RE: Grounding Tenet for Learning

1.  Kids Arrive Wired to Learn:
The human brain is a marvel.  Those of us who have watched infants, toddlers and young children as they grow and explore, believe that the early years comprise the crucial first building blocks of successful learning and socializing.  Our observations are now reinforced by the recent research in brain development.  This research shows us that the foundational brain growth, needed for future learning, does not take place, or in fact dies out, if children are not given the stimulation and nurturing they need.  Children are born ready to learn and develop in a sequence and with periods of intensive growth.  We are honor-bound as a state and as a nation to support early learning by providing education and support to parents of young children and by providing early learning programs.  Such programs should nurture curiosity and exploration as our children effortlessly grow and learn at a pace that will amaze us -- if we only take the time to observe.

2.  Multiple Intelligence:
What a dull and inefficient world it would be if we were all alike.  Each of us learns and understands the world in a unique way.  Each student has individual areas of strength and a learning style and pace unique to him or herself.  As we prepare our teachers and choose curriculum for our students, we would be wise to keep this in mind.  We should never forget to ask questions about how to do the best job for our students.  How can we build upon the strengths of our students?  How can we teach and adapt the curriculum to allow all students access to core materials?  How can we support branching out and exploring areas that our students are innately drawn to?  If we listen, our students will tell us.  They will signal their interests and their strengths. They will let us know when our approaches do not hit the mark for them.  We simply need to be prepared to recognize their different complexity and their many forms of intelligence.

3.  Diversity and Equity:
California is the most diverse state in the nation.  Our schools educate children from a wide variety of backgrounds, cultures and languages.  It is imperative that our teaching methods and our curriculum reflect the multicultural and multilingual state that we are.  We begin with mutual respect and inclusion, but our efforts must go further - to truly honoring and understanding the values and customs from which our students and their families come.  Californians have a cultural richness from which to draw.  We need to ensure that all of our students have access to the core curriculum, that families are included in the decision-making process of our schools, and that we all participate in a give-and-take that furthers mutual respect for our differences as well as recognizes our commonality.

4.  Future Workforce:
How best can we educate our students to meet the demands of the future?  This is the question that we should all ask as we shape current educational policy.  Our students must be equipped with literacy, an understanding of mathematics, know the basic premise behind the constitution and democratic values of this country, and be able to engage in self and critical analysis.  The ability to change and maintain intellectual flexibility is essential.  In addition, it may be even more important to the continuation of this society to ensure ethical considerations and behavior.  Not all students will become scholars in their future years.  Many will become the technical and vocational backbone of our state.  But, all of our students will need to develop a strong work ethic that is based on commitment, fairness to others, and pride in a job well done.  Traditionally, California nurtures creativity and promotes the concept of satisfaction with one's work.  Our educational institutions should continue this nurturing to help ensure an innovative and peaceful future.