Our Lakewood Public Schools...Something For Everyone?

Viktor Schrekengost's sculpture atop the Civic Auditorium is framed by icy skies and sidewalks in a fisheye image of Lakewood High School in wintertime. (Photo by Gary Rice)

The past decade or so has really brought the issue of American education to the forefront, has it not? Our public schools around the country have been pushing for higher and higher academic standards, as more parents, business leaders, and others compare American academic achievement with the world around us. About a decade ago, a Federal Law commonly known as "No Child Left Behind" (or NCLB) received broad bipartisan support so that ever-higher educational standards would become the law of the land. A system was put into place mandating that schools improve annually until 2014, when all schools would arrive at a baseline of universal proficiency. Failure to meet AYP (annual yearly progress) towards that goal could mean a loss of federal dollars for many schools around the country.

A national debate is currently underway about whatever changes to NCLB might be needed in the wake of the obvious difficulty that, by 2014, very few schools, if any, will be able to arrive at the level of universal perfection that has been mandated by that law.

There were, and still are, a number of problems with the creation and setting of those high standards, not the least of which was that local schools simply could not control all of the variables in the equation presented to them. Some schools dealt with large populations of immigrants or with students having special needs, while others dealt with lower income and resources issues. Many of the mandates presented to the public schools have also come without funding to pay for them. Private and charter school funding allowances have also eaten into the public school funds.  Especially difficult to deal with in all of this was the parental part of the equation. Parents, of course, have everything to do with a student's success or failure.

Another perpetual difficulty with the public schools is the question of exactly what should even BE taught, tested, or measured? Controversy still rages in the fields of Science, American History, and Health classes as to what areas of knowledge should be emphasized.  Having all students pass through the same academic cattle chute can also mean that many school vocational choices may end up being more and more limited. It's one thing to raise a generation of college-bound preppies, but America still needs people to serve the trades, and many school trade programs are now taking it on the chin. Twelve years of public school and four years of college, for example, will probably not provide you with the knowledge to fix your running toilet, or even to re-string your guitar, for that matter.

I've been fortunate in my own life to have had a foot in both the academic and vocational worlds. As a retired school teacher, I deeply value the pursuit of academic knowledge, as well as a liberal arts education. At the same time, I enjoyed working with my hands and tackling the on-the-job problem-solving activities that went along with being a vocational trades person. One of my vocational skills involved musical instrument repair. As "Guitar Guy Gary" to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I have probably given my attention to the guitars of more jazz and rock stars than I can remember. I've worked on musical instruments ever since I was a teenager, fixing the castoffs from music stores, flea markets, and sometimes even garbage cans! Some of my guitar repair adventures have already been detailed for you in past columns. To me, bringing some old guitar back from the edge of disaster has always been a satisfying challenge. I will always respect the guitar mechanics, luthiers, and technicians of the world for their creative efforts to improve those banged-up bundles of wood and wire that go "twang."

I've done other vocational work in the past too. I even went to night school at Lakewood High many years ago and learned the photography trade. I ended up shooting weddings and all sorts of unusual assignments over the years (and I've written in other columns how you too can become a better photographer.)

As a product of the Lakewood Schools (LHS Class of 1969), I know that they have a great history of being responsive to our community in a variety of ways. Of course, from grades K-12 they've always done an outstanding job in responding to the needs of an increasingly diverse population. Lakewood, in many ways, has been an "entry-level" city in the most positive sense of that term. People have come here from many lands and cultures in search of what we call the "American Dream." The Lakewood Schools were dealing with many languages and cultures a century ago, and they still do. These days, they even offer alternative school settings for students needing extra attention. As retired teachers, Dad and I continue to volunteer with the Lakewood Schools. Every time we come into a school building, we are reminded about the high standard of excellence that the Lakewood Schools offer to their students.

Adding to all of the above would be the exemplary services that Lakewood Schools offer to adults. The opportunity to complete high school is out there, of course, along with a great array of self-help continuing-education evening classes. While the nature of vocational training is constantly changing in our country, it is well that the Lakewood Schools have always been at the forefront of providing eclectic educational opportunities for all of us. That they have done all of this while recently receiving an "Excellent" rating from the State of Ohio speaks well for the pulse of this city.