Return to Normal

 I open my eyes and for a brief few seconds I forget why today is different.  Quickly, I remember how significant the Eleventh of September will always be and how for many, this will never be just a normal day.  As I prepare for the day I think ahead, realizing that for most of my 9th graders, this day is probably as normal as the next.  Eleven years ago they were only three.  Once among them in class I ask, as part of a journal entry, "How many of you would say September 11th has had a major impact on your life?"  Slowly, only about 3 hands raised.  We don't live in New York City, Washington, D.C., or Pennsylvania, but part of me was angry, part of me confused, but part of me completely understood.  Just as on that morning what we knew evolved and changed, so does our nation's memory of September 11th.

This generation of children sees the world with a different set of experiences than those of us tasked with teaching them.  September 11th to them is more of a historical event and less a personal memory. Not yet a mere historical marker on the side of the road, but in the decade passed we have moved forward in many ways.   At our school we take time to recognize and reflect on the significance of the day as a group with a ceremony.  We pause to gather on the breezeway with music, a moment of silence and the playing of taps.   It has become an event each year and for now we have no plans to change that.


Just as schools had to help kids make sense of unthinkable events on that day, they must navigate the passage of September 11th from a vivid recollection to something much less familiar.  We must teach students to think about events but not necessarily what to think about them.  We must help them develop an understanding of their world and how it is not static and changes with time.   While we gathered a colleague asked what I thought of the event, adding "I think this might be more for the teachers than the kids."  He may be correct.   It is conceivable that at some point most will no longer pause or think much at all and September 11th for those not personally affected will just be normal again.  This will never be true for countless Americans and others around the world, but for the young, it might already be so.  When that will happen and when it is "OK" to move on, I can't say.  Maybe no one should.  But as December 7th of '41, November 22nd of '63, April 19  of '95 and April 16  of '07, the healing begins and with it so does history's unending march forward.

Maybe then we will no longer gather as a community to reflect.   We will still have a wealth of media from which to share modern events with emerging generations and can use these to give meaning and context.  I will still ask the journal questions, will still share where I was that terrible day and still speak of my friend who died.  Maybe they were too young to understand or remember.  Maybe they won't even have been around.  But we must help them develop historical empathy for those who were there and all those who experienced it.  We should help them try to understand today.  Because it will always be a day that changed the world.  We should never forget that it will never quite be normal.  

Life, Liberty, and Milk

Choice alone doesn't create democracy.  Meaningless choice can link the chains of complacency.

I enjoy the fact that I can choose from hundreds of breakfast cereals.  When I’m feeling bold I love me some Fruity Pebbles, but when I want to feel a little healthy I’ll go for the Fiber One.  Is this the freedom that comes at so high a cost?

Choice as freedom characterizes 21st century political thinking.  We fight wars in the name of freedom and ask the ultimate sacrifice from some while trying our very best to keep everything normal at home.  As long as I can buy what I want it’s o.k., right?

During the last local election, I cast a ballot for five offices.  Three of the five were unopposed.  But I could still choose from over fifty different brands and styles of soda when I visited the market.

I only get three-minutes per meeting to talk if I want an audience with my local board of supervisors, and it’s one way, not dialogue.  But after I talk, I can choose from a few hundred different restaurants for my family to eat.

I had to maintain a distance of at least 75 feet from the president’s motorcade when he passed my house on the way to the airport.  But with the phone I picked this summer I was able to take a pretty good video.
Sometimes I wonder if the choices that don’t really matter obscure the fact that I’m not getting a chance to influence some of the choices that really make a difference and impact my life.

I’m not arguing against choice, but perhaps sometimes we’re placated with the idea of choice just to keep us satisfied enough to give up real choice and participation in decision-making.  

And so, we’re sold the idea of “school-choice” as the answer to the problems of education.  Here is an excerpt from Jeb Bush’s speech at the Republican National Convention last week:

Education is hard work, but if you follow some core principles, and you challenge the status quo, you get great results.  So here’s another thing we can do: Let’s give every parent in America a choice about where their child attends school. Everywhere in our lives, we get the chance to choose.  Go down any supermarket aisle - you’ll find an incredible selection of milk.  You can get whole milk, 2% milk, low-fat milk or skim milk. Organic milk, and milk with extra Vitamin D.  There’s flavored milk-- chocolate, strawberry or vanilla - and it doesn’t even taste like milk. They even make milk for people who can’t drink milk. 

Shouldn’t parents have that kind of choice in schools? Governor Romney gets it. He believes parents - regardless of zip code or income - should be able to send their child to the school that fits them best.

That has set him against some entrenched interests.  There are many people who say they support strong schools but draw the line at school choice.  “Sorry, kid. Giving you equal opportunity would be too risky. And it will upset powerful political forces that we need to win elections.”  I have a simple message for these masters of delay and deferral: Choose.

You can either help the politically powerful unions. Or you can help the kids. (1)
Now, I know it’s hard to take on the unions. They fund campaigns. They’re well-organized. Election day? They’ll show up.  Meanwhile, the kids aren’t old enough to vote. (2)

Choice is not a bad thing, but politicians are selling us a false hope for meaningful choice.  Current reform efforts highlight the problems of public education, and instead of investing in problem-solving, they declare the problems “unsolvable” in the current system.  Environmental issues of poverty are written off as irrelevant and options that show short-term promise in isolated cases free of restrictions placed on public schools are offered as proof that the solutions to the problems of public education rest only outside of the system.

In my school district, we currently have an alternative public charter school that functions in tandem with the county system, a vocational school run jointly by the county and city, an engineering academy housed in one of the three comprehensive high schools, and a health sciences academy housed in another.  All of our students have the opportunity to move in these directions when it fits their interests and needs.  The district enjoys strong public support even in the midst of a range of private school offerings.  And we still work to expand choices and opportunities for parents and students.

The future of public education depends of the issue of choice.  It’s not even a dichotomy of “choice vs. no choice.”  It is a question of what kind of choice and how we make sure it is for the benefit of children.  Choice that funnels public money into private hands to do education on the cheap won’t help.  Choice that allows dollars to follow children in order to increase the profit of online providers won’t help.  Choice that promotes ideology instead of pedagogy to inform the education of our children won’t help.  Choice that makes avoiding rather than working through a difficult situation won’t help. This kind of choice won’t improve education anymore than an incredible selection of milk will improve health.  


But what about the milk.  The red bottle with the rabbit on front sure does draw my child’s attention.  I hear that organic might not even be healthier than the regular.  The Strawberry milk costs more, but maybe my kids will drink more milk if it tastes better.  Is the extra sugar worth the extra calcium?  It does look really good and it makes the kid happy and after all, it is about the kids.  Right?




Post-Script- I couldn't just ignore a few other points from Jeb Bush's address so I've footnoted below.

1) I’m not in a union and Virginia doesn’t have them.
2)Saying kids can’t vote is a back door way of saying that since I don’t agree with you I don’t really have their interest in mind.  That’s like me saying, “Hey Jeb, you don’t govern the way I think you should.  I know your family has given their entire lives to public service, but be honest, you’re in it for the money right.  You don’t care about people.”

The empty seat.

It is not about reform.
It is not about failing schools or AYP.
It is not about charters and privatization.
It is not about graduation rates or subgroups.
It is not about NCLB or Race to the Top.
It is not about parents or teachers.
It is not about federal, state or local laws and policy.
It is not about curriculum, pedagogy or instructional time on task.
It is not about unions or lobbyists or Congress.
It is not about Duncan, Rhee, Ravitch or an IEP.
It is not about intervention, tutoring or getting teachers to last.
It is not about reading levels or math scores.
It is not about an AP scores or SATs.
It is not about lessons, homework assignments or a grade.
It is not about common core, merit pay or  best practices.
Some days remind us to set it all aside and for awhile to remember...

Schools are about the lives of young people. 

TU turns 200.

"So these guys know their stuff huh?"

You're reading the 200th post from the TU.  To celebrate this occasion, the President of the United States himself, Barack Obama will be visiting our hometown, Charlottesville, VA to mark the occasion.  City and County schools are dismissing early because of traffic concerns, but teachers have to work the full day, so we won't be able to attend the event.  Considering the President has found this event worthy of commemoration, we would be remiss if we did not take time to acknowledge the significance of our 200th post while Obama fetes us in absentia.  We thought it might be "special" to at least share a few of our personal observations:

"Down those stairs, that is where real teachers work"

Lindsay:
It would seem that 200 times we have had something to say.  We've had around 44,000 hits but it remains to be seen whether anyone is listening.  I pity the lost soul wandering the internet that stumbled onto our blog by accident.   One thing I have learned from that traffic is that an image can produce far more hits than anything of substance I write.  So we keep going, even if only for ourselves.

Over the past 2 years I cannot recall how many times a colleague shared a thought with me and I said..."yeah I know, we wrote about that last week/month."

The blog is part of our still evolving "master plan."  This remains a closely guarded industry secret but I can say it is cutting edge, revolutionary, and strategically dynamic.  It will probably change the world more than sliced bread.

"Shake and Bake"...that's me the funny one with the bread sponsorship.

When asked what exactly the blog is about, I usually respond with something cryptic like" Yes."  That baffles people and either confirms their suspicions about my low intellect, or gives them reason to suspect I am brilliant.  The two reactions are indistinguishable. 

Teaching Underground continues to be a labor of love and is a window into what I , Steve and countless other dedicated professionals have the privilege to do. With the occasional foray into deep philosophical discussion we succeed on the blog and in the classroom by keeping things very simple.  Keep a sense of humor, work hard, try to get better, find fulfillment in what we do, and above all try to do what is right.

Turner:
We started in October 2010.  I thought we'd run out of stuff to say by Christmas.  Now that I think about it, maybe we did and we just endlessly repeat ourselves.

I really appreciate friends who mention they've read a post or personally mention the blog, but I've been surprised at how many people we've never met subscribe to and/or comment on our site.

I'm still motivated by a driving desire to communicate.  Public education is not failing.  Struggling in areas, but not failing.  Too many parts of the media, both political parties, the business world and even some education insiders have written a false narrative of the state of public education and we need to reclaim the true story of education.

Considering there's no monetary compensation for working on the Teaching Underground, our only source of reinforcement comes from readers.  Thanks for all the follows, likes, and comments, that's what keeps us going, so if you haven't "followed, liked, or commented" consider doing so.  Share this site with others.  It makes us happy.  And when we're happy, we're better teachers.  Better teachers make better students.  So if you care about children, you'll support the Teaching Underground.

Teaching Underground's 2011-2012 Report Card

In an age where "grades" grow more irrelevant by the day, the TU thought it fitting to assign grades to some people and events that have transpired during the past school year.

Teaching Underground-
We increased traffic and managed to avoid violating our moral standards(we have none).  Still we navigated the past 12 months with some effort and did our best to share what we thought about where we are and where we are going.
Grade = B+





Virginia Weather-
Earthquakes, derechos, 100+ degrees, no snow days.  
Grade - You decide.

NASA-
This actually happened during Summer School last year but how on earth(how's that for a punn) could we have a space program without the shuttle?  Since 1981 the Space Shuttle has been the face of manned American Space Flight.  In an age where we are expected to inspire young scientists and explorers we will have to teach them more from movies than real life.   Russia and China are now the only 2 government programs capable of manned missions that dock in space.  China was 40 yrs late but is catching up fast.  NASA might not actually deserve a low grade but the Feds and others who complain about the budget saying  "we should solve our problems here on earth before going into space"... leave me uninspired.   
Grade = D

"Rhee" rhymes with "me"

Michelle Rhee-
You have learned much during the past year.  You have worked hard.  Sadly it seems all your efforts have done little save self promotion and distort actual events.  We suspect you are a nice and decent person, but dislike your policies immensely.
Grade = F-

Diane Ravitch-
TU was very impressed with her comments back in December and we would rank her among the smartest kids in the class. Keep up the good work.
Grade = A+

UVa Board of Visitors- 
We are grading them just because in the new world of accoutability..the people at the top have carte blanche for Strategic Dynamism and that ain't good.  While re-instating President Teresa Sullivan calmed the storm, some things you can't take back.  Dragas is back on the board, re-appointed by McDonnell in a move some found unexpected. Hope you all learned something from all this and won't mess up again.  So we have to do our best to give the grade you earned on this group project.
Grade =D

Albemarle County-
More is not always better and as high school students now flock to study halls and complain about workloads, their hand is forced by trying to remain competitive amongst their own classmates. Teachers share an increased burden as well, leaving some kids regrettably, behind.  The longer the system stays in place, the less people are able to say about it because of fatigue.  This creates the illusion that it's ok.  Seven classes seemed plenty, just sayin'.
Grade = Proficient(grades will soon be replaced a standards based system)

KC reacts to an SOL question.

Ken Cuccinelli-
Who sues a college professor for fraud? Never mind those people who steal money from the elderly with phone and E-mail scams or companies that pollute our streams.  He's running for governor and steering hard right.   If he gets the nod hope he builds bridges instead of burning them.  Still you are the C.A. for our great state, obscene seal and all,  props.
Grade = No Credit

The US Supreme Court-
How can a corporation be a person?  Agree or disagree, it was interesting to see them make a ruling that mattered on health care. 
Grade = NA(we know nothing about the law, just the Constitution)

Lebron James-
He stands still, the world spins around him.  That "announcement" showed that some people do lose touch.  Still he did win a title and is probably among the most athletic individuals, ever.  Present company excluded.  While in a perfect world, Cleveland would have won a title before him, he won.  Let's end the hate and hope he plays as well and as hard at the Olympics since everyone else is hurt or backing out.
Grade= B+

 

Sausage Boy-

Man that guy is a legend.   He lost all that weight and when he puts that shirt with epaulettes on, look out.    The world would be his oyster, if he ate those.  He left the basement but still managed a solid year. (and rumor has it Turner's on a mini-juicing binge.)

sausageboygoesgreen.blogspot.com/  

Grade = A-

Patricia Wright-
Not sure about what to assign here.  The state continues to pour money towards Pearson and SOLs but also was recently granted a NCLB waiver doing away with complex and unrealistic AYP objectives .  (Thanks secretary Duncan).  Time will tell if the hoops that probably come with the waiver will help or hurt.   Still 2014 was only 1 year away. 
Grade = Inc


Fermilab Tevatron Scientists

You maybe sort of found or proved that the Higgs Field or the Higgs Boson exists?  Huh?  This theoretical physics stuff is above our pay grade but makes more sense thanks to all things, Youtube(see video here).
Take that CERN and your Large Hadron Collider.  We like particle accelerators as long as they don't make Black Holes.
Grade = B(too smart is not always good)

Bashar al-Assad -
You should be expelled and the people of Syria will be better for it.
Grade = Double F

City of Lynchburg
For the second time they discharged wastewater into the James River.  This time 250,000 gallons an hour for about 18 hours.  Sees to me that somebody somewhere could find a way to fix this.  Either that or change your city logo to show the stench coming off the river   Beyond the damage to the river itself I and other citizens of the state will again have to avoid a place we love  dearly.
Grade = F

Greece and the EU-

Not saying we understand economics, austerity measures or anything having to do with international fiscal policy or currency but it appears the same could be said for you folks over there in Europe.
Grade = D

Bryce Harper
This talented rookie plays hard day in, day out and we admire that.   The Washington Nationals are for now relevant, though some TU members remain Orioles fans and think the Senators will always be the only rightful DC team, not the Expos.  He did break a bat in a tantrum and injure himself but he still went to bat, blood and all. Only retiring Chipper Jones stood between him and the MLB All Star Game. He dropped out of HS to chase his dream.  What does he deserve?  "That's a clown questions, bro."
Grade = C or A depending on your loyalties.

Va General Assembly-
What the heck is going on down there in Richmond?  What was once a proud bipartsan legislature has devolved into side by side party convention on our dime.  Please stop the political infighting and focus on doing the job you were given when elected. 

Grade = D

America
This is still the best country on Earth.  Anyone who disagrees is a red bellied commie.  Have a great July 4th. 
Grade = A++







Have some grades you want to assign?  Add a comment.

Be Careful Little Mouths What You Say (or don't)

Depending on the story, a Virginia teacher either removes, deletes, or outright bans the word God from the song “We Are the World” before elementary school students are allowed to perform it in concert.  All of the reports I’ve seen point to this as one more example of the public school system and its employees attempt to indoctrinate and secularize students. (It’s time for the secular social exorcism to stop) Online reports not only attack the system, but single out the teacher for reproach.  Ms. Flaherty is portrayed as intentionally removing this lyric with some type of ulterior motive of subverting the religious belief and identity of her students.

I want to offer a different possibility.  I bet that every public school teacher, k-12, who teaches science, social studies, or the arts has dealt with the tricky situation of allowing matters of faith and belief into the classroom.  Matters of faith and belief are more than just a style of clothes, taste in music, or the sports we like.  For most humans, matters of faith and belief are a part of our identity.  In a school, this is true for the students and also the teachers who teach them.  Outside, it is true of myself and most everyone I interact with daily. 

For this reason, matters of faith and belief cannot be suppressed.  Any misguided attempt by "authorities" to regulate against expressions of faith and belief will fail, and any misguided ideology that assumes faith and belief are systematically squelched is wrong.  Faith and belief walk through the doors of our schoolhouse by the droves every morning with every human body that enters.

That faith and belief are being intentionally removed from school is an inaccurate perception of the fact that any one person’s specific expressions of faith and belief are not given a special place of prominence over others.

In one year, I taught both Ancient and Modern World History.  At the beginning of each course I had to deal with parent complaints.  In ancient World History we began with pre-history and learned about the fossils of Cro-Magnon, Neanderthals, and other early humans.  To the religious parents I was a heretic, forcing kids to learn these things that don’t fit their expression of faith and belief.  In Modern World History we opened with the Reformation.  Once again, I handled parents who didn’t think it was appropriate to present Martin Luther’s view that salvation of the soul comes from the grace of God.

To one set of parents I was a secular humanist indoctrinating their children and to the other I was acting more like an evangelist than teacher.

I sympathize with Ms. Flaherty at Broadus Wood.  Full disclosure, I don’t know her personally, but we work in the same county.  She is also my daughter’s music teacher and I’ve been listening to my daughter sing and practice this song for the last three weeks, long before this story broke. 

I’m guessing she is young.  I’m also guessing that she knows how quickly people jump to the attack when they perceive you are treating their children inappropriately.  I know that she teaches at two schools, each about as far apart in the county as possible, perhaps more than a forty-five minute drive away from each other.  Holding part-time work at two different schools, she probably isn’t sure whether her job is secure for next year; if it is, she has no reason to think she will be at either of the same schools next year.

The kids need to perform for their parents.  She chose a song.  Hoping to avoid criticism and/or parent discontent she made a choice.   

It is not a religious song.  No indication in the song implies that the use of the term God means anything other than a generic, religion neutral god that would not offend the numerous performers involved in the song or the consumers and donors who might give money in response.  Several sources also critique the teacher for choosing the “We Are the World 25” version for Haiti instead of the original including the line “as God has shown us, by turning stone to bread.”

That line stuck out to me the first time that I heard the song in 1985!  As a Christian I appreciate its alteration.  It seems to reference Jesus time of temptation in the wilderness.  During a period of fasting, Satan tempted him.  “If you’re the son of God, turn these stones to bread.  You are hungry after all.”  Jesus refuses, while the allusion in the song would appear to reverse this bold resistance to temptation.

Unfortunately, the temptation to attack a teacher, for making a choice in which right or wrong depends on the particular constituent group you’re asking, was not resisted.

A secular work, not intended to praise or promote any particular faith or faith in general.  A single word, unnoticed by most until a controversy is created.  A teacher made out to be on the frontline of the public school conspiracy to indoctrinate the children of America to a godless liberal ideology.

She's just trying to help a group of children make a joyful noise.  

As for me and my house, our faith is taught in the home.  We participate multiple times a week in a community of faith to instruct and teach our children.  We send them into the world, thankful for their exposure to diversity and differing opinions that they might engage their minds, hearts, soul, and strength.  We play our role as parents and trust that our faith in God, the example we set in our lives, the prayers that we pray over our children, and the instruction they've been provided in our home and church will shine brightly in their hearts as they "work out their faith" growing into adulthood.

What Would Jefferson Do?

The absence of the word "god" from a school choir song will not diminish the presence of God in the life of my daughter any more than its addition would somehow make it stronger.

(What is the role of faith in schools? I've addressed the question from the other side of the schoolhouse door at YouthWorker Journal and Wild Frontier)

Buying The Lie

These are the stakes.  This is what we have to deal with.  The public education narrative has been high-jacked and an increasingly large proportion of the public believes the lie.  This is just a small example, but a recent report about school budget struggles in Albemarle County, Virginia provoked the following reader comment:

The U.S. spends more per child and more per capita on education than any other country. Yet we rank any where from 14th to 25th out of 75 countries in math, reading and science according to the International Student Assesment report. So, apparently throwing more money at the issue is not the answer. The money NEVER makes it to the children and the teachers who deserve it, just the beauracrats in the front office and the teachers unions.

I know this isn't NYC, D.C., or Chicago.   And the "Charlottesville Newsplex" is just a small media outfit serving a small city that could hardly claim to have a suburb.  These facts make the story even more important.  Across the nation, the public opinion is swayed by the loudest and most prominent voices that are selling the public this idea that public education is failing because of bad teachers and unions.

I don't know where the statistics quoted come from, but the "teachers unions" comment stands out the most in this geographic area.  1) Virginia is a right to work state- there is no "teachers union."  2) The supposed "teacher union" here is funded by teacher contributions, not county budget. 3) I can't speak with certainty, but it would surprise me if even half of the teachers in our county (and Virginia) even belong to the "teacher union."

Yet somehow, in little Albemarle County, an run of the mill media consumer believes that our budget shortfall is somehow tied to the problem of "teachers unions."

I don't know how familiar some of our readers are with Virginia, but growing up in southwest Virginia furniture and textile country in the 1970's and 80's, Union was a dirty word-- to employees and factory owners alike.  Unions exert little to no influence on Virginia politics, business, and society.  If that's true in the private sector, imagine what it means for the public.  I'm not taking a pro or anti union stance here, that's just how it is in Virginia.

I'm disturbed by how easily this comment reflects a public perception, colored by national media coverage, that unions are a part of the problem even when they are COMPLETELY UNRELATED to the problem at hand.  It doesn't matter which side of the reform debate is winning online.  In real life, the debate is nearly over, and America is buying the lie.

Ten Reason’s We’re Thankful at the Underground

1. We’re employed. Once taken for granted, a job in today’s economy is certainly a reason for thanks.

2. We’re teachers. That means that we’ve got more than just a job. It is as much who we are as what we do.

3. You Tube. Education, entertainment, social connections, and sharing. And, where else could you find something like this.

4. We’re married to educators. Going home to someone who understands your day saves hours of explaining “how was your day.”

5. Albemarle County (High School). We work with some pretty amazing adults and students every day.

6. Free food. Nothing says thank you like free food. Whether an occasional plate of cookies to full-blown meals provided by parents, we certainly love being fed.

7. America. (Playing the Patriot card seems appropriate)

8. Readers. It is humbling to see that people continue to read our blog. We certainly appreciate your support.

9. Inspirational Quotes. When you just don’t know what to say, it’s great to rely on the greats. “If they can make penicillin out of moldy bread, they can sure make something out of you.” (M. Ali)







10. UVa playing Va Tech in a meaningful game for a change at home. Go Hoos!

Fixing Education

“Either fix our schools or get used to failure”

News stands across the country will feature that statement top and center on the November 14 edition of Time magazine this week. To accompany the piece, its author, Fareed Zakaria, hosted a CNN GPS special “Fixing Education” on Sunday evening. In a sick economy, I suppose that another attack on education sells magazines and draws ratings at least, and lessens the economic downturn for someone. Of course in this case, that might be just fine. It turns out that the author has found the magic bullet for building an excellent system of education and turning the American economy around. Quite profound actually, here is the solution:

“work harder and get better teachers”

Why didn’t anyone think of that already? Well, according to the author the answer is very clear. Half of American teachers graduated in the bottom third of their college class. I guess there aren’t enough smart people in education to figure out the “work hard and get better teachers” formula. Mr. Zakaria arrived at this articulate solution to the education problem by looking overseas toward nations that seem to get education right.

He first points to South Korea. American school children spend less time in school than in South Korea (and many other Asian nations.) He uses the 10,000 hour rule described by Malcolm Gladwell in his book “Outliers” as proof-- 10,000 hours engaged in a task for one's skill set to reach 'expert' status. In a stroke of genius, he suggests that if American students just spent more time in school, we would see dramatic improvements in the system.

The second “global lesson” comes from Finland. These sneaky Scandinavians managed to stay under our radar while they built an education empire by selectively hiring the best and brightest as teachers. On top of that, they pay them well and treat them with the same professional respect as doctors and lawyers. They emphasize creative work and shun tests for most of the year according to Zakaria. That’s the second variable in our formula for excellent schools—find better teachers.

This article is so ground-breaking, its impact could spark a revolution. Why stop at education. Imagine the possibilities if this model were applied to other professions. The NFL- if we just find the best coaches and make them practice longer with the team we’ll win the super bowl every year. Investments- if we just find the best and smartest portfolio managers and make them work long hours we’ll get the best returns. Retail- if we just hire the best salespeople and have them put in lots of hours, our profits will skyrocket. Or what about industry- if we just hire the most productive workers and increase their hours, our profits will hit the roof. Maybe our government could even function better if we would just elect the best officials and make them spend more time in session.

I doubt I’ve been too successful in my attempt at humor, but honestly, this article had quite the opposite effect of making me laugh.

Further Reading on the burden
of schooling many children face.



Let’s look first at time. Most American school children spend thirteen years in school, one-hundred eighty days a year, at least six hours a day. Over 14,000 hours in class (not counting homework). This far surpasses the 10,000 hour rule. Personally, my children are involved in athletics that probably account for between 3-5 hours per week averaged over the year. My middle school son just began a weekly commitment to Destination Imagination and I’m sure that as he and my elementary aged daughter get older, their athletic and extra-curricular involvement will increase. They also have church related commitments that equal 3-5 hours a week. My family values each of these commitments as much as education and I don’t expect my children’s “earning potential” to suffer because they don’t spend enough time in school. I would actually think that my children would suffer from requirements that they spend additional time in school beyond what is currently required.

Then what about these “exceptional teachers.” In other contexts, just take sports for example, an exceptional athlete may never reach their potential until placed in the proper situation. Teaching doesn’t take place in a bubble. Current systems for measuring teacher quality focus almost entirely on how well they affect student achievement on standardized tests. Looking to Finland without addressing the fact that children in Finland are taken care of in a near socialist fashion fails to recognize that the highly qualified teachers of the nation are dealing with students who are highly prepared for school by a government system that fully addresses issues of poverty, health care, and safety that are left to the schools to deal with in the United States. In the United States, we’re labeling effective teachers by student test scores. In Finland, they are labeling effective teachers by their training and efforts.

Putting the two together, Zakaria interviewed Bill Gates for the article and news special. Gates and others assert that experience doesn’t have an impact on teacher quality. It would seem that if Gladwell’s 10,000 hour rule was so strict, a teacher would have to practice for ten years before making it to “expert” status.

Mr. Zakaria, I appreciate that you are concerned about the public education system in the United States, but I worry that articles and news broadcasts such as yours do more damage than good. You have limited exposure to the reality of day-to-day education in the United States and your simplistic view of what we can do to fix it reveals the danger of the “arm-chair” administrator to our system.

I teach in a school district with average SAT scores of 556/554/544 (Reading/Math/Verbal). Eighty-Three percent of our graduates pursue higher education. Ninety-three percent of our students graduate on time. The College Board recently recognized us for efforts at increasing access to the AP curriculum while increasing the percentage of students scoring a three or higher on the exams. (81%) Of those, I taught AP to nearly 150 students last year with 90% scoring a three or higher. As an individual teacher and a district, we're doing pretty well.  We also recognize that status quo is not an option and consistently work to improve our effort on behalf of students.

The constant fixation on aggregate numbers paired with stories of great success and great failure at the expense of the commonplace paints an entirely unrealistic picture of what goes on in our nation’s schools every day. It also creates an unnecessary urgency for uniform dramatic change that will kill the success of systems such as mine while attempting to fix the problem of underperforming urban districts. The tagline on the cover of Time—fix our schools or get used to failure—unfairly labels a school such as mine, already demonstrating success and consistently moving toward improvement, as a problem. Instead of recognizing our efforts, we’re scapegoated as the primary obstacle to our nation’s recovery from an economic crisis.

Thanks for the quick fix, we’ll get started on it tomorrow and tell you how it goes. Unless of course you’d like to open real dialogue and acknowledge the diversity of the education systems in the United States and figure out how we target the areas that are failing, develop innovative solutions to consistent problems, and sustain and nurture the systems and teachers who continue to effectively prepare the next generation for a productive life in a global society.

Are We Really Going There?

D.C. Schools Prepare for Nation's First Sex-Education Standardized Testing

Go ahead, click the link.  That title's not a joke.  Our capital's school system plans to use multiple choice standardized testing to gauge student knowledge in 5th, 8th, and 10th grades on a number of health related topics.  Officials created the test to comply with a recent policy enacted by the D.C. City Council.

Officials said that the test, which will also include questions on nutrition, mental health and drug use, is based on a provision of the Healthy Schools Act of 2010, which the D.C. Council passed to address health issues in the 75,000-student system.

But the legislation’s sponsor, council member Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3), said the law requires only that the District produce an annual report describing progress on student health concerns. It does not mandate creation of another standardized test.

As silly as this sounds, every time the citizens of our nation sit back and allow passage of what appears to be reasonable education policy our schools take one more step down the slippery slope of insanity.  Did you hear about the 52 new standardized tests last year in Charlotte-Mecklenburg?  To implement the new Pay for Performance systems students took standardized tests in nearly every subject, including Yearbook!

Now, Virginia is among the bandwagon states that want to link teacher evaluation to student "growth and performance."  Here's the catch.  Can anyone argue that teachers should be rewarded for promoting student growth or assissted when they don't/can't?  Not at all.  Whether you refer to "growth models" or "value added", the idea that teachers should be judged on how much a student learns in a given year can't be refuted.  So no one pushes back against legislation that tries to enable this.

We're beginning to learn this year in Albemarle County about our new Teacher Performance Appraisal system.  We've started changing the system to comply with state requirements that at least forty percent of a teacher's evaluation is based on "student growth."  So far we haven't fallen prey to the testing craze, we don't have to specifically link all of our "growth goals" to standardized testing.  It's going to be hard.  Administrators will have to ensure that teachers set reasonable and rigorous enough goals.  They will have to make sure that standards are applied equally across the division.  Some teachers will have specific data to include (with SOL testing) while others can be more creative (music, art, Psychology, etc.)  In the end, it might look easier to just give the kids a test see how they do.

Standardized testing for Sex ed?  Really?  Wake up America.  Republican or Democrat, education policy isn't working, and until more people stand up and expose the consequences of current education policy we're likely to see more of the same until we finally break this system and start over from scratch.  That idea might sound good to some, but for the millions of students who are being broken down along with the system that is supposed to support them, that is not good enough.

Week One in Review

Three down, one hundred seventy-seven to go.  But who's counting?


Here's what I will remember from the first week of 2011-2012:

1) Mold-  We've had several visits from the folks at building services this week.  After Mr. Lindsay reported mold growing on his desks and I found a little on mine they've been keeping tabs on our climate.  I don't know what it means, but sixty percent humidity and seventy-nine degrees doesn't sound like the ideal for a classroom.  Perhaps we could invite our science classes down for a little hands-on learning.

2) Administrators-  They started Monday morning by cutting our "nuts-and-bolts" sessions from forty-five minutes to one-half hour each.  Thanks, it made for a nice start to the week and a little extra time in the class.  I guess I don't need to forward "What Teachers Want From Administrators" to any of our principals.

3) Earthquake- I'm glad we didn't have students yet.  The earthquake was a reminder of how fragile our world can be.  Our principals had to admit to students and staff today that we really don't know exactly what to do with an earthquake.  There isn't a policy, procedure or drill.  Sometimes life just doesn't work with a manual and hopefully the halls of education are a place where we can learn how to function in an ever changing world.

4) Wednesday- Some people find it silly to start school in the middle of the week.  After feeling the exhaustion of the first day of school, the three-day week to start sounds like the best idea ever to me.  I forget every summer how tiring teaching can be, and a short week to ease back in is just perfect.

5) Students- That's why we do this.  The fresh new faces that greet us each fall.  Full of potential and eager to know what your class is going to be like.  Whatever problems and stresses the profession of teaching brings, from bell to bell is what we live for.  We ended week one at the football game tonight.  We've spent three days with these kids, they've learned what to expect from us.  Tonight we were able to say hello, and watch them interact in a setting more natural than a (moldy) classroom.  On Monday, we'll ask them about their weekends.  They'll tell us about their lives.  And together we'll experience all the ups-and-downs that the next one hundred and seventy-seven days will bring our way.

But who's counting, we'll look back on it in June and wonder how the year flew by quickly.

Playing The Education Game

Last year I had 132 students. I was shocked when I had to fail 128 of them after they took their final examination. Only four of my students were good enough according to the standards that I set for my class, so I had not other choice than to fail all of the rest. I hope they learn a lesson and do better this year.

Some of them are very bright, they just didn't master all of the material of the course. Some of them struggle at home and I know they don't have the best support. Most of them would surprise you. You'd never guess they were failures by talking to them. They are articulate and hardworking. I bet they could even succeed in college. Too bad they can't meet the standards of my class.

Does this frustrate you? I find it frustrating. If this scenario were true, there are only two possible interpretations. 1) I am a terrible teacher and need to be removed from the classroom; or 2) The standards and assessments are unreasonable and need to be adjusted. It is that simple. I am either expecting too much or I'm not adequately preparing my students to meet appropriate standards.

The state of Virginia recently released Annual Yearly Progress data for each of its 132 divisions. Only four divisions met AYP. Across the state last week, cities and counties watched their local news to hear about more failure from our public school systems. Politicians and educrats continue to make a mockery of the institution of public education. The only rational reaction to a figure like this (128/132) is to abolish the horrible failure that is public education or get real and admit that our metrics for measuring student, teacher, and school effectiveness are inadequate.

Responding to the media, Albemarle County Public Schools spokesperson Maury Brown said, "we don't think that the worth of a single child or teacher or school system should be measured by a standardized test." Assistant Superintendent Billy Haun said, "we know as a division where we are. I can’t help how the state has chosen to look at success.” As a division, the county achieved 91% pass rates in Reading and Math. Yet for 2010-2011, Albemarle County has failed.

We can't have it both ways, the numbers are meaningless or they're not. As long as administrators hold pass rates up to their teachers and make judgments on teacher effectiveness at the school level it's hard to defend that our divisions shouldn't face consequences from the state and federal government when pass rates don't meet expectations. Individual educators and divisions alike could benefit greatly if testing data could inform decision-making, but data has become the point of education.

Looking back in frustration and ahead with hope, the second part of the quote from Billy Haun might be the most important part of the story.  Can we help how the state (and even the federal government) has chosen to look at success?  I don't know the answer to that question, but I believe that we need to try.  Otherwise we're just spinning our tops and playing games with the students who depend on us.  If these metrics are accurate it's time to stop playing safe and abolish this public education and start all over again.  If they're not, then let's stop pretending and start acknowledging the quality work produced by principals, teachers, and students every day.

We may not believe that that the worth of a single child or teacher or school system should be measured by a standardized test, but how do we uphold that belief with action?

*quotes taken from the Charlottesville Daily Progress, 8/11/2011

Teaching Underground goes Underground, literally.

I did something I don't do enough of the other day and decided to take a day trip with my 4 year old daughter. While pondering several destinations, ones I'd like, ones she'd like, my daughter remarked she wanted to go somewhere cool. I am not certain what she meant but since it was hot as a Nick Lachay boy band outside I thought she might be referring to the temperature. Several days passed and while reading "We're Going on Bear Hunt" to her for the 1300th time it came to me. I'd take her to a cave.

The chosen spot was near where I often fish in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley. It is called Grand Caverns(Weyers Cave to some) and it is tucked away in Grottoes about 45 minutes drive from our house. Grottoes, (Italian for cave) is a splendid little place and the town now owns and operates what is America's oldest show cave. Grand Caverns was discovered in 1804 by a man named Bernard Weyer while he was looking for one of his animal traps, presumably taken into the opening by an animal. What he found is truly amazing and inspired a sense of wonder and awe in both my daughter and myself. We arrived at about 11 AM and there were only 2 cars in the lot. The warm nature of the cashier at the store where you buy the tickets was a good start and once we bought our tickets he said the next tour started in 20 minutes. We passed the time with the penny crushing machine in the gift shop and then climbed "Cave hill" to the entrance. That irony wasn't lost on my 4 year old who complained about the trek and having to carry a sweatshirt along for seemingly no reason.

It was there where we met our guide, a local who was well versed in the history and geology of the area. She headed the line of 7 visitors on our careful descent into the cool darkness below. The age in our group ranged from my 4 year old to an older couple from Phoenix. Talk about differentiation! At the front was this individual who quickly showed she was a master of her craft. She managed to hold our attention with a mix of talents. The volume and range of what she shared with us was impressive and wide ranging. I guess I have a peculiar kinship given I also teach underground. I can only hope to do half as good a job.

When I venture to a "destination" I often prefer to do my own thing and focus only on what interests me. That mentality seems analogous to what many students feel when they think about school. Thinking back I can learn much from this person who literally works underground in the dark. She did talk most of the time but paused to ask questions and seek input, giving us sufficient time to just absorb all we were seeing. Just before the tour she skillfully took a few moments to learn a little about each of us and then catered to our interests and connect us to what we were learning. She engaged personally with us all and managed to make each of us feel important. She threw in some inquiry based learning and started with some rooms simply by asking questions. I got 2 correct. My daughter got 3.

All told we were in the 54 degree cavern for more than an hour and 15 minutes and walked more than a mile and a half. But man, we took in a lot of information. Topics ranged from stories of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson and underground parties, to descriptions of the eons of growth and geologic oddities. We got much more than the cookie cutter version that most big groups likely get when pressed for time. We even saw "George's ghost" seen here at the center of "cathedral hall".

The Civil War is woven into the fabric of the Valley's history and that is no different below ground. Within sight of Cave Hill were 2 engagements where more than 3,000 soldiers died. But in the Cave things were somewhat different. Evidence suggests Union and Confederate soldiers visited at the same time, sort of leaving the war on the outside. I wish that could be the same today and especially that we could set aside our differences for the greater good of those in our schools. I guess in some ways we have always done this in schools but it is seems too infrequent in an increasingly vitriolic debate on the future of education. During the war more than 200 Civil War soldiers visited the cave and left signatures. This graffiti would be frowned upon and illegal today but it opened a snapshot into one story in particular. The tale of Captain William Miles(seen here as W W Miles) from Pennsylvania who was later killed in an engagement with the famed Gray Ghost John Mosby.

So the literal "journey" we took below ground might have some metaphorical comparisons to what happens in a school. It takes time to grow rocks and a single touch can stop this process permanently. Similarly the maturation and education of a child can be equally fragile. Any missteps along they way leave marks hard to overcome. Exterior factors such as poverty, teacher turnover, national policy and shifting curriculum impact children just as the subterranean world is subject to shifts beyond their walls. Taken individually these formations might seem unimpressive, like hearing only one note in a song. But in concert they contribute to something wondrous. I think reflecting on people who enter our schools as students and teachers only as individuals leads to the same conclusion. I would be remiss if I didn't mention Plato's Allegory of the cave from the Republic which I have found to be one of the most rewarding lessons I use with my kids. Symbolic indeed.

One could find many more parallels between this cave and education. You could have given me a map, tour book, and weeks to prepare outside the cave but that would be no substitute for the knowledge and experience of a seasoned guide. Maybe teachers are the same. A digital snapshot from inside the cave does little to convey what it is really like to someone who hasn't experienced it themselves. Still decisions are made far from the classroom and often because there is political momentum to do something, even if it is the wrong thing. I had been in caves but it had been some two decades and perhaps this is similar to those that have left the classroom. They think they remember what it's like but they do not. As a general rule caves are thought of by most people as uninviting inhospitable places but those are misplaced perceptions. I think how the public understands schools can be characterized the same way.

Many folks know the basics about caves. The stalactite, stalagmite... but we went much deeper(pun intended) learning of the amazing abundance of shields there, the cave coral, and ancient tectonic processes that folded the Earth's crust turning horizontal rock into vertical. Anything worthwhile takes time. If we are to strengthen and improve our schools our progress should be measured and cautious. Going in too fast might take us somewhere we might not want to be, with no way to reverse course. An unwise cave explorer might then bear some resemblance to those calling for drastic reform and quick fixes. Trying to describe what we saw in the cave is likely much like explaining the impact of reform to those that do not work directly with kids.

People have toured the cave for 205 years and much has changed with the experience, as is the case in our education system in this country. They graduated from using candles and torches to flashlights and electric bulbs. But what they felt and what we felt were probably the same at their heart. Teaching at the same school I attended gives me a desire to maintain some things about our school that shouldn't be altered but also move it forward in necessary ways. Seeing some shifts makes me uneasy as if someone in our group were touching a prized attraction. My daughter's favorite moment was when the guide took us back into a large side chamber and switched off all the lights. Transporting us to the days of old when explorers ventured by candlelight. This afforded us a look at something you can't see with electric illumination. The crystalline walls of the cave sparkled like diamonds as the candle flickered and for the next few moments we just stood in silence and wonder taking it in.

Our tour ended when we ascended up back into the humidity and heat. We signed the guestbook and thanked our guide for our amazing journey. My daughter gave her leg a hug and said thank you and quickly scurried towards the door dragging my hand behind. But she quipped, "Dad it was really cool in there". I hope that sense of wonder will show up again on some other adventure we take. It'll be a tough act to follow. Maybe I shouldn't worry so much about outdoing this day and just tuck it away in my memory.

Is it really this complicated?

The embedded video above comes from NBC 29. It first appeared on June 7,2011. The video relates to the move from a seven to eight period academic schedule for students in Albemarle County High Schools.

Woody Guthrie once said, "Any fool can make something complicated. It takes a genius to make it simple."

To say our division (at least the students, parents, and teachers) has struggled with the implementation of recent schedules would be an understatement. Misunderstandings abound, evidenced by the rampant misuse of the terms 4x4, block scheduling, and the like. Perhaps input from others might bring some clarity and potentially momentum for improvement...even if it might not matter next year. TU would love to hear thoughts and concerns about scheduling from those affected. (Try to be constructive, leave the complaining to us)

Mr. High School Goes to Elementary

This year I teach a Leadership class made up of mostly freshmen.  For most of the second semester I've traveled with my class to a local elementary school to provide assistance in the classrooms.  My own children have been in elementary school for five years, but this experience has provided a different perspective for me on elementary education.  I've seen many things go on at this elementary school that I would love to see transfer to the high school level.  I'm sure not every school is the same, but these are the things that I've loved watching at Hollymead Elementary school in Albemarle County.

1) The building is filled with adults who all seem to have a role to fill hands on with students.  If I sit in the lobby for more than ten minutes I will see three to five people walking down the hall with anywhere from one to six children.  When I walk down the k-3 hallways, every classroom has at least one other adult than the teacher.  I haven't figured out how many are volunteers and how many are staff, but the impact on the climate of the school is quite notable.

2) The building is filled with color.  Most newer high schools I've visited are colorful places as well.  My high school has several additions that feature natural lighting and lighter colors, but the older wings are still quite dark and cavernous.  It is easy to underestimate the impact that environment has on attitude and behavior and I would like to see even older facilities kept up to better reflect this.

3) The building is filled with sound but not noise.  I rarely passed a classroom without some sort of interaction going on.  Students have so much opportunity to interact.  This can quickly turn into non-productive chatter, but having so many available adults helps keep the activity directed.  For the most part, teachers seem to work with this sound without letting it reach the level of distraction.

4) The building is filled with students working actively.  Whether moving about in the hallway, or quietly producing something at their tables (not desks, I noticed very few desks at the school) students were continually engaged in learning.  My first day at the school I witnessed one class working on paintings of leprechauns and rainbows. (It was close to St. Patrick's Day).  It was a nice activity, but when the teacher reinforced the pattern of colors in the rainbow using ROY G BIV, I knew this was more than just a fun holiday exercise.

If I have the opportunity next year I plan to continue this involvement with elementary school, hopefully playing a more active role myself in the classrooms with my students.  It has been an excellent professional development opportunity for me.  Perhaps greater interaction among teachers actively engaged in the work of instructing students could serve all educators better if the time and opportunities existed.

Creativity and World Peace in Fourth Grade

I teach in the same school district as John Hunter, but I won't pretend to name drop, I have never met him so I can't pretend that we are any sort of colleague aside from shared geography and profession.  A documentary film (created by Charlottesville local, Chris Farina) features Mr. Hunter and a unique learning experience he created.  The film is titled World Peace and Other Fourth Grade Achievements.  I have not had a chance yet to view the film, but Mr. Hunter recently addressed the TED Conference in California and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.  I've embedded the video of his talk below, it is around twenty minutes long, but definitely worth the time.

This film and the creative work of John Hunter continues to draw praise from an increasingly wider audience.  Both the specific content and method of the game and the educational philosophy communicated by Mr. Hunter in his various appearances resonate with a variety of audiences; the public seems to really get him, and understand the value of his approach to education.  I would almost venture to say that most people (myself included) would identify him as an asset to public education and a quality teacher.  One only has to read the myriad comments that abound on the internet to conclude that he has made an impression.

Yet this impression comes without any reference to student performance or outcomes.  Our nation seems willing to judge positively this individual teacher based on the creation and implementation of a single (yet substantial) learning experience, statements about his educational philosophy, and observation of his classroom performance.  How is this not good enough for the rest of us?  In an era where teacher effectiveness is measured by student performance and proposals for teacher merit-pay are based on student achievement, we are willing to label Mr. Hunter an excellent teacher without any such evidence.

I believe I know the answer.  In this case, we meet an individual who interacts daily and pours his life into young minds.  We are not considering a massive pool of public employees expected to do a job.  We get a chance to hear the voice behind the instructional decisions and the intentions and motives that drive them.  We are not listening to a filtered mouth-piece trying to synthesize the diverse minds that collectively educate our young.  And finally, we're introduced to students and care about what type of people they grow into instead of worrying about what kind of data-points they're creating for evaluating teachers or schools.

Ultimately, the public is able to see the wonder of human interaction that can take place when adults who care about the future of our children meaningfully engage with them in individual classrooms across the nation.  Peeking through this window of the open classroom and witnessing real education transpire melts away the false illusion that somehow the quality of this experience can be captured and measured through simplistic mass-produced and mass-scored assessement.  World Peace and Other Fourth Grade Achievements has opened that window.  I hope that the American public will take the opportunity to peek inside and recognize this illusion.

Hear what John Hunter has to say and let us know if you agree. (or don't)