The Idaho legislature is back in session for the 2020. The first day of each new session Idaho Business for Education hosts a Legislative academy and provides an Education related speaker. This year, Jaime Casap, the global education evangelist for Google was the guest speaker. Casap said, we should be asking students “what problem do you want to solve?” The follow up question is how do you want to solve it. The reply will depend on each students interests and talents. I can see why my standard question “what do you want to be when you grow up” is outdated as many of today’s jobs will be replaced or changed by technology. Our education system must evolve to provide the workforce of tomorrow with students who think creatively, collaborate, and can solve problems. As one striking example the State of Idaho currently has 1,027 open computing jobs and those opportunities will continue to grow. The average computing job pays $71,000 per year while Idaho’s average wage is $43,000. In 2017, only 435 students graduated with a college degree in computer science and only 16% were female as reported by Idaho Ed News’s Kevin Richert. Governor Little continues to champion Education as essential to Idaho’s future and his budget for this fiscal year includes a $77 million increase.
How can Education adapt to changing technology and socioeconomic circumstances? The Idaho Business for Education annual meeting featured a presentation by Wilder Superintendent of schools Jeff Dillon. Named In 2007 as the Title 1 Director he was able to turn around a targeted failing rural, 100% Free and Reduced Lunch, school as evidenced by increasing proficiency scores by 60% in Reading, Mathematics, and Language usage in three years. These outcomes earned him National recognition and led to his eventual promotion to Superintendent of the Wilder District. The foundation he built led to a partnership with Apple Corporations in their ConnectEd platform. Apple supplied the District with commercial upgrades in technology infrastructure, professional development for staff, IPads for all students PreK-12, and internal controls to monitor devices. These resources are coupled with a unique personalized competency-based educational environment. No ringing bells or shuffling from one class to another on a set schedule in Wilder. Teachers and aids help each student as they work through the mastery of each subject on their own pace. The students have embraced this autonomy, independence, and responsibility. Imagine a district with 500 students and as many of 200 of them may transition in and out of school each year, the old classroom method cannot provide needed assistance. Students may be sitting in a third grade classroom but some are working at fourth grade levels and others at second each one making progress with individualized assistance.
“Each day in conversations with students, they’re telling me about their growth, their plan, their success, their next level,” said Dillon, students, “are walking out with a smile on their face, and they want to come back and do it again tomorrow.” Education must continue to evolve and the Wilder example makes it clear we must support great teachers using the best technology.
Enjoy the week end. Mike