bit on the life and work of the late Ted Sizer and how it made a personal
difference in my life.
It occurs to me that there is a whole generation of us in the ed biz for
whom Sizer's HORACE books came along just as we were likely to have been
entering our mid career doldrums. Grumpy about the compromises we had been
making, even at our idyllic independent schools, we empathized with Horace
over his. And then along came HOPE and even the promise of a new way of
doing SCHOOL.
Some of us sought new schools, some of us changed what we did in our
classrooms, and I think a lot of people on this list started looking for
ways to change our schools. Looking for support, good ideas, or just a sense
we weren't alone, we joined this list, which our Wise Founders created at
just the right moment to facilitate the growth of what we didn't then call
our Personal (or Professional) Learning Networks.
A few of our schools affiliated with the Coalition of Essential Schools,
and, even if your school didn't, I am betting that just about everyone who
reads this looks at those Ten Common
Principles<http://www.essentialschools.org/pub/ces_docs/about/phil/10cps/10cps.html>as
the most perfect statement of educational common sense we are ever
likely
to encounter.
I ran across Ted Sizer's work just when I needed to reinfuse my work with a
powerful elixir, and I realize that I owe him--and Nancy, whose work has
been enormously valuable to me--a huge debt of gratitude for shaking me up
and showing me a new way. We all stand on the shoulders of giants, and Ted
Sizer has been one for me.
If you don't know the Sizers' work directly, take a few hours and enjoy THE
STUDENTS ARE WATCHING. Or take a couple of days and visit the Francis W.
Parker Charter Essential School <http://www.parker.org>. Or look around at
what we call best practices in so many areas of school organization,
curriculum, and school culture.
A moment of silence, and then three cheers for Ted Sizer!
All good wishes--Peter Gow
--
Peter Gow
Director of College Counseling and Special Programs
Beaver Country Day School
791 Hammond Street
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467
www.bcdschool.org
617-738-2755 (O)
617-738-2747 (F)
petergow3 (Skype)
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