It started innocently enough. "Mr. Turner, want to host our club?"
They asked politely. So far they'd proven to be good kids. I gave them a chance. "What kind of club is it?"
"The Lumberjack Club!" Both of them proclaimed in unison.
"And what exactly will the Lumberjack Club do?" I asked.
"Wear flannel, eat pancakes, and learn about lumberjacks," he said, then paused before adding, "but mostly eat pancakes. It's really about the pancakes."
How could you say no to that? So I agreed.
They kept me informed of the progress. "We've got people to bring in griddles, we'll get plates, forks, pancake mix, and syrup." They made a Facebook event and told me it was going to be a crowd. The created an excellent video promo for the club.
Today was the day. Griddles and pancake mix and supplies were dropped of in waves over the course of the morning. A-block, done, B-block, done. The lunch bell rings and it's time for The LumberJack Club!
Five or six of the founders arrived and rearranged the furniture and set up a work space.
"I think we better just use two of the griddles," I said, "we have issues down here in the basement with breakers some time." So we plugged in two of the larger griddles and started mixing pancakes while they heated up.
Pop! (not a crazy loud dramatic pop mind you, just a little)
"Yep, that was the breaker. Give me a minute to get a master key and I'll reset it. But we better scale back to one griddle."
A trip upstairs for the key and a visit to the utility closet later and we were cookin'. Six cakes on the grill, two pitchers of batter, and a line of hungry, lumberjack-dressed teenagers waiting in a line.
Then I got the word from the teacher next door. "Did you have anything to do with the wireless being down? Because my entire lesson plan next period depends on it."
"Ooooooh. Maybe. I'll check."
Realizing I was over my head, I turned to my fellow Underground Teacher for help. Before we could search for a solution, I heard unwelcomed words. "There it goes again."
Twelve pancakes in and we'd blown breaker number two.
I reset the switch and headed off with Mr. Lindsay to the menacing "internet closet."
If networked buildings had real bowels, they'd look like this. Wires and boxes and blinking lights everywhere. We were lost. The only thing we knew for sure was that the blinking red light on the router meant nothing good.
I began to panic and just went back to try and hide in the middle of the fifty or so flannel-clad teens aimlessly waiting for pancakes in my classroom. Pancakes thirteen through eighteen had just been poured on the grill when I heard the custodian at the door.
"What is going on in here?" He looked genuinely surprised. I wished that I could offer him a pancake.
Innocently, I replied, "We're cooking pancakes?"
He seemed confused. What could be confusing about fifty kids in flannel, huddled around an electric griddle waiting on some pancakes?
"We've got fire alarms going off upstairs. You're setting off the heat sensors. We've been running around trying to figure out what's going on."
"Oh. Yeah, it's us. Just trying to make some pancakes."
"Are y'all done yet?" He was very polite, considering the circumstance.
"Do you need us to be?" I offered.
"Yeah, I think so. Let me use your phone to call upstairs to let them know what's happened."
Trifecta! We killed power, we killed internet, and yes, you guessed it, the phone was dead.
What's the moral of this story? The twenty-first century isn't ready for twenty-first century learning.
I created an open space for learning and allowed the students to engage in an activity of choice. I respected their comfort (what's more comfortable than flannel) and turned my room into a maker space (making pancakes is every bit as vital to society as making bridges) for them to collaboratively create. Their work had an authentic and immediate audience. And what was the result?
Absolute chaos! And mild disappointment. But no worries. The teenage lumberjacks, undaunted by setback, spent the remainder of lunch figuring out how to engineer LumberJack Club 2.0.
Good luck Lumberjacks! (and Lumberjackies)
Showing posts with label Schools. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Schools. Show all posts
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Everybody Loves Teachers
I am a teacher. Everybody loves me.
I became a teacher so I wouldn't have to work that hard and would get "summers off". I always wanted to become a teacher so I could promote my own personal agenda and indoctrinate the students who are trapped in my classroom. I vote democratic and only support candidates that raise taxes. Once I got a job teaching I joined the union so that I could get raises without doing more work. After three years I was able to get tenure. I now know that I can do whatever I want and don't have to worry about losing my job. I can ride the desk for 27 years and get my fat pension or as I like to call it my golden parachute. This is key because I was in the lower third of my graduating class in college and am pretty lazy. Now the job is just showing up each day and I really don't care too much about my students. I just promote them to the next grade and don't place too much value in what they did and did not accomplish and learn in my class. I tried other jobs. But you know what they say. Those that can, do. Those who can't, teach. I just don't want to be held accountable. All I have to do is assign the kids a bunch of homework and if they don't learn it is their fault.
The paragraph above shows the mindset of those who hold the worst case impression of what I am. I cannot say that at various moments in my career I have not been guilty of some of these thoughts but I can say safely they are not me. It seems that in our technology heavy, impatient throw away world, the status of the teacher has diminished to such a degree that many say they are no longer even necessary. Maybe so. But if this is true than we must also dispense with many other roles in our society and the effect would not be good.
Teachers do not perform life saving surgery, arrest bank robbers or feed the hungry (usually). We are not engineers, bankers or mechanics. Our contributions are much less tangible and far less immediate. But before we toss those in the profession under the bus never to return, we might be wise to pause and consider their world and in particular the world in their absence. Like so many others Bankers, Engineers and even gardeners, they do jobs others cannot. They work with people. Not money, not machines, they don't sell stuff or fix what's broken-- public school teachers facilitate the development of young people. Remember that public schools take in all children. They deal daily with the problems that the rest of society isn't always willing to address.
Students arrive at the doorstep sometimes well prepared, sometimes not. Sometimes well-fed, but sometimes hungry. Some of them are angry and impacted by factors we have little control over. Regardless, none of this is an excuse. When they do arrive they are met by teachers. Some good, some not so good. Frankly, all of us could use a little help with the problems kids deal with that aren't related to school, because in the end, their ability to succeed will impact the future for all of us.
I viewed the Presidential Debate as background noise to my grading and threw in some of my Mystery Science Theater 3000 style commentary at various points. My wife would prefer I didn't do this but I can be quite witty("We have boats that go underwater? AWESOME!"). My quick Google search yielded that the word teacher was used 28 times. As the two candidates wrapped up Moderator Bob Schieffer led them to closing statements with "I think we all love teachers."
If everybody loves me then why don't they trust me as a professional? Why don't they listen or even ask about my opinions on education reform? Why don't they listen when I say I am overworked and feel unsupported? Why don't they listen when I say that standardized tests have had a detrimental effect on the way a generation of kids learn? Why don't they listen when I suggest changes to how we do business? Why don't they understand their rhetoric on education is hurtful and demoralizing? Why don't they acknowledge, they and most other decision makers in fact know very little about teaching, the day to day experiences of educators and what might be working and what might not? Why don't they recognize the meaning of the word "public' school? Why don't they see what they and others are doing is not helping but hurting? Why do so many people(Chuck Norris, President Obama, Governor Romney, Interest Groups) make statements with the disclaimer "I Love Teachers?"
If you love me, you sure have a funny way of showing it.
I became a teacher so I wouldn't have to work that hard and would get "summers off". I always wanted to become a teacher so I could promote my own personal agenda and indoctrinate the students who are trapped in my classroom. I vote democratic and only support candidates that raise taxes. Once I got a job teaching I joined the union so that I could get raises without doing more work. After three years I was able to get tenure. I now know that I can do whatever I want and don't have to worry about losing my job. I can ride the desk for 27 years and get my fat pension or as I like to call it my golden parachute. This is key because I was in the lower third of my graduating class in college and am pretty lazy. Now the job is just showing up each day and I really don't care too much about my students. I just promote them to the next grade and don't place too much value in what they did and did not accomplish and learn in my class. I tried other jobs. But you know what they say. Those that can, do. Those who can't, teach. I just don't want to be held accountable. All I have to do is assign the kids a bunch of homework and if they don't learn it is their fault.
The paragraph above shows the mindset of those who hold the worst case impression of what I am. I cannot say that at various moments in my career I have not been guilty of some of these thoughts but I can say safely they are not me. It seems that in our technology heavy, impatient throw away world, the status of the teacher has diminished to such a degree that many say they are no longer even necessary. Maybe so. But if this is true than we must also dispense with many other roles in our society and the effect would not be good.
Teachers do not perform life saving surgery, arrest bank robbers or feed the hungry (usually). We are not engineers, bankers or mechanics. Our contributions are much less tangible and far less immediate. But before we toss those in the profession under the bus never to return, we might be wise to pause and consider their world and in particular the world in their absence. Like so many others Bankers, Engineers and even gardeners, they do jobs others cannot. They work with people. Not money, not machines, they don't sell stuff or fix what's broken-- public school teachers facilitate the development of young people. Remember that public schools take in all children. They deal daily with the problems that the rest of society isn't always willing to address.
Students arrive at the doorstep sometimes well prepared, sometimes not. Sometimes well-fed, but sometimes hungry. Some of them are angry and impacted by factors we have little control over. Regardless, none of this is an excuse. When they do arrive they are met by teachers. Some good, some not so good. Frankly, all of us could use a little help with the problems kids deal with that aren't related to school, because in the end, their ability to succeed will impact the future for all of us.
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| "I love Teachers" "No Governor, I love teachers" |
If everybody loves me then why don't they trust me as a professional? Why don't they listen or even ask about my opinions on education reform? Why don't they listen when I say I am overworked and feel unsupported? Why don't they listen when I say that standardized tests have had a detrimental effect on the way a generation of kids learn? Why don't they listen when I suggest changes to how we do business? Why don't they understand their rhetoric on education is hurtful and demoralizing? Why don't they acknowledge, they and most other decision makers in fact know very little about teaching, the day to day experiences of educators and what might be working and what might not? Why don't they recognize the meaning of the word "public' school? Why don't they see what they and others are doing is not helping but hurting? Why do so many people(Chuck Norris, President Obama, Governor Romney, Interest Groups) make statements with the disclaimer "I Love Teachers?"
If you love me, you sure have a funny way of showing it.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Oh...It's On.
August 22nd marks the start of the 2012-2013 school year for Albemarle County Schools and after seven excruciating days...It's On.
Can you sense our excitement? Because we really are excited to finally have the chance to do what we do. Like the great Ric Flair, we can hardly contain our excitement. (How did it take this long for our first Ric Flair reference to appear?)
So for all those beginning the year all over the county, state and country...students, teachers and others...good luck.
Let us all hope we get off to a better start than this guy.
Can you sense our excitement? Because we really are excited to finally have the chance to do what we do. Like the great Ric Flair, we can hardly contain our excitement. (How did it take this long for our first Ric Flair reference to appear?)
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| Wooooooooooooo! He'd probably have been a great teacher. |
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| Like this kid, the TU ain't messing around this year...we're ready. |
Let us all hope we get off to a better start than this guy.
Monday, July 23, 2012
What Does a Good Education Look Like?
When describing a good education people use many differing phrases. Many of these fail to frame the subject with any degree of specificity. Instead the terms used glow with ambiguity and define things in a more general sense. That's not necessarily a bad thing and allows for flexibility. Effort by many to quantify and replicate what they see as a good a "good" education has produced the opposite result. This may in part be a symptom of only working towards a defined outcome. It is OK that that phrase has a different meaning to different people and it is more about a process. With so many buzzwords in the lexicon of education today a quick dialogue on the subject is worthwhile. It can't hurt to enumerate some things that characterize what our schools should be about. So let's do so from the point of view of a parent asking for things from a school for their child.
School: "Hi there! Welcome to our school. What can we do for you?"
Parent: "Well I have a 9th grade child starting school here tomorrow and would like to make a few requests for things I want for my child."
School: " Go right ahead."
Parent: "First off, my child is very special and I'd like them treated as such. Just like when I sent them off to Kindergarten I want them to feel safe, loved and gain a sense of independence. I want them treated as a unique individual with has access to caring and trusted professionals who have a say in the school. I 'd like my child provided with a rich varied learning diet that imparts key knowledge and skills needed by any well informed individual. Preferably emphasizing the normal core subjects. They'll need math and science, english and of course, history. Throw in some other languages for good measure. I'd like them to develop an active and healthy lifestyle so they'll need some physical education classes and also health. I'd like to stress that they learn to read and write well. The approach in all of these classes should be innovative but not too far removed from solid trusted foundations. They should learn to think critically about subjects and get to explore things that interest them. I want them to view their education as an investment in their future, whatever that may be.
Learning about all of this should help them gain a sense of their own identity. I want them to develop curiosity and creativity. Exposure in the arts and music certainly would help with this. These pursuits should allow my child to grow in non academic ways and have an appreciation of art and music, even if they themselves do not have an talent for them. I'd like my child to have access to the types of technology that aid us all in the modern world. I want them to see technology as a powerful tool and not a shortcut. The school should be well funded so it is not wanting for what it needs. My child should be given the opportunity for a rich discourse on subjects and learn more than just about it and instead experience it.
Beyond academics, my child needs to learn to work with others as part of a group. Whether that is through cooperative projects, on a sports team, club, or in some other fashion I want them to establish positive relationships. They'll need the skills to become a good communicator. I want them to learn about leadership and respect. I'd like my child to be nurtured and supported when they need it and I also want them challenged and learn the value of hard work. I know it won't all be smooth sailing so they'll need to be able to handle conflict and work through it. They'll need to learn to persevere through adversity and disappointment and learn how to respond to and learn from to failure. I'd like the school and teachers to be open in communicating things with me so I may aid in all of this.
I want my child to have an equal chance to pursue excellence. They should learn about honesty and integrity. I want them to be proud of their work. I want them to learn about responsibility, dependability and If they don't thrive as much as others I still want them to be safe, happy and know that people care about them. I want them to learn to be the best they can be. Beyond themselves, I'd like them to learn to recognize their role in the school, local community and develop personal responsibility to themselves and all those those around them. In the end they will want to contribute positively to their community through what they learn.
These are all things I want. I know it is a great deal to ask. I just want my child to have a chance at a good education"
Fact is there are many ways to answer that question. Love to hear input from others beyond this hastily compiled version. Please feel free to share in the comments.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Digital Footprints Prove Costly
Few of us give much thought to life before digital communication permeated every facet of our lives. Social networking is now so woven into our society it is difficult to remember life without it. But the existence of Al Gore's internet and Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook have changed things in ways we could not even imagine just years ago. Online has become the place we buy things, connect with our friends, research illness and read the news. Education is no different from the rest of the world and having an online presence is now an effective way to engage and reach out to your students.
I attended a seminar put on by our division at the start of this school year for athletic coaches, many of whom are not teachers. I think the goal was to have those less familiar with the dynamics in education reflect on the appropriate use and also the pitfalls of social networking and E-mail when working with kids. As both adults and youth increase their virtual presence we all struggle a bit to keep up with the impact on our professional and personal lives. The attorney presented myriad examples of staff who were dismissed for all sorts of things. Some were pretty dumb and were clearly warranted while others crossed into a much more nebulous area. One thing I took from the session was that in today's interconnected world, there is no separation between your personal and professional lives.
Which brings me to the curious case of Ashley Payne. She was the 24 year old Georgia teacher who 2 years ago was pressured to resign after an "anonymous" parent complaint about a photo she posted on Facebook. The photo in question was from her European vacation showed her drinking alcohol and was far from offensive or what most level headed people would consider questionable. She also had commented on her profile page using some objectionable language referencing a trivia contest. None of which was open to the public even though claims were made Payne had "friended" her students. Nor was Payne "friends" with any of her students. Nevertheless she was abruptly forced to choose between being suspended or resigning.
As usual there's more to the story. A local reporter determined the "parent" E-mail complaint was likely sent by an anonymous individual and received less than 2 hours before Payne was confronted by her principal. The sender was never identified and the most plausible explanation is that an adult sent the E-mail to get rid of Payne for reasons unknown.
What this curious case reveals is that privacy as we once knew it no longer exists. We have virtual footprints that remain in place despite our efforts to the contrary. Harmless things now can return and cause trouble for us down the road. No matter the specifics it brings into question issues my colleague covered to some degree in his earlier post "Free Speech and Ultimate Education Taboo". Any good teacher recognizes they are role models to some degree and behave accordingly when in public. This world where lines get blurred between public and private makes all of this more complicated.
Educators know all to well how kids can lose perspective and common sense when they plug into the virtual world. It brings to mind how we need to educate our children about what is OK and what is not OK when online and how important it is to use good judgment. Cases like this make such tutelage difficult as it seems to me Payne wasn't doing anything that would even raise an eyebrow in many instances. I had the opportunity to cover some of these issues with a group of students some time back and my message was simple..."don't be an idiot." That was actually the title of my talk. I stressed the need to stay safe, keep personal information private and finally remember when you put something online...it is no longer yours anymore and is likely public forever.
I find the lack of fairness and degree of haste used by the school division in dismissing Payne troubling. Maybe she was a bad teacher and a crummy employee. If so she could be let go for that. But in this case it appears she lost her job because she drank a beer on vacation and used objectionable language. Not in the presence of her students, not at work...but online. Could this same standard apply to a restaurant? Doubtful.
The legal case involving Payne has yet to be resolved 2 years later and as far as I could tell she is not currently teaching. A state standards board investigated the matter and said there was no cause for any sanctions against Payne. So we are left with the reality that what is acceptable is "muddy" at best and most districts likely are playing catch up when developing policies. They likely include broadly worded guidelines under legal advise. So we have to always watch even more what we do and say as no doubt others are. The new Barrow County superintendent perhaps said it best:
“I always encourage our educators to recognize that the network is a public forum and that we need to always set our professional image and standard for how we are depicting ourselves for our students and community.” So in a sense the internet is the same as your classroom.
I think most teachers realize you are not just a teacher between 8 and 4. You are a teacher 24 hours a day. That's generally a good thing. The practicalities of being a teacher usually means you will have some sort of online presence. In doing so we must not forget to use good judgment. Even if those people who expect us to do so do not follow suit.
I attended a seminar put on by our division at the start of this school year for athletic coaches, many of whom are not teachers. I think the goal was to have those less familiar with the dynamics in education reflect on the appropriate use and also the pitfalls of social networking and E-mail when working with kids. As both adults and youth increase their virtual presence we all struggle a bit to keep up with the impact on our professional and personal lives. The attorney presented myriad examples of staff who were dismissed for all sorts of things. Some were pretty dumb and were clearly warranted while others crossed into a much more nebulous area. One thing I took from the session was that in today's interconnected world, there is no separation between your personal and professional lives.
As usual there's more to the story. A local reporter determined the "parent" E-mail complaint was likely sent by an anonymous individual and received less than 2 hours before Payne was confronted by her principal. The sender was never identified and the most plausible explanation is that an adult sent the E-mail to get rid of Payne for reasons unknown.
Educators know all to well how kids can lose perspective and common sense when they plug into the virtual world. It brings to mind how we need to educate our children about what is OK and what is not OK when online and how important it is to use good judgment. Cases like this make such tutelage difficult as it seems to me Payne wasn't doing anything that would even raise an eyebrow in many instances. I had the opportunity to cover some of these issues with a group of students some time back and my message was simple..."don't be an idiot." That was actually the title of my talk. I stressed the need to stay safe, keep personal information private and finally remember when you put something online...it is no longer yours anymore and is likely public forever.
I find the lack of fairness and degree of haste used by the school division in dismissing Payne troubling. Maybe she was a bad teacher and a crummy employee. If so she could be let go for that. But in this case it appears she lost her job because she drank a beer on vacation and used objectionable language. Not in the presence of her students, not at work...but online. Could this same standard apply to a restaurant? Doubtful.
The legal case involving Payne has yet to be resolved 2 years later and as far as I could tell she is not currently teaching. A state standards board investigated the matter and said there was no cause for any sanctions against Payne. So we are left with the reality that what is acceptable is "muddy" at best and most districts likely are playing catch up when developing policies. They likely include broadly worded guidelines under legal advise. So we have to always watch even more what we do and say as no doubt others are. The new Barrow County superintendent perhaps said it best:
“I always encourage our educators to recognize that the network is a public forum and that we need to always set our professional image and standard for how we are depicting ourselves for our students and community.” So in a sense the internet is the same as your classroom.
I think most teachers realize you are not just a teacher between 8 and 4. You are a teacher 24 hours a day. That's generally a good thing. The practicalities of being a teacher usually means you will have some sort of online presence. In doing so we must not forget to use good judgment. Even if those people who expect us to do so do not follow suit.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Reform: For Our Kids...right?
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| Can anyone oppose what's "good for kids?" |
Reform Is Not a Dirty Word: The real meaning of school reform by Kayla McGannon. This commentary posted by the Interim Executive Director of Stand for Children Colorado, dealt with the the recent election of the Denver school board and its larger implications. A year ago I'd have commended this organization for their efforts to make things better but now I am more reserved about whether what they are advocating actually makes things better. I am also more than a little confused about the title of the article and what this organization really does or who they are.
As a product of the pre-reform failing public schools, I dug deeper. Constantly frustrated by special interest veils and networks of vagueness it can be tough to tell what people or groups support. A brief peek at their Board of Directors and I started to get a more complete picture. I digress as this post is not about that group, corporate involvement in education or seemingly anything at this point. Back to the article.
The title seems to lead one to conclude that there are only 2 groups of people out there. "Those who support positive change or "reform" in our schools, and those who oppose such measures in favor of the status quo. The staus quo is unacceptable by the way. This group endorsed 3 candidates and I question what that term reformer actually means.
Later we are introduced to the idea that there is a third group emerging. The "posers" who claim to be reformers and use phrases like "real reform". Huh? In the end 2 of the 3 candidates the group supported won election. The campaign message seemed to be "for our kids" or "what's best for kids." Lacking an enumerated list of what reforms this might involve it is hard to disagree. Any effort proposed to "fix" the problems linked to the idea of what's best for kids gains traction quickly. Maybe too quickly.
The article later sought to bring us all together "After all, if we are all reformers, we are all accountable for the quality of our public schools." A laudable goal but one that is rarely achieved in the divisive environment of reform. I was more than a bit disappointed in that I only found common buzz words in the campaign messages. Likely the outgrowth of a focus group meeting to identify phrases that garner support. I am coming to feel this approach is reshaping our educational landscape in a way that is not beneficial. That is not rhetoric without forethought. You can read the article for yourself but I am increasingly wary of who and what is really driving change.
So where is momentum driving reform originating? From the people close to the schools affected by them every day who don't use these buzz words. It would be tough to support the idea these people in schools are not for kids. Or is the push from someone else working for foundations that have an agenda? Normally it is the diversity of opinion on these complex issues that eventually bear real fruit. It is difficult to hear much diverse opinion from many powerful reformers. In fact it is alarmingly uniform. Any concern expressed about change overshadowed by well crafted "for the kids" language.
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| Before you bite an Apple, know where it comes from |
After searching for more information on the Stand group I came across their publications page. Even a cursory review led me to some conclusions that seem common when finding things about education online. There is an agenda out there and a great deal of effort to bring more and more people on board with that agenda. Nothing wrong with that I suppose. But there is if you disagree with that agenda and don't feel it is actually best for all kids, schools, parents, teachers, our economy, education or America as a whole. Further if that agenda includes an effort to suppress dissent. The online comments following the article were polemical but also very also interesting. Here are a few samples:
Isn't Stand for Children a front for corporate "education reform" which is in the process of destroying America's public education system?........ Colorado "reform" is a great example of the damage Eli Broad and Bill Gates are doing and Stand for Children is an example of how their billions are being employed to take away local control.
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You're article reads like an extended propaganda piece with a transparent agenda that in no way actually benefits children. In fact, after reading your blog, I was amazed and appalled at how blithely you could recount as reforms the measures that are clearly contra most of the research. I pity the children and their teachers who work in your state.
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I agree that the word "reform" has been tainted. A word which once meant bettering education for children has now been warped into attacking teachers through faulty evaluations and then punishing and firing them in a blatant attempt to weaken their unions. It has become the worship of meaningless test scores. It is now the cold pursuit of failure in order to close neighborhood schools thus privatizing education and allowing the takeover of public institutions by corporate interests.REAL reform has to do with equity in funding and services, a well-trained and experienced teaching force, the autonomy and freedom for teachers to use progressive non test-prep practices, and the desire to address the gross inequalities and devastating effects of poverty we allow children to grow up in. Real reform addresses children and the people who work with them in humane, supportive ways.
I am sick of having to write the word "reform" in quotes. I want my language back.
Your organization stands for greed, not children. So please sit down.
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As a parent with a child in a public school, and a former member and local leader of a Stand for Children chapter, I never imagined that "ed reform" would be a dirty word.
Later, when Stand for Children had begun receiving huge donations from corporate funders and foundations, and had turned away from grass roots work, reform had less and less to do with the problems I wanted to see addressed in my daughter's school (primarily lack of resources).
Now, when I hear groups like Stand for Children speak of "reform", I hear an ideologically coded message promoting privitization of public education. Here reform has little to do with evidence or feasibility, and nothing to do with my own schools' needs--Stand's reform exploits and cultivates the prevailing loss of confidence in and cynicism towards public institutions, and self-governance.
Stand's "reform" is a dirty word indeed.
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So is all this what's best for kids? It would be nice to be included in that conversation. I'll close with is quote from the article:"Long into the future, no one will remember who supported which policy. What they will remember is whether those policies actually made a difference. " I would simply point out that there are a frighteningly small number of actual educators who support these reforms. That ought to mean something and maybe provide some insight into what is best for kids.
Sometimes it takes someone more articulate than yourself to make a point.
In the current national discussion about education reform, the loudest voices are not necessarily those of the people who are directly affected by what happens in our schools – the students, parents, teachers and school communities themselves.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Quick Roundup and Apologies
Sticking with the current events theme of some recent posts, there continues to be a great deal of conversation about the Occupy Wall Street movement. More of that in a second. The TU was at the annual "Making Connections" conference held by our division at one of our local High Schools. We indeed connected with our fellow educators and in an usual occurrence ate lunch above ground. Bad news is that Harold Camping has revised his previous prediction. Just when you thought things were looking up, we learn we are all doomed once again.
In an conclusion that can be described as equally relevant, Newt Gingrich appeared on Face the Nation and commented...
"We have had a strain of hostility to free enterprise and frankly, a strain of hostility to classic America starting in our academic institutions and spreading across this country," he added. "And I regard the Wall Street protests as a natural outcome of a bad education system teaching them really dumb ideas."
Comments from to 5:10
As a member of this bad education system let me be among the first to apologize for anything else I am responsible for. I'd add that Mr. Gingrich does better job as the former House Speaker than he does as an analyst on things, especially education(Dennis Hastert would never throw me under the bus like that). I can certainly be criticized for some things I have done or have not done as a teacher but I think one would have to stop just short of blaming me(or any teacher) for this protest. For the record I support free enterprise and don't want to share any wealth, especially mine. But there is plenty of evidence socio-economic level is something that impacts education(I agree).
Speaking for myself I do believe that the government should when necessary compel our citizens to act in the best interest of our nation and not always for themselves. The debate comes begins when we discuss how to best go about that. I start with the Constitution, a brilliant creation of mankind that attempts to balance the needs and rights of both individuals and society as a whole. Does a darn good job I might add. This is among the dumb ideas we teach. (Not among these is the idea that the Congress can "ignore" Federal Judges as Mr. Gingrich later stated. )
We asked around and what follows is a list compiled by experts on the events of the past year that can in fact be traced to actions of the TU.
(Feel free to add a comment with what you've done over the past year that you are either sorry for or proud of. Funny or not.)
Oprah Retires
The Arab Spring
Jonas Salk invents the Polio Vaccine(we read this on the internet so it must be true)
Brette Favre Retires(again)
The Miami Heat fail to win the NBA title(healing Cleveland's wounds)
The Text Neck Institute is Founded(yep...it's real http://text-neck.com/ )
Rebecca Black's Friday becomes less popular
In an conclusion that can be described as equally relevant, Newt Gingrich appeared on Face the Nation and commented...
"We have had a strain of hostility to free enterprise and frankly, a strain of hostility to classic America starting in our academic institutions and spreading across this country," he added. "And I regard the Wall Street protests as a natural outcome of a bad education system teaching them really dumb ideas."
Comments from to 5:10
As a member of this bad education system let me be among the first to apologize for anything else I am responsible for. I'd add that Mr. Gingrich does better job as the former House Speaker than he does as an analyst on things, especially education(Dennis Hastert would never throw me under the bus like that). I can certainly be criticized for some things I have done or have not done as a teacher but I think one would have to stop just short of blaming me(or any teacher) for this protest. For the record I support free enterprise and don't want to share any wealth, especially mine. But there is plenty of evidence socio-economic level is something that impacts education(I agree).
Speaking for myself I do believe that the government should when necessary compel our citizens to act in the best interest of our nation and not always for themselves. The debate comes begins when we discuss how to best go about that. I start with the Constitution, a brilliant creation of mankind that attempts to balance the needs and rights of both individuals and society as a whole. Does a darn good job I might add. This is among the dumb ideas we teach. (Not among these is the idea that the Congress can "ignore" Federal Judges as Mr. Gingrich later stated. )
We asked around and what follows is a list compiled by experts on the events of the past year that can in fact be traced to actions of the TU.
(Feel free to add a comment with what you've done over the past year that you are either sorry for or proud of. Funny or not.)
Oprah Retires
The Arab Spring
Jonas Salk invents the Polio Vaccine(we read this on the internet so it must be true)
Brette Favre Retires(again)
The Miami Heat fail to win the NBA title(healing Cleveland's wounds)
The Text Neck Institute is Founded(yep...it's real http://text-neck.com/ )
Rebecca Black's Friday becomes less popular
The NFL Lockout Ends
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Me, Us and Them
Populations are made up of individuals. The wise teacher figures out quickly each class is full of individual kids. Likewise schools are composed of individual teachers. When you start treating individual teachers as unimportant, then ultimately schools will become unimportant. I can't escape the reality that such an Orwellian reality has arrived when a parent goes online and looks me up deciding if I am a good teacher before meeting me or talking to anyone who has kids I've taught. Or a reformer looks at data and makes a determination without even speaking to anyone in a school.
For the unlearned out there here's a little wikipedia help: ORWELLIAN-describes the situation, idea, or societal condition that George Orwell identified as being destructive to the welfare of a free society. It connotes an attitude and a policy of control by propaganda, surveillance, misinformation, denial of truth, and manipulation of the past. I can think of a few things I deal with daily that fit that mold. The most immediate is how schools and teachers are being treated across the nation.
Essentially at their root many of the ideas I think are ill conceived seem to erode my ability to operate with autonomy. Should I have a completely free hand to do what I want? Of course not. But one concept that seems to echo with me is that those shaping teaching view it as a science that can be adjusted in such a way to produce a definite outcome. Where decisions are made by those who operate in a data first environment. Many teaching see the world differently. We know teaching is an art. Imagine a concert where all the solos were scripted. A museum that only featured paint by number artwork. A football team where players ran plays from a script based solely on down and distance unconcerned with score or field position. Those things might be functional and generate predictable outcomes but they would also be very limiting. As a teacher I need to be able to have freedom and play to my strengths on a daily basis. One big thing impeding this is the smothering amount of demands being placed on me.
Already this year I have struggled to become quickly familiar with all my students. I know that a positive relationship is often key to their success. I am struggling to give and grade rigorous assignments in a timely fashion. While chalking it up to age at first I realized I have 142 kids. That alone is enough to bury me in grading if I let it. (1 essay, 5 mins each x 140 = 11 hours) Couple it with the push to standardize curriculum and all the other adjustments I've made over the past 3 years and those I make daily and kids could start to slowly slip to just a name and number on a page and simply part of a larger whole. Sure some of that is the compulsory teacher griping. It is also a red flag. Nowhere am I hearing this on the news or even in discussions about our division. These issues are veiled by clips of new computers, talks of budgets and a Newsweek ranking.
Now hard work never killed anyone. Countless people work hard every day. I suspect many teachers think they work too hard when they actually don't. But too much work will in fact kill my ability to teach well. Some of the most successful and competitive companies in the world recognize this fact and build in "free" time for their employees to innovate. In that sense the private sector has realized the value of their workers. I am getting to the point where I literally can't do a good job with my kids. Yet I am being held more accountable. I am losing the ability to practice my craft...and it is not my fault. I can cover content, collect data, assign a grade...but in no way can I maintain much of what I do that matters so much. All this stuff we've been talking about on this blog over the past months is starting to prevent me from being as good of a teacher as I am capable.
My concerns about student load and class size would be dismissed by folks who would point to data and studies about successful schools. They say it matters little in terms of affecting student success. They are wrong. Efforts to replicate the famous STAR study on class size from Tennessee are a classic example of wayward policy when people forget the importance of individuals. Probably a result of paying people to sit and analyze data far removed from the people the information represents. This is in my opinion a useless enterprise. That is after all what computers are for.
Claims that changes are needed to standardize curriculum intending to give all students access to quality teaching and instruction who currently do not have it drive a disproportionate number of decisions. The basic premise is to fix the SYSTEM without regard to the impact it has on the people within it. Thus revealing the absence of any appreciation for the individual teacher and what they accomplish every day. Big mistake. You can't on one hand claim quality teachers are among the biggest factor in student growth and then ignore what they say and what makes each of them unique. And yes I feel ignored.
There are certainly bad teachers. Heck maybe I'm among them by some measures that are used. But who in their right mind would make efforts to identify bad teachers using methods that adversely affect all those that are not. You cannot simply look at what one teacher does well and finds as effective and then ask other teachers to replicate that same thing. Certain patterns and skills may easily transfer but there are way too many variables to begin to think that it makes any sense whatsoever to just make that idea bigger.
Average Class Size affects the quality of what kids can get from me while they are in the classroom. Total Student Load affects what I the teacher can do. The greatest flaw with any research on teaching is that researchers don't seem to talk to real teachers during their research. The mountains of data keep them from seeing that all those kids I have prevent me from realizing my potential as a teacher, no matter how many methods or techniques I have access to. The same is true for students who are increasingly being asked to take on a greater academic load. Sure the numbers look good from far away but get closer and you'll see what the unintended impact is on individual kids and families. While all this unfolds the term accountability is thrown about as a buzz word like it has any meaning to anyone making decisions. Now this is not a developing nation's classroom lacking basic necessities, but I can affect more positive change with fewer kids. I am drowning in work.
So classes are made up of individual kids and the fact I might now be unaware that one of them was having a bad day matters a lot. The fact I didn't ask how they were doing and engage them in potentially the only real conversation they'll have all day matters. The fact I now teach 142 separate people matters. No Child Left Behind actually has meant more kids in my classes making it harder to identify and focus on ones that need more help. Shame that teachers were and continue to be left out of the loop and simply treated as the group causing the problems and not potential solutions. No doubt we might offer quite a few good ideas that would affect immediate change for the better. Because we are plugged into what is happening. I know these issues are present elsewhere but they never emerge from behind the newest and latest drive for innovation and reform. Truth is I can hardly tell where we are headed by looking back at the track we are following. That's scary and might mean all these efforts aren't really getting us anywhere.
As we prepare to tighten our belts once again as our division faces budget shortfalls I cannot help but expect that means my job will again get harder. That affects me. I have concerns on what changes and cuts mean to all of us in this building every day. I can only hope that decision makers will recognize how the easy course is not always the better course and think first of us and not of them as they chart a course and navigate our course. Be forewarned though that an unappreciative view of the significance and talents of individuals will simply contribute to more ideas not worthy of the term reform.
Essentially at their root many of the ideas I think are ill conceived seem to erode my ability to operate with autonomy. Should I have a completely free hand to do what I want? Of course not. But one concept that seems to echo with me is that those shaping teaching view it as a science that can be adjusted in such a way to produce a definite outcome. Where decisions are made by those who operate in a data first environment. Many teaching see the world differently. We know teaching is an art. Imagine a concert where all the solos were scripted. A museum that only featured paint by number artwork. A football team where players ran plays from a script based solely on down and distance unconcerned with score or field position. Those things might be functional and generate predictable outcomes but they would also be very limiting. As a teacher I need to be able to have freedom and play to my strengths on a daily basis. One big thing impeding this is the smothering amount of demands being placed on me.
Already this year I have struggled to become quickly familiar with all my students. I know that a positive relationship is often key to their success. I am struggling to give and grade rigorous assignments in a timely fashion. While chalking it up to age at first I realized I have 142 kids. That alone is enough to bury me in grading if I let it. (1 essay, 5 mins each x 140 = 11 hours) Couple it with the push to standardize curriculum and all the other adjustments I've made over the past 3 years and those I make daily and kids could start to slowly slip to just a name and number on a page and simply part of a larger whole. Sure some of that is the compulsory teacher griping. It is also a red flag. Nowhere am I hearing this on the news or even in discussions about our division. These issues are veiled by clips of new computers, talks of budgets and a Newsweek ranking.
My concerns about student load and class size would be dismissed by folks who would point to data and studies about successful schools. They say it matters little in terms of affecting student success. They are wrong. Efforts to replicate the famous STAR study on class size from Tennessee are a classic example of wayward policy when people forget the importance of individuals. Probably a result of paying people to sit and analyze data far removed from the people the information represents. This is in my opinion a useless enterprise. That is after all what computers are for.
Claims that changes are needed to standardize curriculum intending to give all students access to quality teaching and instruction who currently do not have it drive a disproportionate number of decisions. The basic premise is to fix the SYSTEM without regard to the impact it has on the people within it. Thus revealing the absence of any appreciation for the individual teacher and what they accomplish every day. Big mistake. You can't on one hand claim quality teachers are among the biggest factor in student growth and then ignore what they say and what makes each of them unique. And yes I feel ignored.
There are certainly bad teachers. Heck maybe I'm among them by some measures that are used. But who in their right mind would make efforts to identify bad teachers using methods that adversely affect all those that are not. You cannot simply look at what one teacher does well and finds as effective and then ask other teachers to replicate that same thing. Certain patterns and skills may easily transfer but there are way too many variables to begin to think that it makes any sense whatsoever to just make that idea bigger.
Average Class Size affects the quality of what kids can get from me while they are in the classroom. Total Student Load affects what I the teacher can do. The greatest flaw with any research on teaching is that researchers don't seem to talk to real teachers during their research. The mountains of data keep them from seeing that all those kids I have prevent me from realizing my potential as a teacher, no matter how many methods or techniques I have access to. The same is true for students who are increasingly being asked to take on a greater academic load. Sure the numbers look good from far away but get closer and you'll see what the unintended impact is on individual kids and families. While all this unfolds the term accountability is thrown about as a buzz word like it has any meaning to anyone making decisions. Now this is not a developing nation's classroom lacking basic necessities, but I can affect more positive change with fewer kids. I am drowning in work.
So classes are made up of individual kids and the fact I might now be unaware that one of them was having a bad day matters a lot. The fact I didn't ask how they were doing and engage them in potentially the only real conversation they'll have all day matters. The fact I now teach 142 separate people matters. No Child Left Behind actually has meant more kids in my classes making it harder to identify and focus on ones that need more help. Shame that teachers were and continue to be left out of the loop and simply treated as the group causing the problems and not potential solutions. No doubt we might offer quite a few good ideas that would affect immediate change for the better. Because we are plugged into what is happening. I know these issues are present elsewhere but they never emerge from behind the newest and latest drive for innovation and reform. Truth is I can hardly tell where we are headed by looking back at the track we are following. That's scary and might mean all these efforts aren't really getting us anywhere.
As we prepare to tighten our belts once again as our division faces budget shortfalls I cannot help but expect that means my job will again get harder. That affects me. I have concerns on what changes and cuts mean to all of us in this building every day. I can only hope that decision makers will recognize how the easy course is not always the better course and think first of us and not of them as they chart a course and navigate our course. Be forewarned though that an unappreciative view of the significance and talents of individuals will simply contribute to more ideas not worthy of the term reform.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Lessons Teachers Learn in Their First Month of Teaching
So your first weeks of teaching are wrapping up. At times you've struggled to recall why you became a teacher. But in the past few weeks no doubt you and your students have learned a great deal already. Still nothing could ever have prepared you for the past month. The lessons learned are too numerous to recount. So the TU will recount ones that people might find humorous.
#1 To survive as a teacher you cannot be bothered by having people call your name at least 100 times a day.
#2 You have become aware that anything you draw or sketch on the board will, to those entering the room or when you look at it later, resemble either a body part or an obscene act.
#3 Despite claims to the contrary and the fact you cannot admit it publicly there are actually stupid questions.
#4 Regardless of how bad you have to use the restroom...you can in fact hold it.
#5 The last 5 minutes of class only take about 30 seconds.
#6 No matter how smart a student is they will require a minimum of 5 minutes to pack up their book bag at the end of class. Efforts to delay them from doing so are seen as quite rude.
#7 Chewing Gum can be used to make a surprising variety of sounds.
#8 Teachers new to the profession must realize quickly that they teach students, not a subject. Fail to learn this and odds quickly turn against you surviving.
#9 Kids may not even be able to spell their own name but are quick to point out your errors on worksheets or on the board.
#10 At least one student in your class will enjoy drumming. The band plays at all times by the way. When they arrive, moment of silence, while you talk, during a quiz...the beat must go on.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Teaching and Fishing
Among the things I enjoy most are spending time with my family, teaching and fishing. The only one that allows me much time for reflection is fishing. I was on the James River recently with my fishing mentor and guide. A rugged sort of man and his steely eyes rarely break from the waters surface as the river slowly carves its way between the rounded knobs that direct its path to the Ocean. He's probably forgotten more about fishing then I'll ever know. Our trips take an entire day and can be grueling if you are not ready for them. You have to rise before the sun, endure the triple digit heat, make 4-5 casts a minute for 11 hours, and sometimes dodge horrific thunderstorms to stay alive. But rowing down the river that helped spawn America trying to catch something that doesn't want to be caught is a place I really enjoy being.
We take our fishing for Smallmouth Bass pretty seriously.
He talks very little while guiding but when he does he's either yelling at me like an old school coach for letting a fish escape or sharing insights only gained from countless hours spent fishing. He's taught me a lot about the river, the land and life. On a recent blazing June day he was working hard trying to put me on some fish and his efforts granted me an opportunity to reflect as I scanned the river picking my spots. I thought a lot about the past year teaching, how tough it was and how without times like this to decompress I don't think I'd make it.
During our break for lunch we got to talking and soon our discussion turned towards my job. I mentioned at times recently working in a school was not so fun and that in a perfect world I might have what it takes to be a fishing guide. As scary as it sounds I am not certain I'd have enough patience to let others fish while I watched. Not considering that the river might be an equally tough place to work I allowed myself to compare the two jobs as I sometimes do. Guess what, here I go again. Resting on the bank in the shade that day I think I decided fishing guide might be one of the jobs that is as tough on you mentally as teaching. Stay with me.
Guides have to balance a lot of things. Maneuvering the boat among the rocks, choosing bait, bringing supplies, finding the right presentation are among the countless things affecting whether or not they are successful. As good as they are, a guide must accept that many things beyond their control play a role in catching fish. You might be the best darn fisherman in the world and still get thwarted by some external thing. The weather, changing water conditions, and fishing pressure can derail all your efforts. Some forces working against you are so powerful and complex they defy comprehension(the recent Fish kills are as scary to me as some education reform). But the most important factor in catching fish is the skill of angler you are guiding.
You can have all the ingredients in place. Right rod and reel, right bait, water, weather, fishing the perfect spot, with a huge bass just sitting there ready to bite. You can do everything right and it is still up to the person holding the rod to get it the fish to the boat. With a smallmouth that is never easy. So here is where guides and teachers share some things. In the case of teachers it is ultimately up to the student if they are going to be successful.
Teachers, like guides, have a huge impact on their "clients". There is abundant research to support the claim that teachers can profoundly impact a child's success. No such research exists in the fishing world but it is not needed. Feedback is immediate. A good guide can make or break a trip and the quality of the experience even if the fish don't cooperate. But really great guides, like mine, don't just make a difference on that day. They equip you with skills and knowledge that will serve you well into the future and you'll use the rest of your life. They make you better.
As a teacher I hope I have that same impact on my kids but after working hard, doing my best for them and trying to make them better I accept that when push comes to shove it is up to them. Sure testing provides some timely feedback but when that kid walks out your door for the last time...it's up to them. This week I took a buddy who doesn't fish as much as me out on the James. There was a boat in front of us, hitting some of the holes I knew held fish. Every bite they got was one we didn't. After about an hour and some adjustments I dialed him in on some solid fish and he did OK. I shared the satisfaction of him landing a few big ones and also the defeat when some of the bigger fish took advantage of his lack of experience.
So I did OK as a guide on this day but conditions were pretty easy. We had a great time on the river. Time will tell if I made my buddy a better fisherman. At the very least I tried to impart some of what the river and my guide have taught me. I was reminded that you need knowledge, skill, some luck, and a whole lot of patience to make it as a guide and sit there while someone else catches all the fish. But perhaps more importantly you need to be willing to accept you cannot control everything. I deal with this reality both on the river and in the classroom. The idea that as good as I am it is not all up to me might be tough for some, but maybe that's part of what makes my job and my hobby so rewarding and keeps me coming back for more. Though I will admit the paycheck and the monster fish don't hurt.
He talks very little while guiding but when he does he's either yelling at me like an old school coach for letting a fish escape or sharing insights only gained from countless hours spent fishing. He's taught me a lot about the river, the land and life. On a recent blazing June day he was working hard trying to put me on some fish and his efforts granted me an opportunity to reflect as I scanned the river picking my spots. I thought a lot about the past year teaching, how tough it was and how without times like this to decompress I don't think I'd make it.
During our break for lunch we got to talking and soon our discussion turned towards my job. I mentioned at times recently working in a school was not so fun and that in a perfect world I might have what it takes to be a fishing guide. As scary as it sounds I am not certain I'd have enough patience to let others fish while I watched. Not considering that the river might be an equally tough place to work I allowed myself to compare the two jobs as I sometimes do. Guess what, here I go again. Resting on the bank in the shade that day I think I decided fishing guide might be one of the jobs that is as tough on you mentally as teaching. Stay with me.
Guides have to balance a lot of things. Maneuvering the boat among the rocks, choosing bait, bringing supplies, finding the right presentation are among the countless things affecting whether or not they are successful. As good as they are, a guide must accept that many things beyond their control play a role in catching fish. You might be the best darn fisherman in the world and still get thwarted by some external thing. The weather, changing water conditions, and fishing pressure can derail all your efforts. Some forces working against you are so powerful and complex they defy comprehension(the recent Fish kills are as scary to me as some education reform). But the most important factor in catching fish is the skill of angler you are guiding.
You can have all the ingredients in place. Right rod and reel, right bait, water, weather, fishing the perfect spot, with a huge bass just sitting there ready to bite. You can do everything right and it is still up to the person holding the rod to get it the fish to the boat. With a smallmouth that is never easy. So here is where guides and teachers share some things. In the case of teachers it is ultimately up to the student if they are going to be successful.
Teachers, like guides, have a huge impact on their "clients". There is abundant research to support the claim that teachers can profoundly impact a child's success. No such research exists in the fishing world but it is not needed. Feedback is immediate. A good guide can make or break a trip and the quality of the experience even if the fish don't cooperate. But really great guides, like mine, don't just make a difference on that day. They equip you with skills and knowledge that will serve you well into the future and you'll use the rest of your life. They make you better.
As a teacher I hope I have that same impact on my kids but after working hard, doing my best for them and trying to make them better I accept that when push comes to shove it is up to them. Sure testing provides some timely feedback but when that kid walks out your door for the last time...it's up to them. This week I took a buddy who doesn't fish as much as me out on the James. There was a boat in front of us, hitting some of the holes I knew held fish. Every bite they got was one we didn't. After about an hour and some adjustments I dialed him in on some solid fish and he did OK. I shared the satisfaction of him landing a few big ones and also the defeat when some of the bigger fish took advantage of his lack of experience.
So I did OK as a guide on this day but conditions were pretty easy. We had a great time on the river. Time will tell if I made my buddy a better fisherman. At the very least I tried to impart some of what the river and my guide have taught me. I was reminded that you need knowledge, skill, some luck, and a whole lot of patience to make it as a guide and sit there while someone else catches all the fish. But perhaps more importantly you need to be willing to accept you cannot control everything. I deal with this reality both on the river and in the classroom. The idea that as good as I am it is not all up to me might be tough for some, but maybe that's part of what makes my job and my hobby so rewarding and keeps me coming back for more. Though I will admit the paycheck and the monster fish don't hurt.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Who Doesn't Want to Visit the White House?
Apparently the people organizing one of the most important events in education. Educators, students and parents are gathering in DC this weekend as part of the Save Our Schools March. This national call to action apparently did not involve meeting with White House officials. Props to event organizers for making a statement by not meeting before the march. Too bad it takes a national march to make reform leaders listen and then they only do so to maybe cash in a PR. Maybe they should read the TU more often.
Click Here to read the story about the White House invitation from The Answer Sheet
Monday, June 13, 2011
Testing and the Flux Capicitor
Imagine having the power to influence the future. You could go back in time and undo all the wrongs and make things "right." Essentially that's what every teacher has when they administer the SOL test to their classes. Of course that would only be if we received the proper feedback after testing. The social studies EOC reports are less than helpful and seem designed to keep everyone involved as much in the dark as possible about what actually went on. For my kids that pass I receive a nebulous number which means very little to anyone who lives in the real world and not the criterion referenced normed testing world. I spent the better part of 6 hours trying to determine what pass proficient(400-499) and pass advanced(500-600) mean only to discover they mean very little.Most movies I recall dealing with time travel involve the moral dilemma of changing the future and touch upon the unforeseen consequences of trying to do right and fix the past. Looking at my results I am not sure I would actually know what to go back and do better. For me movies on time travel tend to be predictable and boring...my hope is to avoid the same fate for this post. My recent SOL results have been anything but predictable. The most notable film was Back to the Future. That is exactly where we are headed with all this testing. Backwards. No one except Dr. Emmett Brown(Christopher Lloyd) knew exactly how the Flux Capacitor worked and it caused a bunch of trouble for Marty(Miachael J. Fox), these tests are much the same. Difference here is we don't see them so we wouldn't know what to fix.
I observed recently while my students took the World History up to 1500 SOL test. It was a painful experience and makes you feel about as powerless as one could possibly be. This feeling is one which today's teachers are growing more familiar with. As I monitored them with the other proctors I could not help but imagine they were missing all kinds of questions as they took the 60 question online assessment. Surely they were making stupid mistakes on content we have drilled on in the previous weeks and more importantly learned earlier in the year. These were smart kids and most wanted to do well on this SOL and yet somehow I could just sense they weren't....ARGH! Much of this anxiety stemmed from the results of last semester's test, which were unexpectedly lower than they had been in the past.
So there's your plot for the movie. The protagonist... the teachers... against this antagonist testing culture. I could have walked around and looked at the test and maybe grunted or found some other way to inform them of their mis-steps. But I did not, which is unlike what appears to have happened in DC and elsewhere. Believe it or not most schools are actually staffed by ethical people who follow the rules. Though these individuals are overlooked by the news in favor of the student punching, criminal, just plain bad people teachers who do sometimes hold jobs in our profession. But back to the testing ...the whole process is cloaked in so much secrecy it can sometimes be rather dumb. I'll admit I am not even certain what they are being asked and how it is being asked and I teach the course!
During the test I sat stone faced with the other proctors while they worked and my mind played out all the scenarios. I knew many of them were missing questions. Would that mean little Susie will fail? What about little Johnny...he's not that good with tests and can't concentrate for more than 5 minutes. I know I had asked similar questions of them recently in the run up to the test, but I had likely done so in a slightly different way(I'd say better). Will that mess them up? For those that don't know these tests are in fact rather easy for most kids. Higher level kids know this and as a result few do any "real" preparation. I did ask them to take a post SOL survey on how many had "studied" beyond the reviews we had done in class. Only 7 of 29 students raised their hands. Awesome. Speaking generally all they care about is the test and yet, it appears they don't care. Despite being "easy" to pass it appears hard to receive a Pass Advanced score. And what of the kids whose skill set means any form of testing is a challenge? I have found too often their level or preparation quite similar. But too many of them do not do as well. Thinking more globally on the impact the weeks leading up to the test we went into test shutdown mode and these weeks after have been like waiting in line at the grocery store(all you want to do is get out). Tell me again how this is learning?
Thanks to the State Board of Ed what they did now affects how I am evaluated. Am I mad? What do you think? All I know is this test doesn't really hold them accountable. School yes, teacher yes, them no. When they miss a bunch of easy questions it hurts me not them(and the scores say they did miss questions). I would be hurt no matter the result if they did poorly which was the case for some of them. These kids wanted to do well but not quite as much as I wanted them to do well. I think that's part of what makes them kids. The only impact from recent value added legislation so far is that I am more disillusioned with the whole process. And keep in mind this I am referring mostly to the highest achieving population at our school. Our district ranks pretty well compared to the rest of the state. So does this really measure me as a teacher? Click Here to Link to an executive summary that was sent along with individual results. It is an overall summary sent to each teacher measured by the assessments. It is highly scientific and I think I understood it properly. It was signed by John Winger. Seriously though... I questioned my impact when I saw a big drop in Pass Advanced scores for my kids. I'll save my analysis for another post but the process of analysis was mind numbing. One might understand my frustration when you see there is nothing on the VDOE site that references or even defines the terms Pass Advanced/Pass Proficient/Fail for social studies End of Course Tests. Click here for Detailed Performance Level Descriptors
Compared to last year the message was clear...overall average-down, number of perfect scores-way down, pass advanced-down, the trend is uniform and absolute. My results were similar to those from my first semester students though my year long classes did perform slightly better(Click Here to see my reaction earlier in the year) Most teachers shared similar experiences. One senseless revision to the testing process is the fact that when they are done I now read from a script when they submit their test. Hypothetically speaking if a student has left 3 questions blank and says they are done, I am forbidden from saying something like "Hey there Bobby-Joe, you left two questions blank, come on now... let's finish up and maybe answer those last couple...what do you say?" I know, I know a kid that leaves questions blank deserves what they get. But it could be they have to use the restroom and just want to finish. Maybe they can no longer stand being in a gym filled with 200+ kids. Maybe their parents got in another drunken brawl last night and for the moment at least this test doesn't matter much. Get my point? Yet I cannot do the most human thing and remind them to answer all the questions. How does that assess what they really know or even what the teacher has given them in terms of value?
Hey the Underground is gonna be at half speed for summer so there will be a drop in the frequency of our posts. We'll do our best to maintain the quality but come on...we are teachers after all.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
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)
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)
Monday, June 6, 2011
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.
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.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Breaking the Public Schools
My colleague mentioned we are immersed in testing season...and to a teacher that imagery might more closely be associated with being water-boarded. Watching your kids take one is awful...simply awful. I am also passing through the busiest period of the tennis season and my coaching obligations, while very worthwhile, are quite extensive. So below is assembled a hodgepodge of ideas I had recently that perhaps don't warrant their own post but I thought might be worth sharing via TU.
School Funding and Vouchers
One of the worst things we can do to education is continue the push to privatize it. There is a role that for profit companies can play but when they get too big a piece of the pie they become like a dog fed at the table. Once they get a taste of public funding they won't go away. They become dependent on it and only want more. Their presence is driven exclusively by one desire, to get what they want, profits. In the case of schools it will come a very stable and reliable source, the government. When profits are placed ahead of what's good for kids and schools, we've got trouble.
As changes in funding continue to rattle the establishment things like vouchers come up. I try to avoid discussing them as they tend to be a polarizing issue. I only ask that a few things be kept in mind. They will not "fix" the schools we have. Taking money from already underfunded schools(not necessarily where I work) is bad. I've sat in private school classrooms and short of the the obvious they aren't a whole heck of a lot different from public school classrooms. But...those classrooms lie in schools that have the power to exclude kids and keep them out. You want to fix public schools...give them that power. Problems solved. Wait .... what? I would never actually suggest that. I was a literary device called sarcasm and it illustrates how representing vouchers as the solution is way off base(that's a metaphor).
Vouchers are hard to nail down as they mean different things in different places. One of the few worthwhile efforts to figure out their impact came in Milwaukee where some smarterer folks than me looked at their impact(See the study summary here). I only really remember one sentence as I perused it during an emotional episode of Deadliest Catch. This was the sentence..."A full eight years after the school district expanded the voucher program, it is still not possible to measure whether voucher students in Milwaukee perform better or worse than their counterparts who remain in public schools." Any questions?
Breaking the Teachers
What I am seeing is what I fear most. This wave of reforms are getting rid of the good teachers not the so called "bad" ones. High stakes testing doesn't reward the best teachers it frustrates them and drives them away. Is the business model the best approach reformers on the outside can come up with? What else should we expect when you have people who aren't really teachers making decisions. While reading a recent article in The Daily Progress about how some Divisions Superintendents had approached the state about possible changes to Elementary SOLs, I was struck by a quote from Superintendent of Public Instruction Patricia Wright. While leaning against the requests she stated "I am a teacher at heart … and I just find it hard to believe that teachers can't be creative and they can't teach enriched curriculum while at the same time making sure that students have basic knowledge and skills"
I harbor no ill-will towards Wright and she might even be correct on the issue above. But the teacher at heart part stuck in my craw(For those taking the biology SOL the "craw" is in your gut near where you get side stitches and next to the gizzard). I googled her and found she "served as chief deputy superintendent, acting superintendent, deputy superintendent, assistant superintendent for instruction, director of secondary instruction, associate director of secondary instruction and state mathematics specialist." So its evident her ascension is well earned. But to me that simply meant she has not worked in a Public School in 26 years. Let's see...early to mid 80s... I was in school in the same county where I teach and if you are unaware, they have changed a bit since.
I flash back to a local elementary community classroom that had no separation between rooms and might be linked to my short attention span. What was I saying? Oh yes, I can't remember what we learned but I do remember some things. I recall among them finding out I'd be re-districted to a new middle school in the coming year and how that affected my grades, watching the solar eclipse...dispensing with the cardboard contraption we made in science class and using my naked eye at various points, playing soccer during lunch and the day they wheeled in the Apple II so we could learn "LOGO" programming language. The landmark I.D.E.A had even been thought up yet. Some say education was better then, some say better now, but both agree different.
But Wright's no dummy. She's articulate, highly educated, well-informed, and most importantly well-intentioned. Here's what she is not. She is not a teacher. I'm a teacher. No one thinks quite like me. I know my school and I know my kids. Why then do people listen to those who aren't teachers before listening to teachers? Makes about as much sense as staring at an eclipse without that stupid cardboard box device on your head(see post for real facts here).
Before coming to VDOE in 1985, Dr. Wright taught mathematics for 10 years at the secondary and middle school levels in Sussex County and Chesterfield County public school. But she no longer thinks like me, a teacher. Not at all. I suspect she thinks more like a politician. She has served as the Super for both Democratic and Republican Governors and no one, I mean no one, thinks like a teacher, unless they teach kids each day, every day.
Privatizing Education-The Market
Some argue to improve education we should let the markets control the direction of policy and decisions. That's exactly what we shouldn't let happen as the "market" can be a very de-stabilizing element. If nothing else public schools are stable. They are admittedly hard to change but the good thing is that stability should be seen like a rock solid retirement investment. Should we let Wall Street drive the decisions that prepare our children as it did for the economy in the period leading up to the end of 2007, or with the dot-coms bubble, or the oil spike of the 80s and 90s, or in the 1920s(the list goes on)? High Risk, high reward? I'd hope not but I think we are a little late. For 10 years now things have been leaning more and more in that direction. What's changed for the better? While public confidence in schools is seemingly at an all time low, scary to think how readily talk of competition and improvement echoes a financial firms commercials. But how much more fragile would schools and our confidence in schools be if we let Wall Streets or Gates and Broad lead? One year's decline in scores or a principal's departure might undermine confidence as it does the market's confidence following a news headline or singular event. One thing I know is that while funding our schools may be been more challenging during these periods of economic volatility, we should not take risks and cede control to those with divided loyalties.
All that is required for these things to occur is that smart level headed people, perhaps like those of you reading this blog, to say and do nothing. Before you scurry down to the registrar and sign up to run for school board, get more informed. Get more active and at the least more vocal about the issues affecting our schools. Talk to teachers and avoid claims of being on their side and ask what they think. Most of all make sure the positions and decisions you support will not break what isn't yet broken. Too many people already fit that mold.
School Funding and Vouchers
One of the worst things we can do to education is continue the push to privatize it. There is a role that for profit companies can play but when they get too big a piece of the pie they become like a dog fed at the table. Once they get a taste of public funding they won't go away. They become dependent on it and only want more. Their presence is driven exclusively by one desire, to get what they want, profits. In the case of schools it will come a very stable and reliable source, the government. When profits are placed ahead of what's good for kids and schools, we've got trouble.
As changes in funding continue to rattle the establishment things like vouchers come up. I try to avoid discussing them as they tend to be a polarizing issue. I only ask that a few things be kept in mind. They will not "fix" the schools we have. Taking money from already underfunded schools(not necessarily where I work) is bad. I've sat in private school classrooms and short of the the obvious they aren't a whole heck of a lot different from public school classrooms. But...those classrooms lie in schools that have the power to exclude kids and keep them out. You want to fix public schools...give them that power. Problems solved. Wait .... what? I would never actually suggest that. I was a literary device called sarcasm and it illustrates how representing vouchers as the solution is way off base(that's a metaphor).
Vouchers are hard to nail down as they mean different things in different places. One of the few worthwhile efforts to figure out their impact came in Milwaukee where some smarterer folks than me looked at their impact(See the study summary here). I only really remember one sentence as I perused it during an emotional episode of Deadliest Catch. This was the sentence..."A full eight years after the school district expanded the voucher program, it is still not possible to measure whether voucher students in Milwaukee perform better or worse than their counterparts who remain in public schools." Any questions?
Breaking the Teachers
What I am seeing is what I fear most. This wave of reforms are getting rid of the good teachers not the so called "bad" ones. High stakes testing doesn't reward the best teachers it frustrates them and drives them away. Is the business model the best approach reformers on the outside can come up with? What else should we expect when you have people who aren't really teachers making decisions. While reading a recent article in The Daily Progress about how some Divisions Superintendents had approached the state about possible changes to Elementary SOLs, I was struck by a quote from Superintendent of Public Instruction Patricia Wright. While leaning against the requests she stated "I am a teacher at heart … and I just find it hard to believe that teachers can't be creative and they can't teach enriched curriculum while at the same time making sure that students have basic knowledge and skills"
I harbor no ill-will towards Wright and she might even be correct on the issue above. But the teacher at heart part stuck in my craw(For those taking the biology SOL the "craw" is in your gut near where you get side stitches and next to the gizzard). I googled her and found she "served as chief deputy superintendent, acting superintendent, deputy superintendent, assistant superintendent for instruction, director of secondary instruction, associate director of secondary instruction and state mathematics specialist." So its evident her ascension is well earned. But to me that simply meant she has not worked in a Public School in 26 years. Let's see...early to mid 80s... I was in school in the same county where I teach and if you are unaware, they have changed a bit since.
I flash back to a local elementary community classroom that had no separation between rooms and might be linked to my short attention span. What was I saying? Oh yes, I can't remember what we learned but I do remember some things. I recall among them finding out I'd be re-districted to a new middle school in the coming year and how that affected my grades, watching the solar eclipse...dispensing with the cardboard contraption we made in science class and using my naked eye at various points, playing soccer during lunch and the day they wheeled in the Apple II so we could learn "LOGO" programming language. The landmark I.D.E.A had even been thought up yet. Some say education was better then, some say better now, but both agree different.
Before coming to VDOE in 1985, Dr. Wright taught mathematics for 10 years at the secondary and middle school levels in Sussex County and Chesterfield County public school. But she no longer thinks like me, a teacher. Not at all. I suspect she thinks more like a politician. She has served as the Super for both Democratic and Republican Governors and no one, I mean no one, thinks like a teacher, unless they teach kids each day, every day.
Privatizing Education-The Market
Some argue to improve education we should let the markets control the direction of policy and decisions. That's exactly what we shouldn't let happen as the "market" can be a very de-stabilizing element. If nothing else public schools are stable. They are admittedly hard to change but the good thing is that stability should be seen like a rock solid retirement investment. Should we let Wall Street drive the decisions that prepare our children as it did for the economy in the period leading up to the end of 2007, or with the dot-coms bubble, or the oil spike of the 80s and 90s, or in the 1920s(the list goes on)? High Risk, high reward? I'd hope not but I think we are a little late. For 10 years now things have been leaning more and more in that direction. What's changed for the better? While public confidence in schools is seemingly at an all time low, scary to think how readily talk of competition and improvement echoes a financial firms commercials. But how much more fragile would schools and our confidence in schools be if we let Wall Streets or Gates and Broad lead? One year's decline in scores or a principal's departure might undermine confidence as it does the market's confidence following a news headline or singular event. One thing I know is that while funding our schools may be been more challenging during these periods of economic volatility, we should not take risks and cede control to those with divided loyalties.
All that is required for these things to occur is that smart level headed people, perhaps like those of you reading this blog, to say and do nothing. Before you scurry down to the registrar and sign up to run for school board, get more informed. Get more active and at the least more vocal about the issues affecting our schools. Talk to teachers and avoid claims of being on their side and ask what they think. Most of all make sure the positions and decisions you support will not break what isn't yet broken. Too many people already fit that mold.
Monday, May 2, 2011
The Fog of Education
According to Wikipedia the fog of war is a term used to describe the uncertainty in situation awareness experienced by participants in military operations. It describes the uncertainty regarding own capability, adversary capability, and adversary intent during an engagement, operation, or campaign. The term is ascribed to the Prussian military analyst Carl von Clausewitz, who wrote:
"The great uncertainty of all data in war is a peculiar difficulty, because all action must, to a certain extent, be planned in a mere twilight, which in addition not infrequently — like the effect of a fog or moonshine — gives to things exaggerated dimensions and unnatural appearance.".
Fog of War is also the title of an Errol Morris film based on interviews of former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. He emerged from the business world to lead another but very different arm of the government(see related post here or here). The film mostly deals with Vietnam and the fundamental misunderstanding of American commanders about what was really happening on the ground.
A parallel can be draw
n to the current state of education from a teachers point of view. Those currently directing the course of public education from the top at the federal, state and local level are lost in the fog. They arguably possess a more omniscient point of view than teachers yet continually fail to effectively understand all that is happening in the current landscape at the classroom level. They, like McNamara are applying business concepts and ideas to the world of education. One of the chief impacts of this course might be the slow erosion of valuing of teacher/student interaction. Sacrificed as a result of the focus on testing and measurable results in an AYP world.
What's worse is these individuals lacking clear insight have either accepted or promoted misconceptions about the reality of what needs to happen in education albeit unintentionally. Some of these ideas purposefully pushed by groups and organizations that put ideology or profit ahead of the student. The tragedy of this situation is it means things could potentially grow more challenging for the educators in schools working so hard to help, parents and of course kids. The impact is teachers burn out, get demoralized and even quit. This leaves those really at risk, the kids and parents feeling under-served and the cycle worsens.
In our current economic climate many folks get engaged in the debate on the local level concerning taxes and education funding. Usually things come to a head at a public meeting where all sides speak out. The impact of increases or decreases in funding are usually less than what either side contends. But cuts adds up. The sum total is subtle changes occur that affect the quality what we do.
In focusing on these local budget issues or even on an individual school's improvement we can all get lost in the fog. It is impossible to exist in a public school and avoid the adverse effects of the push for results. We can be complicit in this when we simply "feed them what they eat" ...or talk and report in a way that we think higher-ups either want or that paint us in a favorable light. An ailment common among large bureaucracies and given the division of labor in schools no single level is fully responsible. It is easy to forget what we are actually there to do, teach and help young people develop and grow.
The only effective way to get a sense of what is really taking place is to be as close to these issues as possible. As momentum for change mounts many current efforts coming from the top will in fact will continue to devote energy and resources away from where they are needed, classroom instruction. I cannot name a current reform which to me shows promise of helping increase the time, quality or ability to interact with students. They will likely trade what matters most for what matters now.
Absent the insight of the actual events within a school the fog will simply continue to thicken obscuring the view. Mistakes will continue to be made by well meaning individuals at the top. I have heard it said of military policy that only those who have put their life on the line get to second guess the soldier in the field. I feel much the same with regards to teaching and education policy. A strong suggestion is that anyone entrusted to chart a course for policy be both familiar and in touch with those below the layer where they are unable to see.
"The great uncertainty of all data in war is a peculiar difficulty, because all action must, to a certain extent, be planned in a mere twilight, which in addition not infrequently — like the effect of a fog or moonshine — gives to things exaggerated dimensions and unnatural appearance.".
Fog of War is also the title of an Errol Morris film based on interviews of former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. He emerged from the business world to lead another but very different arm of the government(see related post here or here). The film mostly deals with Vietnam and the fundamental misunderstanding of American commanders about what was really happening on the ground.
A parallel can be draw
n to the current state of education from a teachers point of view. Those currently directing the course of public education from the top at the federal, state and local level are lost in the fog. They arguably possess a more omniscient point of view than teachers yet continually fail to effectively understand all that is happening in the current landscape at the classroom level. They, like McNamara are applying business concepts and ideas to the world of education. One of the chief impacts of this course might be the slow erosion of valuing of teacher/student interaction. Sacrificed as a result of the focus on testing and measurable results in an AYP world.What's worse is these individuals lacking clear insight have either accepted or promoted misconceptions about the reality of what needs to happen in education albeit unintentionally. Some of these ideas purposefully pushed by groups and organizations that put ideology or profit ahead of the student. The tragedy of this situation is it means things could potentially grow more challenging for the educators in schools working so hard to help, parents and of course kids. The impact is teachers burn out, get demoralized and even quit. This leaves those really at risk, the kids and parents feeling under-served and the cycle worsens.
In our current economic climate many folks get engaged in the debate on the local level concerning taxes and education funding. Usually things come to a head at a public meeting where all sides speak out. The impact of increases or decreases in funding are usually less than what either side contends. But cuts adds up. The sum total is subtle changes occur that affect the quality what we do.
In focusing on these local budget issues or even on an individual school's improvement we can all get lost in the fog. It is impossible to exist in a public school and avoid the adverse effects of the push for results. We can be complicit in this when we simply "feed them what they eat" ...or talk and report in a way that we think higher-ups either want or that paint us in a favorable light. An ailment common among large bureaucracies and given the division of labor in schools no single level is fully responsible. It is easy to forget what we are actually there to do, teach and help young people develop and grow.
The only effective way to get a sense of what is really taking place is to be as close to these issues as possible. As momentum for change mounts many current efforts coming from the top will in fact will continue to devote energy and resources away from where they are needed, classroom instruction. I cannot name a current reform which to me shows promise of helping increase the time, quality or ability to interact with students. They will likely trade what matters most for what matters now.
Absent the insight of the actual events within a school the fog will simply continue to thicken obscuring the view. Mistakes will continue to be made by well meaning individuals at the top. I have heard it said of military policy that only those who have put their life on the line get to second guess the soldier in the field. I feel much the same with regards to teaching and education policy. A strong suggestion is that anyone entrusted to chart a course for policy be both familiar and in touch with those below the layer where they are unable to see.
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