SDC EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS
Monday, September 11, 2000
Good morning,
During the past decade, you took part in a multitude of workshops, seminars and interactive meetings aiming at the improvement of our educational system. They were necessary but not sufficient tools to achieve an upgrading of the existing quality in our schools. For different reasons, we were all frustrated for not being able to keep pace, in a sensible manner, with the changing requirements in the fields of school administration, educational programs and real life necessities.
We hope the present workshop shall be a turning point and the beginning of a long march towards a comprehensive restructuring of our educational system. We believe the school network as a whole, (students, parents, teachers, AGBU leadership) shall benefit from the formulation of a new vision statement, and through a realistic planning to implement it by refining the capabilities of the existing human resources and improving or revising non-performing means, methods, and administrative structures.
A different criterion should be adopted to appraise the overall performance of the students. Besides success in official exams (a prerequisite), students should be able to excel in languages, breaking the barrier of verbal expression and communication with ease and eloquence. Through character education they should have a clear set of personal values and through self-confident attitude to prepare for being responsible and productive citizens. Armenian studies should be revised to fit the changing factors affecting our cultural identity.
Parents should be an integral part of the system. Through the projected reforms, they should be convinced, objectively, that AGBU schools compare positively with the best non-Armenian private schools, in addition to their transmitting of the Armenian culture as a plus and not as a hindrance to their blossoming as human beings. Through interactive feedback they should be a part of their children’s education and a supporting element for the welfare of the schools.
The teaching staff should have enough moral and material motivation to believe in continuous education and creative participation. Having the proper educational tools and resources at hand and on time is a basic requirement. Establishing the just criteria to appraise their performance is a must. Best intentions may fade away by time when no distinction (objective and subjective) is made between performing and non-performing staff members.
Within the projected new structure, it is essential for principals to have extensive authority to take creative initiatives within a well-defined set of objectives and job descriptions, duties and rights, all integrated into a well-defined constructive vertical and horizontal communication network.
To the AGBU leadership in
What we shall do as a team is a pioneering work. We might have doubts about the proposed methods and face pitfalls. We might have different earthbound ideas based on our personal experience and be skeptical about the whole process. We all know the risk involved in any endeavor to change habits, mental images, work methods, communication channels and daily pattern of life.
Being aware of all that, what we plan to achieve is not a revolution. With clear vision we intend with your whole-hearted participation to improve what we already have, with pragmatism to adopt and adapt what is best elsewhere and fitting for our purpose, believing firmly that absence of progress is regression and slow death. Let this experience be a productive one. As a team, through continuous development we might turn our school into a better place to live a part of our life or a whole lifetime.
I thank President Louise Simone and Central Board members for their firm decision to go ahead with the reforms. I thank Mrs. Carol Aslanian for setting up the necessary professional platform and with her continuous online communications accelerating the implementation of the passage. I thank the principals and each and every staff member for what they have achieved in the past and for taking part in this project with a positive attitude. I thank SDC team for accepting the present difficult mission and wish you a successful week of workshops and a new academic year.
Thank you.