GOOD-centric Exterior Spiritual Disciplines:
To live out goodness, fairness, and love
GOOD-centric Fairness in Education
“Education...beyond all other devices of human origin, is a great equalizer of conditions of men - the balance wheel of the social machinery...It does better than to disarm the poor of their hostility toward the rich; it prevents being poor.”
~ Horace Mann
GOOD-centric fairness in education would focus on equalizing access and developing a truly common core.
Equalizing Access to Education
Equalizing access to education would be manifested in full funding for public education and universalized access to high speed internet and digital devices. While the effectiveness of digital vs. face-to-face learning is being debated, the fact that digital learning will be an increasing influence in the future of education is not. Digital technology increases access to high quality open educational materials and instruction; so, in the name of fairness, all students must have equal access to digital technology including high-speed internet and devices on which to participate in instruction and collaboration. Master teachers and sophisticated, up-to-date curriculum would be available to all rather than to the lucky or elite.
Developing a Truly Common Core
What is a truly common core? The stuff you really need to know to function well as an adult. Today’s common core includes English Language Arts Standards and Mathematics Standards; however, students need more than English and math skills to thrive in our evolving world. Collaboration (embracing diversity, resolving conflicts, communicating across cultures, working effectively in teams) should be added to our common core. In addition (pun intended), mathematics standards at the high school level could use some reality testing. When was the last time you non-engineers performed operations on matrices or vectors? Constructed and compared linear, quadratic, and exponential models? Modeled periodic phenomena with trigonometric functions? On the other hand, would high-school-you have benefitted from learning how to budget, invest, save for retirement, and understand auto and home financing? A truly common core would focus on teaching all students the soft and hard skills they will need to successfully navigate their vocational and non-vocational adult worlds.
