Point of View: A Personal Philosophy of Education
Dr. Eric Prater
Superintendent San Luis Coastal Unified School District
November 18, 2012
It started with Jefferson - Thomas Jefferson.
There were students in schools in the American colonies as early as 1635, but it was Thomas
Jefferson that created the first statewide, two-track system of public education in 1780. As
Governor of Virginia, Jefferson considered it imperative that all children (white boys in
particular) be educated at the public’s expense, regardless of wealth or birth. He argued that
each child should be educated “well enough” to a) transact his business, and b) effectively
participate in the civic life of his community. At no point, however, did Jefferson contend every
child should receive the same education. He believed in a “natural aristocracy.” Borrowing
from the writings of John Locke, he saw Americans divided into two distinct classes, the
“laboring” and the “learned,” and he designed an education process to prepare young people to
assume their respective roles.
In Notes from the State of Virginia in 1781-1782, Jefferson wrote, “…twenty of the best
geniuses will be raked from the rubbish annually, and be instructed, at the public expense…at
the end of six years of instruction, one half are to be discontinued and the other half, who are to
be chosen for the superiority of the their parts and disposition, are to be sent and continued three
years in the study of such sciences as they shall choose, at William and Mary College.”
(**Excerpts from Schools Cannot Do It Alone, Jamie Vollmer, 2010)
230 Years Later
Public Education in the United States has evolved significantly since Thomas Jefferson instituted
education for all students at the public’s expense in the state of Virginia in 1780. The civil war
in 1865 abolished slavery in the south which eventually led to the desegregation of public
schools in the 1950s. Since, we have implemented a universal K-12 public education system that
is charged with educating all students regardless of gender, race, or orientation in our nation at
the public’s expense.
The educational design of public schools in the United States has changed through the decades
depending on the influences by certain theories and ideologies. It’s worthwhile to take a look at
these ideologies.
Educational Ideologies (**taken from Cognitive Coaching; Costa and Garmston, 2002)
People’s ideologies influence their educational viewpoints and decisions. Following are six
basic ideologies that exist in education today and are important to understand in order to define
one’s personal philosophy:
1. Religious Orthodoxy – The early Pilgrams in the United States provided an educational
policy in which schools were legally mandated to teach biblical literacy. In other words,
there are a multitude of faith-based educational systems in our country with a common
S:\SUPTOFFICE\SUPERINT\Prater\Point of View - Educational Philosphy 112212.docx
goal: to teach the habits and values that will lead students to live in accordance with their
faith.
2. Cognitive Process – Educational theorists like Jerome Bruner, Hilda Taba, Robert
Sternberg, Jean Piaget, Reuven Feuerstein, Maria Montessori, Howard Gardner, David
Perkins, and Edward deBono led to the movement known as cognitive psychology. This
influenced modern-day public education significantly in the United States with a belief
that the central role of schools is to develop rational thought processes, problem-solving
abilities, and decision-making capacities. Cognitive processors select instructional
strategies that involve problem solving and inquiry. They organize teaching around the
resolution of problems and the Socratic method, and they bring in discrepant events for
students to explore and analyze. In short, they believe that human beings are meaningmakers, and schools and teachers mediate those capacities.
3. Self-Actualization – “Child-centered” is a core belief of the self-actualized educator.
They believe the teacher’s role is to liberate each human’s inherent capacities for
learning. They believe that the purpose of teaching is to bring out the unique qualities,
potentials, and creativity in each child. Famous “self-actualized” theorists are John
Dewey, Abraham Maslow, Arthur Combs, Carl Rogers, Sidney Simon, George Leonard,
Gerald Jampolsky, and Depak Chopra. At the center of this belief system are the pursuits
and attainment of one’s potential.
4. Technologism – Accountability, test scores, learning specific sub-skills, and measurable
learning goals are trademarks of the technologist’s beliefs. Influenced by behavioral
psychologists B.F. Skinner, Ivan Pavlov, and Edward Thorndike – educational authors
Robert Mager and Madeline Hunter have developed an educational philosophy that is
“input, through-put, output system” in which data and opportunities to learn skills are
provided. Technologists are skilled at task analysis and are interested in technologybased learning systems and instruction. When policy-making bodies adopt this
orientation, external assessments and high-stakes testing abound.
5. Academic Rationalism – Academic Rationalists are drawn to teacher-centered
instruction. They believe that knowledgeable adults have the wisdom and the experience
to know what is best for students. They consider students as clay to be molded or vessels
to be filled. They value and are highly oriented toward increasing the amount and rigor
of student learning. They are drawn to the Classics with an emphasis on memorization,
lecture, demonstration, and drill. They evaluate students through summative
examinations, achievement testing, and content mastery. Famous academic rationalists
are Robert Maynard Hutchins, Mortimer Adler, Diane Ravitch, E.D. Hirsch, Arthur
Bestor, William Bennett, and Chester Finn.
6. Social Reconstruction – Concepts like environmentalism, democracy, consumer
education, student rights, the 21st century, multiculturalism, futurism, global intellect,
pluralism, change, save the Earth, ecology, peace, and love are trademarks of social
reconstruction. Social reconstructionists are concerned with problems of society such as
the future of the planet, the destruction of the food chain, the hole in the ozone, global
warming, endangered species, the deforestation of timberland, the protection of wildlife,
S:\SUPTOFFICE\SUPERINT\Prater\Point of View - Educational Philosphy 112212.docx
and the threat of overpopulation. They view the learner as a social being; a member of a
group, a responsible citizen, one who identifies with and is proactive regarding the
environmental ills and social injustices of the day. They believe that we have gone
beyond the age of representative democracies and have moved to a stage of participative
democracies. They are drawn to such activists as Marilyn Ferguson, Alvein Toffler,
Jane Goodall, Margaret Wheatley, John Naisbitt, Ralph Nader, Fritjof Capra, and Jean
Houston.
Personal Philosophy
The “rise of the machines” has created automation and efficiencies over the past thirty years
across the nation. The need for a “labor class” in America has quickly diminished. These
former high-paying middle class jobs no longer exist or have been outsourced to foreign
nations who have cheaper labor costs. In its place, the job market has created a demand for
highly skilled positions formerly reserved for the well-educated – or what Jefferson would
refer to as the “geniuses.” Given this dilemma, my educational philosophy has shifted to
adapt to this reality.
America’s greatest resource is in its people – all its people. We must educate all of our
students to high-levels regardless of their cultural/ethnic background, socio-economic profile,
or status upon entering our schools. The reason: it’s in our nation’s best interests to have
young citizens who are prepared for the demands of the future economy. It is clear that
Jefferson’s vision of public schools is no longer suitable for our country as we no longer have
a need to sort the “genius from the rubbish.” In fact, 1780 America no longer exists; 1880
America no longer exists; 1980 America no longer exists.
Public schools must evolve in order to meet this challenge. I believe there are four “R’s” that
are essential to address this problem:
1. Relationship – I believe all students have a filter that either allows learning to occur
or blocks it from occurring. This filter can be best described as the way a student
views the teacher in relationship to him/herself. Does this teacher have credibility?
Does this teacher pass the “sniff-test” of being real? Does this teacher care? Does
this teacher have a passion for the subject and for me? Does this teacher understand
me or even care to? If the answers to these questions are mostly “yes” then usually
student and teacher performance is magnified significantly. (This is my “selfactualized” side coming out.)
2. Rigor – I believe high expectations for student achievement is essential and,
therefore, rigor must be attained in the curriculum. Something transformational
occurs when a student and a teacher struggle through a cognitive process that
stretches the learner’s understanding of the material. (This is my “cognitive
processor” side coming out.)
3. Relevance – I believe students in the 21st century are different. They are digital
natives and live in a world where “any knowledge” can be found immediately on
Google. Therefore, why regurgitate knowledge (like an “academic rationalist”) when
S:\SUPTOFFICE\SUPERINT\Prater\Point of View - Educational Philosphy 112212.docx
it is far more reasonable to expect a student to apply this knowledge and to make new
meaning from this knowledge. (This is my “cognitive processor” or “social
reconstructionist” coming out.) Relevance is critical among this generation of
students in order to motivate them to move beyond what I see as low-level thinking.
4. Readiness – I believe the 21st century will be characterized by a dramatic and
dynamic job market. To find “demand” for high or middle-income paying jobs in
America will require substantial preparation and focus on the development of
essential skills in the following areas: Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics (STEM); literacy and expression (“technical” reading, writing, and
speaking within teams); and the ability to work effectively within teams at solving
problems. The K-12 public education system must become far better at preparing
students for the workforce of the future.
In closing, a hybrid educational ideology between cognitive processor, self-actualizer,
technologist, academic rationalist, and social re-constructivist is probably the answer. Each
has elements of truth and substantial benefit to the educational setting. My personal leanings
are towards social progressives like John Dewey who challenged the entire education
establishment to abolish the “sorting and selecting” processes within schools. I value the
idea that students come from all different cultures, economies, and experiences. I think the
future must hold a “student-centered” component that is highly-individualized (through
technology) that allows for students to progress at their own rates while still holding high
expectations for skills and knowledge attainment. I believe schools need to become places
that teach essential skills while developing every individual’s fullest potential.
Considerations to modify the length of a school day, school year, and the basic construction
of school facilities to better adapt to the modern, digital age will become critical.
America’s future is dependent on these decisions. Are we going to continue on a path of
“sorting and selecting” or are we going to fully invest in the notion that our human capital is
our greatest national asset? I wonder what our forefathers would say? Thomas Jefferson?
Abraham Lincoln? Franklin D. Roosevelt? John F. Kennedy? Martin Luther King?
I believe these great minds have spoken. In their time, they have spoken clearly. If you
close your eyes and listen, you can hear them: access, equity, opportunity, and justice reign
supreme. Properly resolving the present challenges of public education in America will lead,
I believe, to the holy grail of access, equity, opportunity, and social justice - where All
Means All truly becomes a reality in our incredible country.
S:\SUPTOFFICE\SUPERINT\Prater\Point of View - Educational Philosphy 112212.docx