In part because I am a political lefty, I believe in the public school system. I don’t believe that research based teaching strategies are a bad idea, not at all, but they do tend to foster Play It Safe Teaching or CYA Teaching. I seems like teachers often use research strategies thinking: “If I can get a journal or somebody with a PhD to back me up, well then I’ll use that research based method” and that can stifle creative Tweaking. That’s a real weakness but I still prefer using research based strategies over the traditional spray and pray approach to curriculum coverage. “Let’s march our bums through the textbook and hope something sticks.”

Cooperative learning works. Experiential education like you mentioned works. I don’t think the answer should be foisted upon the private sector and I do think paying public school teachers a professional wage is one key to making the enterprise move forward. In wealthier districts in Maine (primarily coastal districts with lots of wealthy lobstermen) there are public schools that rival any private school. One such is a philosophical adherent to discovery learning. Kids build hybrid cars and solar panels, do interpretive dance and have a par none vocational education for high paying and presumably satisfying careers. These are the most plugged in students I have heard or read about.

So yes, changing freebie stuff like our methods and philosophy are vital, but let’s be realistic. What other profession can we underfund and expect miraculous results? Healthcare? We are seeing what some extreme “cost effectiveness” is doing to THAT field and it is not pretty overall. Our troops? These people are suffering even after they come back from war because the dollars and the methods aren’t working well enough there. To paraphrase George Carlin, we have a country where you can buy edible underwear and sneakers with lights in them. Can’t we shell out an extra 100 or 1000 dollars per year for our future generations? I’d vote for that and I’m practically dirt poor. Why won’t our more privileged citizens?

Finally, doesn’t PP supplement P as usual? Lets fix what is wrong AND promote student flourishing. That seems more balanced and appropriate for nurturing our nation’s future.
We shouldn’t give up the progress made by PP’s forefathers and foremothers in any field, just stand on their shoulders and move forward.