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Education in 2010
Fast Forward
• Every classroom in the state has a qualified teacher.
• Teachers have multiple career pathways, with pay for teachers based on performance and pay for the best teachers matching that of other professions.
• Education is student-centered and customized, not “one-size-fits all.”
• Parents and students can choose from a variety of schooling options.
• Children have the opportunity to attend elementary schools close to where their parents work, making it easier for parents to stay involved in their children’s education.
• Online education allows courses to be delivered, particularly to students in high school and beyond, at a time and place convenient to the student.
• Education is a lifelong process, with a wide array of options available for continuing to learn beyond K-16.
• The educational journey is seamless, with students moving smoothly from high school to a community college, university or the world of work.
• The state has multiple college savings options.
“Juan, turn off the cartoons, it’s time to do your schoolwork,” Juan’s father gently demands.
Eleven-year old Juan isn’t so sure the Internet is such a great thing after all. Sure, it’s great for playing games or keeping in touch with his cousins in Colorado, but on days like today, when he is home from school with tonsillitis, the Internet can be a real bummer. When he was in second grade, Juan’s school established a Web site that allowed parents to track their children’s progress, view daily assignments, access materials to supplement the lessons taught in school, and—worst of all, as far as Juan’s concerned—to download assignments when children are home sick. Juan’s parents like the arrangement, though, and appreciate the fact that his teacher can use software from the Web site to generate customized assignments and activities to complement his strengths and improve his
weaknesses.
The worksite school Juan attends is located next to the building where his mother works, and Juan really enjoys getting to ride to and from school with Mom. The facility is provided by the company his mother works for while curriculum and teachers are provided by the local school district. His mother’s company and the school share the same cafeteria, so Juan often gets to eat lunch with his mom. Juan even likes the food, prepared by a service that contracts with his mother’s company. It sure beats the plastic pizza
he got at his previous school.
Juan’s sister, Julia, also used to eat lunch with them. But the worksite school only has classes through the eighth grade. After completing the eighth grade, Julia decided to attend the local school district’s fine arts academy. Julia wants to be an artist, and the public school she chose has
programs that focus on art, music, and theater. Julia attends specialized classes in these areas, in addition to the core courses in math, English, science, and social studies she is required to master.
Juan doesn’t like art very much and thinks—at least this week—that he’ll probably follow in his brother Ignacio’s footsteps. Ignacio, now in his senior year in high school, attends a magnet school focused on the sciences. Ignacio goes to school from 8 am to noon, taking courses in advanced biology, calculus, chemistry, and physics. After lunch, Ignacio works as a paid intern for three hours at a research laboratory. Ignacio returns home after lacrosse practice, eats dinner, and then logs on to e-Texas University, where he is completing his second semester of the core history and political science courses required by Texas universities. Ignacio thinks this will give him a leg up when he starts school at the University of Texas in the fall, when he’ll be able to focus on the science courses he really loves.
Juan’s mother sometimes jokes that their home should be called “Sanchez University,” since everyone in the household is taking classes in one way or another. Juan’s father, an entrepreneur who works from his home office, is taking online advanced business courses from college
instructors all over the nation. Digitally-recorded videos of lectures are delivered to his computer for viewing at a time that is convenient to him. He then submits coursework to his instructors by email. Meanwhile, Juan’s mother, who is general counsel for a large Internet company, keeps up to date
with the latest in intellectual property law by taking courses online or at her company’s training center. Juan has learned from his family that learning is a lifelong process.
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