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Show Davis Edition Citizens Wednesday, February 12, 1997 Competition to be shaped with an externally imposed curriculum. Teachers needs of managers — politicians and business executives — whose desires are conveyed as curricu- lum and enforced with standard4 ized achievement tests. These tests are the only way managers know howto hold workers accountable. It is a system if wherein students serve the needs of teachers, who serve the needs of administrators, who obediently carryout the wishesofelected offi while parents watch with frustration fromthesidelines. In our public education system students compete for nearly everype Note: arne T Ww Mall, pointed ¢ regu mera the quest for citizens’ opinions, we downtown at the ZCMI Cen Hehm, and asked. What are some good ideas to inspire romance on Valentine’s Day? I'm a married lady and we're two years into marriedlife. Last Valentine's Day we went out to dinner. which was very nice. This time we'll probably go out again, andjust promise eachotherto be life-long goodfriends andtolove g cach other more than ever.” andita Dsouze Northbergen, N.J. What I wasgoingto do for my fiance was to get this Polo bag that she wanted. I was going to buy the bag and fill it with roses; that way, you got something she s wanted, and you'vegot yourtraditional Valentine’s Day gift.” Brad Watt Salt Lake City Nandita Dsouze A dozen red roses as a sur- prise would bereally nice. Or coming home to asurprisecandlelight dinner is very romantic, Or showing up with surprise tickets for a trip or something A nice. romantic surprise. Jennifer Stephens Salt Lake City Well, if it was warmer. something outside would be good. Other than that. oils, lotions, feath- ers. Actually a lot of things can work pretty well.” John Dobson Salt Lake City Probably a moonlit hike H somewhere in the foothills, followedbyan intimatedinner, and then sittingin front of a fireplace with my husband.” Jackelin Slack Salt Lake City It depends on the woman. Basically — and youshoulddo this all year round — on Valentine's Day you should treat your lady John Dobson like a queen. You should do ev- erything she wants. And if she can't decide what she wants, then you can use your 0 judgement for what to do. Matt West Valley City I think that romantic ideas are something that’s from the heart That doesn't necessarily mean gifts. just something special, say words or somethingthat’s cheesy But something from the heart shows that somebody really cares for you Amber Mills Salt Lake City Other than the traditional flowers, I think of a candlelight I think that a « the best thing you Well, I had the Mypoint is this: There is much more to be gained through cooperation than through competition. A_ political/corpora rompetitive model for education is wrong becauselearnersare not products Wayne Davis Salt Lake City For me it would be the tradi tional show-up-with-flowers gift and then go out and have a can dielight dinner for two. E Huse men don't like giving flowers inymore Lucresia Gueman Guatemala City Just to get out of the city Maybe go up one of the canyon: et away from society and be alone Ralph Dansie hundreds of years ago: “Knowledge acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind.” We know that personal inquiry is the primary modeof humanlearning tion within the system, the job will somehowgetdone. A change in the basic character of our public system from autocratic to democratic, from competition to cooperation is needed. A few years ago I wasinvolved in a project in which parents, teachers and students worked democratically to create a different vision of education. In twoschools, Hill Field Elementary in Clearfield and E.M. Whitesides in Layton, the teachers and PTA organized series of one-on-one meetings between parents and teachers to establish focus on the needs of individual students. They also required a shift from parents as spectatorsto parents as full partners. We found the major purpose and goals for education to be the responsibility of both home and school. The three dimensionsof human greatnessalso called for a shiftin the way curriculum wasused. Insteadofit being the main purpose of education, curriculum became the meansof helping students accomplish their goals. In other words, curriculum shifted from therole of boss to the role of servant. Onenotable strategy createdat E.M. Whitesides Elementary School was the Great Brain Project, in which students were invited to become “‘specialists,” “‘ex- “masterminds” or in topics of their own commongoals and develop a cooperative working relationship. They agreed on an overriding educational purpose: To develop choice with parents acting as research partners. This project opened the floodgates of personal inquiry. We watched many students who previously had been apathetic learners with discipline riculumresults in shallow, temporary knowledge. The competition for grades in traditional schools results in students memorizing great human beings who arevaluable contributorsto society, They also agreed on a goal: To help learners grow in three major dimensions of human greatness: of knowledge material to pass tests and forgetting it soon thereafter. Unless a ual gifts, talents, interests, and ers, and parents engage in a coop- and that externally imposed cur- @ Identity — cultivate individ- studentis really seeking the infor- abilities. Develop self-worth, and mationthat is being taught, it will not be integrated into his or her life. It is ironie that the political- and help learners develop their /corporate model of education in this great land of freedom is not democratic. It is autocratic through andthrough, with a hierarchy of management that promotes competition as its major a vision of one’s unique ways of contributing. @ Inquiry — magnify curiosity personal learningstyles. @ Interaction — develop the powersof love, kindness, respect, communication and cooperation. These goals required a shift from a focus on curriculum to a But it is also accurate to point out that only 30 percent of Utah students read at the “profi- ‘Tuition tax credits would allowfamilies who cannot presentlyselect an independent school to do so, and would encourage the growth of moreindependent schools, creating a greater number of choices and opportunities for our children. As families consider which choiceof schooling best meets their needs and budget, there would be a natural improvement in school offeringsand services, both in the publie em and in the private system. This im- provement would undoubtedly comeabout because improved products and services always results fromconsumer choice and competition among providers. Our public schools are not the best in the world. Some parents look at the information published about the performance of our Utah public schools and see only the positive side. problems become eager seekers After watching students, teach: erative endeayor, there is no question in my mind as to whether cooperation is better than compe- tition. If we want to touch hearts and change lives, democratic cooperation is the wayto go. In the meantime, I support the proposal to allow a refundable incometax credit to parents who choose to educate their children outside of the public school system. cient” level or above and only 22 percent score at or above the “proficient” level in math. These figures are from the Education Week reportcard published this month. The Utah scores are bothersome even though they may be abovethe national average. It should also be kept in mind that private, parochial, and home-educated students consistently show highertest results than publie school students on nationally standardized tests. The key to successful school reformis allowing parents to choose, without financial penalty, the schools their children attend. Educational choice would motivate students by giving them stake in the schoolselection process and by making it morelikely that a schoolwill be a good match for each student's learningstyle, interests, and special needs. Educational choice would also motivate parents by empowering them to erroll their childrenin schools that demonstrateeffective. ness and are responsive to their concerns. Educational choice would also motivate teachers and administrators in both public and private schools by exposing them to competition from schools that provide innovative approachesand effective programs. Empoweringparents to choose among publie and private education providersis the best way to strengthen all our schools. Tuition tax credits are one way to put parents back in the driver's seat as far as their children’s education is concerned. Public schools, private schools and taxpayers would all benefit, and low- and middle-incomekids would have the choices and opportunities presently available only to the rich, Community Calendar Editor’s Note: If you are interested in placing anitemin Citizens’ Community Calendar, please mail, fax or e-mail your noticeto ‘Citizens,’ 135 S. Main, Salt Lake City, Utah 84111. Fax: 237-2519. E-mail: citizens@nacorp. For more information, call NAC at 2716. All items should be submitted two weeksin advance. © Mobile MammographyUnit: Salt Lake Regional (formerly Holy Cross Hospital) Mobile MammographyUnit will beoffering screening mammograms at lo- cations in Salt Lake, Davis and Utah Counties. Our serviceis convenient, low-cost ($80) and ACR accredited, FREE mammograms Forlocation information and other questions call 350-4000, have two star shows during Feb- ». | have some of those stick people, not products; a productis shaped or assembled externally, by human or mechanical means, while a person builds himself or herself. If we were to view learners as creative consumers who are looking for the raw material with which to build themselves, we would treat them much differently than we doin our traditional system ofeducation. Wenow haveresearch on the brain to confirm what Plato said Continued from Page1 Buffalo, N.Y idea of taking a manila folder and putting flowers in it, then sending it through the mail to a friend of who carry out the demands of Theyare pr who need our respect and support. Learners are more like consumers who go shopping for knowledge and carefully select what they buy. Students are tool for achieving quality and “excellence.” Thepoliticians and business leaders do not have a clear vision of what education is ish, but feel that, if there is enough competi- Credit. Rich Argentari indlelight dinner would be good. | think that's ‘ould do ‘0 be romantic. Melissa Crizaldo Salt Lake City like that, but tion, but through cooperation. © Star Shows at the Planetarjun The Hansen Planetarium will on hearts to decorate it with, and so it would a home-made valen or something togethe — Deming went to Japan available for those who meet in- _} sentimental value Wayne Davis ideas. You knowthe rest of the where business executives embracedhisideas, and the factories began to produce the best automobiles (and other products) in the world, not through competi- come guidelines. The unit is staffed by professional women. | tle different from atraditional t) holiday gift; it should have some st so ingrained in authoritarianism that they rejected Deming and his sic. I think a meaningful gift — Jewelry should probably be alit Amber Mills nately, the business leaders were dinner with soft background mu out of the ordinary — is good = productions. Shortly after World War II, J. Edwards Deming tried to convince America's business leaders that it would be beneficial to respect and listen to the ideas of workersinthe factories. Unfortu- ruary, "The Sky Tonight,” which features a display of that evening's sky, and “FromOut of the Darkness,” the story behind comets, Double feature rates are ava able, and the planetarium, 15 SouthState, SLC, will sent several of its popula Iso pre- shows, Information call 538. for star shows, 363-0559 for r shows, or visit www,utah.eduPlanetarium © Women’s Bible Study Group: Mount Tabor Lutheran Church is beginning a new women's Bible study group called Deborah Cir cle, Women of all ages invited meeting held on the fourth Tues day of each month. Call the church office at 328-0521 for in formation and the location of the meeting utterers’ Support Group: Monthly meeting Feb. 12, 7 p.m, at Granite High School, rm. 107. Information ¢ '2-6420. @ Host Exchange Students: The American Int cultural Student Exchan 8 week ing local hos families for high aR E ce ter thing, including grades, honors, scholarships, athletics, and starring roles in plays and musical should not betreated as workers school foreign exchangestudents for 98 school year. Informa: tion call AISE at 1-800-742-5464 or visit www.sibling org © Are you co-dependent? Do you find yourself taking care of everyone and neglecting yourself? Do you alter what you sayor do to make peoplelike you? If you can relate to these questions, you may be co-dependent. Thereare three meetings a week of Co-Dependents Anonymous in the SLC area. Information call 359-HEAL, © Teen PregnancyProgram: Help! I'm Going to Be a Mommy! is a pregnancy preparedni course designed to teach parenting skills, coping methods, education and more, Free to all males and females 13 to 20. Free layettes are provided on completion of the course. For moreinformation, call 973-6654 @ Salt Lake Community Educa- tion: Short workshops, quarter long classes, weekendseminars, morning, afternoon and evening programs are scheduled to meet the © Host an Exchange Student: Students from the former Soviet Union, France, Denmark, Brazil, Bulgaria, Japan, Spain, Albania, Germany, Poland, and many other countries are currently seeking caring host families for the ‘97-98 school year. These students come fully insured and bring their own spending money. Information call Rick or La Nae at 250-2302 ® Sesquicentennial Brown Bag Lecture Historian Harriet Horne Arrington will share a glimpse into thelife of Alice Merrill Horne, an art promoterandearly Utah legislator in a brown bag lunch lecture Feb. 20, noon at the White Memorial Chapel, 150 EB. 300 North, SLC. Informationcall 5333545. © Learn to Speak French: L’Alliance Francaise is spon- needs of busy families. Several soring 10-week Frenchclasses for hundred offerings in subjects all ages andlevels (including chil- ranging from professional development to recreation to foreign language, Brochures containing completecourselistings areavailable at the Salt Lake Community Education mainoffice at 440 B. 100 South, rm, 211. Questions/information call 578-8236 or 578- 8287 @ Stop Smoking: The American Lung Association is holding their next Hypnosis Clinic Feb, 20, 6-8 p.m, Cost $55, requires a $15pre- registra- tion withre: E ble ev ning of Pine Information call 484-4456 © Linda Lee Foster Exhibit: The watercolor paintings of Linda Lee Foster will be on dis- play at the Kimball Art Center, by38 Park Ave., Park C ity, through March 4, Information call 649- 82 © 55 Alive Mature Driver Program from AARP: AARP's 55 Alive mature driy- ing classes are being offered to drivers over 50, It is a classroom reft esher course with updates on y and emergency situations by native French speakers, are held at local libraries, and will start the first week of March. Cost is $130 for adults, $100 for children. Pre-registration required Information, registration call 582-6019. @ South Salt Lake Community Council Meetings: ‘The Independent Association of Community Councils (IACC) is South Salt Lake is composed of representatives from Burton Place, Center of Industry, Central Park, Madison, Millstream, Southgate and Wandamere com- munity councils. If you would like to attend a meeting for one of the councils or the IACC, call 4849603 for meeting dates and loca- tions, IACC meetsthe first Tues: dayof every month, 7 p.m, at the C.0.P, Building, 2235 South Main Street, SLC. © Young Adult Arthritis Sup- port Group: The Young dren). Classes, which are taught Adult Citizens Published as a supplementto The Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret Newsby the Newspaper Agency Corporation, 135 South Main Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84111 The opinions expressed by the writers in Citizens do not necessarily reflect the editorial views ofThe Salt LakeTribuneor Deseret News Your submissions to Citizens (columns, cartoons,letters or calendar announcements) are welcome, To contact Citizens, phone (801) 237-2716, fax to (801) 237-2519, mail your comments to the address above orsend an E-mail to citizens@NACorp.com Columns on computerdisk are preferred, but not required, A free writer's guideis available on request Managing Editor: Kent Condon Editor: Deborah Moeller ‘Those aged 55 and over maybe eligible for reduced auto insur Arthritis Continued on Page 3 ance upon completion. Cost $8 To subscribe to The Tribune or News, phone 237-2900 Call AARP at 561-1087 for more information For information on advertising, phone (801) 237-2815 |