Lake Ridge Schools plans to increase taxes in Calumet Township for the implementation of the latest trend in education: New Tech design.

Taking $200,000 from our stimulus money to secure a $2 million loan, Lake Ridge administrators have plunged ahead in securing funds for a new way of teaching at Calumet High School.

Without negotiating the change with the teacher's union, or even garnishing a consensus from the staff, and without a specific proposed detailed plan, Calumet High School is jumping on yet another bandwagon, hoping this will be the one to improve test scores.

The premise of New Tech design is that traditional schooling is outdated for the 21st century world. A New Tech high school, with its use of technology, is supposed to create learning opportunities for students to develop skills for the job market through project-based classrooms.

Teachers at Calumet High School overwhelmingly disagree with the rapid initiation of the project-based New Tech philosophy and the practicality of the self-management and self-directed learning it requires. While they agree that having access to the latest technology is wonderful and that in an ideal world, self-directed learning and team-work make for successful achievement, it is the basic skills that Calumet students need first and foremost.

Research and teamwork are currently going on in Calumet classes, but many students are not proficient in core subjects and self-sufficiency. To the extent that New Tech requires this up front, gives Calumet teachers pause.

Besides the tremendous challenge that problem-based, self-directed learning provides for management, the sustainability and constant updating of technology are areas that Calumet teachers are doubtful will be maintained.

We have seen no plans for the physical restructure, no time allotted for teacher retraining and, most important, no data that demonstrate that New Tech makes a difference in mastery of core subjects or that it promotes critical thinking in lower-performing students.

The Local 662 Teacher's Union of Calumet High School is disappointed that the School Board is rushing into such a costly and complicated project without the consensus of its teachers and community leaders.

Greg Keehn is president of American Federation of Teachers Local 662. The opinion expressed in this column is the writer's and not necessarily that of The Times.