is more than test scores, textbooks, and professional expertise. All of these have their place. But education is as much an enterprise of the soul as it is of the mind. And Jack Shelton reminds us of that on every page.
A native of Clarke County, Alabama, David Mathews is president of the Kettering Foundation. He previously served as president of the University of Alabama and as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
Over a span of thirty years, it has been my good fortune to be associated with young persons engaged in a variety of challenging programs through which they developed personally and academically and produced results that have made their places better. I have written this book in response to their good work and that of the adults who supported them. It is my purpose, even obligation, to delineate the implications of their efforts and to share and apply their insights which are relevant to the ongoing tasks of improving schools and communities, and preparing young people to be good citizens in a democratic society and effective participants in the economy.
It is my hope that this book will help bring together community members, potential school resource persons—especially those with professional expertise—policy makers, funders, and educators to work together to link learning to place and to reach the attainable goals set forward under the rubric of Consequential Learning. I especially look forward to the ongoing efforts of those individuals and organizations that are partners in PACERS from which many of the programs and approaches of Consequential Learning have been derived and will continue to be implemented. It is my deepest desire that this book will help further the work of that association.
It was inevitable in writing this book and reflecting on the experiences central to it that I made comparisons with my own education. In an interview included in Sara Day Hatton’s Teaching by Heart: The Foxfire Interviews, I answered her question about my most memorable learning experience in school by citing my sixth grade assignment to write play to be performed in front of my classmates, our parents, and invited guests from the community. It was the only time—as far as memory serves—in my formal education that I was asked to use academic tools to create a tangible, public outcome. The responsibility was greater than that for any test, but the response was more affirming and gave a new relevance to my school work. The experiences of students involved in programs described in this book are not unlike my own sixth grade venture, but they go far beyond what I has the chance to do. Of course I wish that I had had similar opportunities, but, more importantly, I believe they can and should be available routinely for all our kids. The experiences on which this book is based have raised deep concerns about schooling and have confirmed approaches that have demonstrated considerable promise.
In my observations, the passive—and by implication insufficiently democratic—nature of education, the decontextualization of curriculum, and the growing divide between schools and their publics are among the disquieting matters that have routinely surfaced. On the positive side, it is clear that linking learning to place provides powerful incentives for students and teachers. Young persons are ready to do good work and to be challenged as learners and as members of communities. Many adults—educators, community members, and professional resource persons—are prepared to help them. I have become convinced that students want to produce public outcomes as a part of their schooling. They want to make a difference. They want and need the affirmation and support of their communities—which I believe they are prepared to give. In fact communities are ready to take greater roles in schools and in the educating of young people.
Most of the work underpinning this book was done in ethnically and economically diverse rural Alabama schools that more often than not are underresourced and that have a very high proportion of students living in poverty. However, the successes of students and teachers testify to their abilities and commitment and to the applicability—even in areas where equity is never the norm—of the programs and approaches recounted in this book. The success is primarily due to the connection of programs to the places where the schools are located and the kids live. From my perspective, the growing national and international interest in and practice of place-based education is appropriate and encouraging. This book is intended to contribute to that discussion and movement.
The associations I have formed with many rural Alabama educators, students, community members, and resource persons in this work are of great personal value. In the PACERS Small Schools Cooperative, I have especially appreciated opportunities for collaboration with committed people working beyond the call of duty and aiming to reach important and challenging goals.
I have learned from University of Alabama students engaged in and even creating programs that have benefited communities throughout the state. The students at the Wesley Foundation and those who formed the Student Coalition for Community Health (SCCH) inspired me. I am especially indebted to Dr. Donna Jacobi Preutt, Dr. Dorothy Snoddy Murphy, and Charles “Duna” Norton. I have enjoyed my association with student mentors working out of the Program for Rural Services and Research (PRSR)—aiding schools and young people throughout rural Alabama and continuing a tradition started by the SCCH.
My colleagues at the PRSR are due much credit for the development and success of initiatives described in this book. The list is too long to include everyone, however, I especially want to acknowledge the contributions of some. Angie Wright gave good support to the SCCH and took the lead in organizing the PRSR’s Community Services Project. Robin Lambert, as coordinator of the Rural Education Project, was responsible for the development and operation of the Awards Program in Writing. Without her consistent concern and initiative, the PACERS Teacher Education Program and the PACERS Cooperative would not have been created or successful. Addie Wilder and Tommie Syx made significant long-term contributions to the PACERS’ Better Schools program. Andrew Goetz, Jim Wrye, Jon Chalmers, Garrett Lane, and Laura Caldwell Anderson—as students and then as PRSR staff—worked tirelessly, thoughtfully, and well to help make PACERS programs successful.
I am indebted to several persons for their help with the exemplary programs section of the book. John Harbuck and Deborah McCord, teachers responsible for successful PACERS aquaculture programs, generously took time to explain their work and its impact. In the same way Hank Fridell, Bonnie Jean Flom, and Larry Long gave me important perspectives on Elders’ Wisdom and Children’s Song, a process developed by Mr. Long. Jim Wrye, as coordinator of the PACERS Community Newspaper Project, shared enthusiastically his experiences in and opinions of the program. Of course, in all these projects, thanks go to the teachers who directed them, to the kids who made them work, and to the resource persons and volunteers who helped.
David Mathews’s support was critical for the formation of the SCCH, and it was through his initiative that the PRSR was organized. I appreciate his interest and his insights which have helped me to understand better the implications of my work and approaches, and which continue to provide significant encouragement for the ongoing development of PACERS as an association devoted to rural schools and communities.
The generous support of the Kettering Foundation made the writing and publishing of this book possible. I am deeply grateful for that assistance. Grants from the Lyndhurst Foundation have been indispensable for programs described in this book. I am especially indebted to Jack Murrah, president of Lyndhurst, for his discernment and consistent encouragement.
Sara Day Hatton was a helpful first reader. Judy Surratt patiently made edits, corrections, and suggestions. Her advice was essential, and I am thankful for her good help. My son Rick and my wife Martha gave me time, encouragement, and needed advice. I am grateful for them and for their help.
My family connections to rural schools are strong and important. My great-grandfather was principal/teacher in small (sometimes one-room) schools, my mother was for years a rural school teacher, and my son Greg continued that tradition. These family ties have been instrumental in helping me appreciate
