June 7, 2022 |
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon last month formed a new committee to help find ways to respond to the ongoing challenges of providing a quality education in a rapidly changing world.
The K-12 advisory committee will hold public meetings this summer to gain input about what Wyoming families and businesses want from the Wyoming school system.
The name of the group is RIDE, or Reimagining and Innovating the Delivery of Education. Governor Gordon said that in a recent survey, parents said they wanted schools to do a “better job.” He explained what that means.
The so-called “basket of goods” – what is taught in public schools – has been as much a part of the education debate as how to fund classrooms. In fact, the legislature’s school funding debates in the legislature have shaped the ten core subject areas in the basket of goods. The future of what is included in the basket and how best to present the material will be at the heart of RIDE’s fact finding mission this summer.
The room for improvement has been documented. Despite new buildings and some of the highest paid teachers in the region, K-12 schools in Wyoming were among 31 states where eighth grade reading scores declined on the National Assessment of Educational Progress in a 20202 pre-COVID assessment.
RIDE is the latest state initiative to focus on graduating students that are ready to advance to universities, or even the workplace, without the need of remedial help in basic math or literacy.
For instance, “Boot-Up Wyoming” focuses on computational thinking and computer science. “Early Literacy” provides a starting point in K-3 for everything that follows in education and life. Career and Technical Education provides funding for training and industry partnerships. “Every Student Succeeds” provides a statewide accountability assessment that includes, career, college and military assessment.
In assembling the advisory group, the Governor included independent volunteers that do not represent specific education-focused interest groups, who might bring a pre-set political or ideological agenda to the discussion.
The governor said the group will provide its recommendations this fall.
The governor encouraged parents and others to take advantage of the public engagement opportunities, such as the public meeting June 15th and 16th in Rock Springs. The web site to register is RIDE.wyo.gov.
