
several that teachers found to be significant. Perhaps their ideas can serve as
a catalyst to work through other issues and obstacles you have come across not
contained in this chapter. The suggestion to explore these problems with other
teachers and schools will prove to be fruitful. There are seemingly few
problems that are unique to any one school; rather, there are shared problems
that play themselves out a bit differently in unique contexts. While each
school is, in fact, unique, we can still learn from one another and explore
possible approaches to similar problems. We have seen that each school that is
engaged in a process of change has something to share with others, as well as
something to learn. A school that is beginning or continuing a process of
school restructuring, or developing a single program for their school, might
consider the following:
- Learn from Others
Talk to other schools in your district, or
district offices, to learn about the different constraints you are up against
and what types of waivers are available. Talk to schools inside and outside of
your district. Begin with the ones presented in this chapter; learn the
specifics of how they began to tackle certain reform measures they were
implementing.
- Find Time
As a staff, block out times of the day (after school or
lunch, unless common free periods are available) to begin to work together.
Plan backwards from key goals, begin to lay the groundwork for what will be an
evolving, common vision.
- Count on the Importance of Process
Consider how to approach group
dynamics and consensus building. Think about bringing in an outsider to help
with this process.
- Reflect
Think through the kind of school and school structures
you have, and explore how flexible such structures are. Determine if and how
you would like to change these, given your common vision and the approaches to
reform you would like to implement.
Whether a school is developing an AAI
program or working through the principles of the Coalition of Essential
Schools, there are clearly a set of common issues which emerge during the
planning and implementation processes. Whichever reform program and specific
approach to change a school you choose to focus upon, it is clear that faculty
will have to begin a rigorous journey characterized primarily by the process of
problem solving. Each teacher who participated in this project highlighted
increased demands on working with other teachers on everything from curricular
planning to school governance. This collaboration was tremendously empowering,
and at the same time terribly frustrating--it runs against the grain of what
many long-time teachers are used to.
We have seen the demand for collaborative problem-solving reflected in the
words of these teachers--through their ideas about, advice on, and experiences
with creating schools-within-schools, integrating subject areas, and developing
effective field-based learning programs. Our hope is that their tales will
inform your own restructuring processes--helping you to anticipate tradeoffs
and tensions that may surface before you make any firm decisions. As you engage
in conversations with other members of your faculty, we hope that you will
reflect on some of the questions and issues raised by the teachers' voices
contained in this book. They may give you some ideas, they may warn you about
roadblocks along the way, or they may just ease the pains of the change process.
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