Big Bear, CA, May 25, 2012, 5:00pm – To an auditorium packed with educators, students, parents and community members last Wednesday evening, the Vision 2012 Community Summit, presented by The Lighthouse Project, began with an over view of the Community Summits of the last four years. This, the fifth annual Vision 2012 Community Summit’s Keynote Speaker was Jamie Vollmer. Vollmer’s expertise is in the public education system and his presentation gave the audience an overview of the changes that have occurred since the first American schools began back in 1640. Over the last 100 years, the curriculum has expanded to include a growing list of additional duties and expectations placed on the public school system without the consideration of adding additional time in the school day to accomplish it all. Vollmer pointed out that teachers and administrators aren’t just expected to teach children but to raise them! In addition to speaking at this year’s Community Summit, Vollmer addressed key personnel of the Bear Valley Unified School District on Thursday morning and in the afternoon addressed our teachers. Vollmer believes that there are four components necessary if you are serious about making changes to the existing public education system within the community and they are understanding, trust, community permission and support. He states, “Our schools are not failing, they are out of sync with the needs of the American economy.” In is book “Schools Can’t Do It Alone”; Vollmer has outlined steps to create a new system of educating our students that could create the environment to allow every single child to become a successful adult.
