Promising Futures

"Promising Futures" is basically a call to action for Mainers. The Maine Commission on Secondary Education and the Department of Education explored the education system in Maine in 1998 and found that we have a lot to work on. In an effort to overhaul school systems and encourage change, "Promising Futures" was born. The program is a collection of suggestions on how to make school a better place. There are 15 practices to implement and 19 to "consider phasing out". There is also a special section explaining that schools cannot make these changes without support from the greater Maine community. In the end, "Promising Futures" is an action plan that is grant-based so that schools with 98% of their faculty in agreement, can receive funding to help implement the ideas presented in this document.

I like the premise behind this plan. I think that the schools do need to improve and sadly, even 10 years after this document came out, that need is still there. I feel like the suggestions are largely common sense, but maybe that back-to-basics mentality is what we need. Of course students should be respected. Of course teachers should have the resources they need to teach successfully. Of course students should be involved in their education and make their own choices. These things should always be in effect whether a school is labeled "Promising Futures" or not but maybe it takes something like this document to remind people that those principles lead to excellence in schools. I thought the idea of "phasing out" old practices is a good idea. I think using that vocabulary makes the whole plan seem less threatening. I also thought it was really essential that this book included the section on schools needing community help and support to implement this plan.