"We need to create a national obsession... that is centered on national and personal pride in learning and educational growth," says Kevin Chavous, a national education reformer.
In Chavous' new book titled "Building a Learning Culture in America," he writes about taking a refreshing approach on how America is looking at schooling and learning. American schools, according to Kevin Chavous, welcomed a culture of learning in the past. The challenge now is how to reinvigorate that today.
In his keynote address at the AIE, Chavous explains that every understanding and behavior Americans share and do are learned by socialization. This is "the core of how we as Americans view schooling and learning," he says.
Now, he emphasizes that America should create a national obsession that is deeply focuses on personal and national pride when it comes to education. And America should focus on what matters most to make this happen - these are the families and students who use the schools. So it is not always the case that the system should focus on opening or closing schools. They should also focus on those investing in the system.
He stresses that America needs to be reinvigorated with a new mind set and renewed energy when it comes to education. He stresses that when America starts rethinking, then that means education reformers and policy makers would leave behind their nostalgic vision of education.
Chavous hopes that today's leaders in education would listen to his call to cultivate this new mindset when it comes to education reform. If this happens, then policy makers would need to tailor policies to the needs of the American families and students. "By shifting our emphasis to the process of learning itself, we refocus on families and communities-rather than solely the system -and help more students reach their true potential in the process," cites AIE.
