Notes on the Book Learning First!

A school leaders guide to Closing Achievement Gaps by

Carolyn Kelley, James Shaw

The premise of this book is that we must and we can- dramatically improve student learning, and the
way to that is to make closing achievement gaps and significantly advancing learning for all the top
priority of the school community.
You might ask, isnt learning the top priority of every school community? the answer of course is Yes,
and.. no
But in most schools, the focus on learning is constrained by limits on student motivation and
preparation for learning, family and community support for education, resource levels, teacher
motivation and skill, contractual obligations, time constraints and a host of competing goals and values
around areas such citizenship, health, and welleness, safety, tradition, and investment in gifted and
talented learners.
In addition, the demands of the principals role and the constant parade of problems that present
themselves make it difficult for principals to be proactive. Very few principals consider their work to
reflect the focus on instructional leadership they would like it to have if it werent for all those other
demands on their time.
Sometimes for semmingly good reasons, principals dont focus on putting learning first.
Furthermore, to some, deamands improved performance suggest too much emphasis on test scores,
which many ultimately mean less authentic learning for both struggling students and student who are
currecntly succeeding.
We believe putting learning first is a moral and economic imperative.
The future of the country is dependant on our ability to make learning for all the top priority of public
schools.

Schools will have to make a quantum improvement in learning for the minority and low-income students
if the country is to remain globally competitive and maintain a strong middle class.

Americas children and the moral imperative for learning first
The longstanding diversity of americas children has been reflected in public schools and contributed to
the conceptualization of public education as a cultural melting pot and the ladder to citizenship and full
economic participation in the American Dream. But the ladder isnt working for all Americas children.
Many children are being left behind. Some do not learn and many are not challenged. In America, the
achievement gaps associated with children of color and poverty receive limited attention form the
public, but they should be the shame of the nation.
In the past fifty years, the mission of many public schools was limited to the sorting of children by race,
by socioeconomic level, and ability. While the sorting of children may be consistent with americas
industrialization of the 20
th
century, it is inimical to Americas globalization in the 21
st
Century. In the last
twenty years, both diversity in America and the importance of education