The point you made about museum -schools was great.  I think there needs to
be more of these.  The Smithsonian is now in the process of opening such a
school.  It promises to be of a high cailber as are the ones in N.Y. and
Minnesota.  One difficulty I think these schools might have is measurement of
performance.  Schools, particularly public, need to rise to the challenge of
educating children in such a way that doesn't merely focus on making a grade
or going on to the next level.  Schools must educate children to be lifelong
learners(scholars).  The Smithsonian school seems like a wonderful attempt at
this.

Mainstream educators need to drop lose their unwillingess to examine new,
innovative styles of teaching and learning.

Kind of off the subject, but I feel very pasionately about the quality of
eduacation in American particualry for inner-city and otherwise disadvantged
children.  The current education system has no regard for them ,in my
opinion.  My vision, and that of many museum educaotrs, is that museums will
be able to fill in the missing pieces.

Shana Chambers
George Washington University