Fred Bramante Has a Dream. . .
Public schools so exciting and effective that no one would want to send their children anywhere else.
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For generations, the American system of education has been run on what noted NH Educator and reformer Tony Wagner of Holderness, NH, calls the Carnegie method, measured by seat time and grade. Today, both Bramante and Wagner are at the forefront of an educational philosophy built around the belief that public schools need to refashion themselves around the competency of the students they produce.
Bramante has, in fact, been the leading force in New Hampshire for designing standards for public schools built on a 21st-century learning model where students receive a diploma from High School that is a measurement of their competency and often includes additional career credentials or certifications, helping to assure their success in the working world or to advance (and reduce the cost of) a college degree, all built around the interests that make them passionate about becoming life-long-learners and vigorously participating in the civic life of their community. Effectively making schools a central point in community life.
When asked to explain the difference between the old model of "teaching" and the new model of "learning" Bramante conveys a very effective picture: "If you are learning to fly a plane," Bramante says, "you may get an A in taking off, an A in flying the plane after you level out, but if you get an F in landing, well you have a real problem!" A competency-based model requires that you have achieved competency in all the vital aspects of the task.
In fact, the philosophy and the standards represent a far more seamless blending of education at every level where, often, high school students can be taking college-level classes for credit or training certification programs in anything from health care provision to welding and auto repair. Just as important, schools become, once again, a key component of creating a broader sense of community, bringing local businesses and nonprofits into the community to offer students Independent learning opportunities that allow students to explore areas of interest and - if it seizes their interest - to offer opportunities for building a ladder onto career opportunities.
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