Rationale
"Problems cannot be solved by thinking within the framework in which the problems were created." -- Albert Einstein.
Why do educators need to understand problem solving?
Whether you are running a business, a school district, a school, or a classroom you are likely to run into a problem or two. Traditionally, in order to deal with school learning differences, separate systems such as special education and English as a Second Language departments were created with the intention to specialize in treating specific educational problems. This has created a dual educational system that exists in separate ‘silos’, which do not work together. This separation has allowed for a diffusion of responsibility when students face educational problems.
“Our current educational system still largely dichotomizes regular and special education, and our special education numbers continue to rise.”
-- Twenty-First Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Students are caught between two systems with little opportunity for improvement. There is also a growing achievement gap between low poverty schools and high poverty schools. This achievement gapcontributes to the inequities currently face our educational system. These issues deserve solutions. Federal legislation like, No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA) and Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA), were passed into law with the intention of addressing these inequities through school reform. School reform is an important practice for educational improvement and problem solving is at the heart of this process. As educators, we need to study the art of problem solving in order to improve our schools and best serve our students.
