Would You Want to Hire Your Own Kid??

I mentioned that our local schools are in severe budget crisis and have compiled a team to make some rather difficult decisions. As they began the process, they were assigned the following articles to read. While most of you do not have children in public school, I still strongly suggest reading the articles. It's really helpful to consider ourselves, as "at home teachers." Are we teaching our children in ways that are beneficial? Based on this information, can we improve our own homeschool teaching?

If you only have time for one article, read the last one and consider whether you would hire your own kid. ;)

* The Workplace Realities: In the new global workplace, what exactly do employees need and employers want? by Anthony P. Carnevale

* Tom Friedman on Education in the 'Flat World'
An excerpt:

Friedman: ...In the latest edition, I added a whole section on why liberal arts are more important than ever. It’s not that I don’t think math and science are important. They still are. But more than ever our secret sauce comes from our ability to integrate art, science, music and literature with the hard sciences. That’s what produces an iPod revolution or a Google.
Pink: It’s the combination of the left brain and the right brain. Left-brain thinking — rule-based, linear, SAT-style thinking — used to be enough. Now right-brain thinking — artistry, empathy, narrative, synthesis — is the big differentiator.

* Would You Hire Your Own Kids? 7 Skills Schools Should Be Teaching Them by Tony Wagner

A particular interesting quote:

"Even in our best schools, we are teaching kids to memorize much more than to think. And in the 21st century, mere memorization won't get you very far."                      
                                                     --- Tony Wagner