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Goal #3 - More and Better Decision Making at the Local Level

The 2001 "March Toward Excellence" report by Vanderbilt University's Peabody Center praised DoDEA as a model school system that should be emulated by others.

Among the traits cited as contributing to our excellence was the practice, at the time, of DoDEA management setting goals and providing resources from the Headquarters level, but allowing local faculty and staff to have significant input into how those goals could best be met.

That philosophy of local decision making has been abandoned in recent years. Now, decisions are made by education "experts" at DoDEA Headquarters -- many of whom have never set foot in a DoDEA school -- and those decisions are expected to be rigidly followed, regardless of how inefficient or unsound they prove to be.

An example:
Rather than host computer programs such as Excent and ASPEN at the Area or local levels, where those who use the programs could exercise some control over them, DoDEA insists on hosting such programs at the Headquarters level. As a result, any breakdown in hardware or software for these programs reverberates worldwide. Meanwhile, any problem or difficulty with how programs are perceived to perform by local users is ignored. DoDEA Headquarters decides what works and what doesn't, with little or no input from those in the field doing the actual educating.

In order to Maximize the Learning, DoDEA must do the following:
  1. Survey schools and complexes to assess needs at the local level
  2. Provide release time for teachers to have meaningful collaboration time

  3. Stop school improvement programs that are merely jumping through hoops and paperwork exercises

  4. Rotate above school level positions back to the classroom

  5. Provide adequate resources to local schools including adequate textbooks, supplies, paper, technology and training

Other Goals of the Maximize the Learning campaign

Goal #1: DoDEA Headquarters must prioritize the work it wants educators to accomplish rather than constantly pile on more new programs, trainings and initiatives.

Goal #2: DoDEA must stop promoting a one-size-fits-all approach to professional development and go back to providing faculty and staff meaningful development opportunities, specific to their curricular areas and students' needs.

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