Support for Research-Based Education

An editorial in the Star Tribune from earlier this month features a handful of Minnesota senators and lobbyists that pushed for literacy education requirements for teacher certification. MRC members hear the facts all the time about the number of students that are not proficient in reading, or the likelihood that they will catch up if they don't by third grade. It's the sad truth, but it's something that is being fixed.

The new requirements make sure that new teachers are up to speed on research-based teaching methods for reading education, like those used by the MRC. This is a great case for research-based education, with quotes from Mike Savage, the education coordinator at Forest Hills Elementary School in Eden Prarie, citing the dramatic improvement in performance with these methods.

Ultimately, it's a good sign that there is more support for research-based methods and that people want these methods used more widely in schools. Just imagine how much these methods will grow, and so will the green dots on this map. (The map, by the way shows all of the AmeriCorps locations in Minnesota. Pretty cool?)

As a side note, it is interesting to look at the comments - and be warned that these are public comments on the internet, so remember to think about something peaceful before you click - because whenever education gets discussed, it seems the easiest response is to just start casting blame. I will withhold my thoughts about that, and my thoughts about others' thoughts and instead just say that people are different and learn in different ways. Let's focus on finding and encouraging the things that work instead of talking about what doesn't.