Innovation is the word.
The New Oxford American Dictionary defines innovation as "a new method, idea, product."
Not very exciting.
The Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, however, provides these alternate words: "change, alteration, revolution, upheaval, transformation, metamorphosis, breakthrough; new measures, new methods, modernization, novelty, newness; creativity, originality, ingenuity, inspiration, inventiveness."
Now that's what I'm talking about.
When I hear "innovation," I hear "ingenuity, inspiration, inventiveness," thus I was disappointed in most of what I heard from the Rogers School District.
The state approved the concept of "schools of innovation" earlier this year. A "school of innovation" is defined by the state as "a school that participates in a district of innovation to transform and improve teaching and learning."
The state defines "innovation" as a "new or creative alternative to the existing instructional and administrative practices that is intended to improve academic performance and learning for all students."
What do they want to do in Rogers?
Administrators want to extend the school day an hour to make up for snow days. Granted, we had a lot of snow days this school year, however, unless we are in the grips of a different global environmental change than everyone else, I don't think you can assume we will have the same kind of winter weather every year.
The proposal, in case you missed it, involves adding that hour -- when needed. In other words, our innovation would be a part-time innovation. Not very innovative, if you ask me.
Denise Ariola of the University of Arkansas' Office for Innovation for Education noted what I think is obvious: Administrators are allowing this winter to influence them when choosing "innovative" ideas.
She said, however, there are many other options, such as having a school focus on science or art.
Springdale is, once again, at the forefront in area education with their school of innovation, called iSchool. iSchool opens this fall for eighth-graders, and plans call for adding a grade each year. The focus will be science, technology, engineering and math.
Bentonville plans a charter school for kindergarten through eighth grades. The focus will also be science, engineering, technology and math.
I think our New Technology High School is pretty darned innovative. And, again, Lance Arbuckle, the school's director, is taking the lead in innovative thinking in the district.
He wants to waive the standard physical education requirements if students provide documentation of activity, such as training for and participating in a triathlon. If a kid is a triathlete, they should be credited for their effort.
Arbuckle hopes this program will encourage healthier living as the kids move on.
I hope that is true. I have always said the not-very-exciting options when I was in school failed to encourage me to continue to exercise as I got older. I love baseball, but I was never good at team sports. Had tennis and swimming been readily available, I might have started in junior high and continued through life.
Each school in the district was asked to submit their plans by Tuesday, so something else exciting may have been requested.
I hope so, because it would be sad to let this chance to do something exciting and different at all schools slip away.
•••
In case you didn't realize it, the Walton family supports Rogers. Money from their foundation is being used for trail construction and Lake Atalanta renovation.
Now, Walmart has announced plans to build a Neighborhood Market on the southwest corner of the Eighth and Walnut street intersection.
There's symmetry in that announcement -- Walmart's No. 1 store was located catty-corner across the intersection. The building still stands, as does No. 1's second location in the building just west of the market's site.
Construction of the market will serve as urban renewal for that side of the street -- a rundown commercial building and motel will be razed to make room for the market.
We know there is a demand for a market-type operation in the downtown area. Harps Foods does bang-up business from their Second and Locust site, drawing residents from north and east of the city. Neighborhood Market will no doubt draw from the center of town and westward.
Now something has to be done with the old gas station on the southeast corner of the Eighth and Walnut intersection. Talk about an eyesore.
I see something pretty. Lush, green, beautiful flowers. Something that makes people want to explore the area.
It's another challenge awaiting city leaders.
Commentary on 04/10/2014