Women in Leadership Luncheon Remarks

The following is a draft of my prepared comments to the Women in Leadership luncheon, Oct 4, 2007, Provo, UT:

I work in the technology industry and have a front-row seat to the hyper-competitive world in which we live; a world that celebrates creative destruction – the replacement of old processes and old technologies with those that are more innovative and more efficient.  A world in which we are competing against the best and the brightest, worldwide.  We must always be advancing or else we are, by default, falling behind.

I am a firm believer in the power and benefit of education.  From my perspective, education is a great equalizer.  Education and hard work allowed a poor kid like me to rise out of poverty, reach self-sufficiency, and become a productive member of society -- that was until I was elected to the legislature, but that’s another story entirely.

I recognize that education is critical to expand freedom and liberty.  The pilgrims and early colonizers recognized the importance of education. Thomas Jefferson championed the dream of public education (not to be confused with the system of government run schools with compulsory attendance that we call public education today).  He stated:  “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be (Thomas Jefferson to Charles Yancey).”

But Jefferson also taught that we should not force instruction, rather we should “strengthen the motives to receive it when offered (Thomas Jefferson notes to Elementary School Act of 1817).”  Why would he recommend this action? He believed both in the importance of education as well as not infringing our God-given rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Now, let me share with you some startling information:

“Our nation is at risk.  Our once unchallenged preeminence in commerce, industry, science, and technological innovations is being overtaken by our competitors throughout the world…. others are matching and surpassing our educational attainments….  Our society and its educational institutions seem to have lost sight of the basic purposes of schooling, and the high expectations and disciplined effort needed to attain them.” (A Nation At Risk, 1984, pg 5)

”….Knowledge, learning, information and skilled intelligence are the new raw materials of international commerce….Learning is the indispensable investment required for success in the “information age.” (A Nation At Risk, 1984, pg 7)

Let me state that again “learning,” not education spending, not seat time, not schooling, but “learning is the indispensable investment required for success in the ‘information age’ (A Nation At Risk, 1984, pg 7).”

“… the average graduate of our schools and colleges today is not as well-educated as the average graduate of 25 or 35 years ago.” (A Nation At Risk, 1984, pg 13)

These aren’t my words.  These words were written by The National Commission on Excellence in Education back in 1983 in the report titled “A Nation At Risk.”  A commission formed by T.H. Bell (a great Utah educator) and chaired by David P. Gardner (another great Utah educator).  Few have heeded that warning call.  Now almost 25 years later, our nation is at even greater risk.  To make matters worse, as a state, we are academically below the nation average.

We must do better.  BYU celebrates “The Glory of God is Intelligence.” As Utahn’s we must set the example to the nation and to the world.  We must “enter to learn and go forth to serve.” We should be the leader in world-class achievement with an innovative, cost-effectiveness educational ecosystem.

From my perspective, there are 4 key pillars to educational excellence:

1. Supportive parents
   Parents who would sacrifice everything to ensure that their children have a better future than their own.
2. A passionate and effective teacher
   A teacher that has master the topic and motivates the student.
3. A challenging and engaging curriculum
   One that opens students’ eyes to the world around them, rather than filling their minds with useless trivia
4. And most importantly: A student who is instilled with the belief that anything is possible.
   Jaime Escalante, the teacher highlited in the movie Stand and Deliver (1988), told his disadvantaged math students  “The only thing you need to have for my [class] – and you must bring it every day – is ganas (translation: desire).”   From his perspective, if motivated properly, any student could learn (mathematics).

You can often compensate for one weak or missing pillar, but too often two or three or all four are missing

In our desire to further the vision of public education, with access to quality education for every student, we have unfortunately created a society with a sense of entitlement that fosters a culture of mediocrity.  Over time we have built a system that is tied up in regulation and bureaucracy, under the auspices of public accountability, while the true and meaningful link of accountability between parent, teacher, and student is too often lost.  A system that celebrates compliance with process over academic achievement and becomes watered down to the lowest-common denominator.

I view the expansion of educational scholarships, or vouchers, such as the proposed Parent Choice in Education scholarships, as a small, but important step along the path of re-engaging parents, empowering teachers, and allowing customization of the eduational instruction to the learning needs of each student.  Open enrollment, charter schools, smaller school districts, and online learning are all steps to provide greater educational freedom and opportunity.  We must not slow this march until every parent is fully empowered with a seamless array of choices to meet the educational needs of each and every one of their children.

I believe that parents are responsible, and will ultimately be held accountable, for the education of their children.  Society stands ready to help them.  I believe that parents are generally best suited to determine the needs and interests of their children, and that when empowered they will choose those opportunities that improve student learning.  Vouchers empower parents.

I believe that we have many dedicated and qualified educators, in both public and private schools, who are passionate about helping students.  We must unleash their passion and expertise to work collaboratively and volutarily as partners to assist parents with their sacred duty.  We must restore the bond of accountability between parent and teacher, and destroy the bond between teacher and bureaucrat.  Vouchers empower teachers.

I believe that every child can learn and, when placed in an environment customized to his learning needs, each can excel beyond our expectations.  Too often our children meet our expectation, regardless of how low we set them.  We must not allow the system to write off our students.  We must not allow the rigidity of the current system to leave children behind.  We must provide parents with a safety valve.  Vouchers empower students.

Choice leads to competition. Competition delivers customization. Competition requires continual improvement. Competition yields accountability. Competition delivers innovation. Competition raises achievement. Competition fosters excellence. This is true in every aspect of our life – even in education.  America has the premier university system because of choice and competition – a system that benefited from 2 important educational vouchers:  the GI Bill and the Pell Grant.

Only when there is choice can there be competition!  Only when there is competition will there be expanded opportunites that yield greater satisfaction.  “The triumph of persuasion over force is the sign of a civilized society. (Mark Skousen, Persuasion versus Force)”

As the Daily Herald accurately stated in today’s editorial:  That's what the voucher debate boils down to -- a debate over choice, over who controls your children. With vouchers the power returns to parents where it [rightly] belongs.  (Daily Herald - Give power to the parents)

Here's the Daily Herald's report on the debate that followed:  Area residents, state representatives debate vouchers.

Comments

[Voice of Utah]

Interesting viewpoint. One thing I'm not clear on: What are "Parent Choice in Education scholarships"? Is that a euphemism for vouchers, or something separate?

[John Dougall]

We have several different "public education vouchers":
1. The Carson Smith Scholarships for Students with Special Needs
2. The Basic Skills Education Stipend (for remediation)
3. The Parent Choice in Education scholarships (aka the vouchers created with HB148)

Scholarship, grant, stipend, and voucher are words that get used interchangeably. Much of the discussion these days is about #3.

[Dennis Lisonbee]

Brilliant. Amen.

I personally spent one week with Jamie Escalante at Garfield High School in California in 1989. The entire school was full of AP classes. AP English, AP History, AP Math, AP Sciences. Students were neat and clean. Well behaved. This was a poor school. 90% hispanic. (The same group our school districts hide behind when a school scores low in math and language arts.)

Why was Garfield successful? I interviewed the teachers, the students and the administrators. They were successful for the same reasons listed in the blog.

Our educational establishment in Utah does not need to be a failure. (67% of my students at UVSC have to take high school math over again before they can take College Algebra. That means on a grade of 100 being an A, Utah schools earns a grade of 33%. In my classes at UVSC you get 33% for the semester, you fail my class.

When a passing grade is 33% you have grade inflation. I directed a motion picture, Amber's Battle, on that subject. A comedy. You can watch it here: www.homepage.mac.com/denbee See what the cost of grade inflation is.

In September I personally met with Vern Henshaw at Alpine and invited him to meet with the mathematics department at UVSC to discuss this issue. He declined.

If Jamie Escalante and Garfield High School can do it. We in Utah can do it. However it will never happen until Utah moves past the "All Is Well in the Zion Schools" mentality. All is not well in our schools. If you don't believe it get the neighborhood parents together and take the children on a field trip to take the SAT tests. The if the neighborhood children are average in Math or even above average, remember that Utah ranks around 7% when compared with all other industrialized nations in Math. That would mean unless your child is not several grades ahead in math, your child is not in a position to compete internationally.