Monthly Archives: October 2012

Understanding

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I went to bed last night thinking about what I understand and what I don’t. And in the middle of the night, I awoke with this thought, “The Crucial Voice of the People is important.” Or, it could be written that “the crucial voice of the people is important.” Readers will need to make that call. Maybe it can correctly be written both ways.

One thing I do understand is what it will take to really “reform” our system. I’ve studied what has and has not worked in the past and currently. And I have unfortunately witnessed and experienced what has not worked in my own schools. And I’m realistic about it. The system needs the people (the public) to engage in public education policy and be aware and vigilant as to how those policies influence practices.

Whether it’s locally, at the state level, or nationally, what can really make a difference right now is having people in charge of the education system who understand what is important in the process of learning and in the process of changing. We can’t have responsive and responsible change that leads to progress without understanding those basics. Understanding the learning process is central to guiding an improvement process, which is what reform should be — a focus on what children need. It isn’t just standards; it isn’t just instruction; it isn’t just providing materials. It is having it all and understanding how we can provide it.

So what I don’t understand is what looks to be unwillingness on the part of adults to work together to solve our education problems, even when the answers are laid out before us. Is it a lack of understanding?

Understanding the Choices

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The last two blogs written here for your consideration were titled “Choice in School Reform” and “Choice in Education Reform.” And no, I’m not fully losing “it” yet. My choice of words (no pun intended) was intentional. School reform and education reform are two different things but intimately importance to each other.

School reform should target the proven elements of effective schools. It’s an improvement process that directly affects students and includes; safe schools with classroom climates that nurture learning, school leadership fostering quality instruction, highly educated teachers expecting a level of mastery from all students and understanding the proper use of pupil assessments in monitoring progress. And last but not least, family and community support for schools and their students.

Education reform should be a focus on systemic reform – providing quality assurance and equal opportunity. And as I’ve stated before, reform starts with identifying the problems. Are all schools the problem? No. So why do the current powers that be continue to target all schools with one-size-fits-all “reform” laws? It isn’t the path we originally started down. This diversionary route we are on never made sense.

Education reform should not interfere with school reform. The only way to stop the ongoing harm and destruction is to understand what has happened and what we need to do to get back on the right path. For…”No law or ordinance is mightier than understanding” Plato — and this is where my book begins.

Choice in Education Reform

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When a school doesn’t provide what you think it should for one of your own, it’s an easy call. You want to take action. You want to see something done about it.

When you have great schools, it’s hard to take the time to think about the effect underperforming schools have on you and yours. But give it some thought. An under-educated society costs us all. That is why, as a civil society, we need great schools for all. But that fact has not yet motivated us to act. Education reform requires personal sacrifice from us all. It starts with each of us making a conscious choice to act and depends on us finding or creating the opportunities to do so — big or small.

As a nation, we have serious problems to face.

No Child Left Behind (the Elementary and Secondary Education Act – ESEA) cemented the direction of education “reform” without bringing to the table those who understand the needs of our communities and our children — the real stakeholders — the People.

That federal law combined with our financial wrong turns as a nation and the misguided reforms of the last three decades has brought public education to a crossroads.

Choices must be made.

Provide standardized education for the masses with personalized instruction for the lucky ones and those that can afford it, or, provide equal access to quality education?

Allow teaching to become another low-wage trade, or, remain a profession with a standard of practice that we can continuously improve upon?

Put our education dollars into the pockets of private investors, or, invest in supporting and strengthening the institution of public education?

Continue to follow the current pretenses of reform, or, solve our problems?

Rise up, people. Embrace the solutions.