Loving the Local: Potential of School Gardens
As an educator and a researcher, I think about the real world solutions that are available to us in schools for the benefit of young people. I read about Myth Busting the Common Core and I think of the gray area in the politics of schools. Myth #2 talks about how the federal government is not involved in creating the common core. They don’t have anyone on the committee that is creating standards, but they are offering millions of dollars to cash-thirsty states if they adopt the standards, I mean the common core… While I suppose this is myth busting a misconception, it all seems a little slick. Race to the Top dangles money over the heads of states, desperate to fund basic programs and they would do anything (even stop thinking!) to get their hands on some cash. And within the requirements for being competitive for the Race to the Top competitive grant, “the administration awarded 40 points out of a possible 500 to states that adopted ‘a common set of K-12 standards’” In other words, states have a real incentive to adopt the common core. It has me wondering how does this play out at the local level where teachers and community members want to innovate in schools, but they are required to spend all of their time on standards. What if they are worried about rising obesity rates, the environment, and just plain old exploring our curiosities in schools? Does the common core leave time for that?
It seems that some schools are making time. In tough financial times, amazing things are happening in pockets at the local level. A successful Boulder restaurant took it upon themselves to fund a garden in a low income area in Denver. The Kitchen is thinking about health and experiential learning of kids in the Colorado community. Of course they are starting small and without the backing of federal grants, but they are thinking big about what kids are like, what their lives are like, and what might change their understanding of food, health, plants, and even disciplinary learning. Some worry that the fact that garden learning is not connected to the “local” common core might be a distraction. It might make teachers mad to take their kids in the sunshine to talk about plants. It might make kids run around and get distracted. It might have less to do with getting educated and more to do with authentic learning. And I have to say, I am hopeful that it does.