Foster City Islander Article - 05-23-2007

The New ‘3 R's’: Rigor, Relevance, Relationships

“Some of the most riveting testimony I have heard in the California Legislature came ¼ from the mouths of teens ¼ at a Senate committee hearing under this simple notion: Who better to tell us how to keep 150,000 kids from dropping out of our middle and high schools every year? Their answers ¼ To stay engaged in school, students need what is becoming known as a new brand of the ‘three R's’. They need rigor, they need relevance and they need relationships.”

This insight comes from an Open Forum article in the April 27, 2007 San Francisco Chronicle written by State Senator Darrell Steinberg. His vision for improving schools fits perfectly with the key features of our planned public high school, which will strongly emphasize the new three R's:

Rigor: Half the students who enter our California State Universities must take remedial English and math courses.  To fix this problem, our school’s academic standards will meet or exceed the entrance requirements for the University of California. Every student graduated from our high school will have robust math and language skills, preparing them for both college and the work world. The curriculum also will develop the skills our young people need to compete in the rapidly integrating global workplace—information analysis, problem solving, communication skills and teamwork.

Relevance: The biggest single complaint of our young people, who are immersed in today’s “video game” culture, is that school is “boring.” To fix this problem, our high school will use project-based learning as its primary teaching method. Students learn while working on practical projects that build on the unique interests and talents of each individual and tap into each student’s natural zest for learning. This encourages them to create, empowers them to explore, teaches them to overcome obstacles and fills them with confidence.

Relationships: Sen. Steinberg understands that struggling students stay in school when “¼a “teacher, councilor or after-school program leader¼has taken a special interest in them. These adults act as human tethers, keeping kids connected to school when they might otherwise give up.” Our school, with its small size (500 students) and effective mentoring programs, will ensure that no student gets “lost.”

When evaluating the schools that your children attend or plan to attend, look for evidence that they focus strongly on the new “three R's”: rigor, relevance and relationships.

Contact me at phyllismoore1@comcast.net or 650-349-5676

http://www.fchighschool.org/.