Category Archives: Education Reform

Understanding Change

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When I first heard that President Obama was taking on “health care reform” by passing major legislation, I winced. Not because it isn’t necessary that the nation address that issue, not because of any particular aspect of the law; I winced because this action revealed the failure of Mr. Obama and his advisers to understand the change process in people. In doing so, they set themselves up for major resistance.

Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson probably wasn’t required reading in the Ivy League schools but it should be for anyone serious about changing our public education system for the better. The book opens with “The Story Behind the Story” by Kenneth Blanchard which contains this applicable statement, “…living in constant white water with the changes occurring all the time at work or in life can be stressful, unless people have a way of looking at change that helps them understand it.”

So as we once again approach the changes that will come with “education reform,” and they will come, we can hem and haw or sniff and scurry around, or, we can reflect on mistakes and plan for the future. We can share a vision of what change should look like. And we will only make progress when we come to understand that the people “who felt they had less power [were] more afraid of what the change imposed from above might do to them. So they resisted change.”

It’s human nature to react to change by first questioning — how will this affect me?

The cheese will move; the question is who will take control of the direction?

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?

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.

Excellence as the Norm

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Improvement — now there is a thought-provoking word! We instinctively know what it means but I’m once again off to grab the dictionary. Literally, it means an increase in excellence of quality or condition.

I like to think of education reform in terms of school improvement because if we aren’t focused on the quality of education and the conditions under which we expect children to learn, what’s the point?

Use standards as an example. If a standard isn’t excellent, it can’t guide improvement. And if the conditions in which we expect a standard to be met aren’t excellent, what are the chances real lasting improvement will occur?

The literal meaning said an increase in excellence of quality “or” conditions but I would hope people can understand that for school improvement we need both high quality teaching “and” excellent conditions under which learning takes place.

We can monitor outcomes until the cows come home but we won’t get real education reform until we supply the necessary inputs that create quality learning conditions. It’s up to us to provide the conditions conducive to creating a societal culture that values education and will unquestionably support classroom climates where excellence is the norm, for all.

Actions Set the Standard

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What does real education reform looks like? We need to go beyond the words we hear and come to understand that true reform will support, guide, produce, and ensure practices that improve every child’s education. Words, written or spoken, are not what matters most.

We keep trying to set the standards from the top down instead of guiding them from the bottom up.

We keep trying to set the standards from the top down instead of guiding them from the bottom up.

For example when I hear the words “encourage parental involvement,” they no longer have meaning for me. But when I listened to a young mother describe her recent first grade parent-teacher conference, I felt reason for hope.

She described a relaxed atmosphere in which the conversation focused on where the child is academically and the future goals. The students individual “quirks” were acknowledged and the parent’s role in the learning process was made clear.

Keep in mind; this is very early in the school year so this teacher must have done some authentic classroom testing (did not discuss a standardized test score). She had obviously observed the child and had gotten to know her personally. And she had a homework plan where assignments come home on Mondays and are not due immediately thus allowing for family schedules — setting an expectation without creating stress over homework for these young children.

We need the teaching profession to set and clarify their standard of practices like other professions do.

We need the teaching profession to set and clarify their standard of practice upon which the public can gauge whether or not they have the resources to do their jobs.

This is the development of a partnership to support the student’s learning.

Can you imagine what it would be like if this type of parent-teacher interaction was the standard of practice? In real education reform, we could put these practices into every teacher, leader, and counselor preparation and continuing education program, and, into action in every classroom, now.

Real Education Reform

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To understand real education reform, we have to understand the real problem.

Those that think education reform will come about through standards, testing, labeling, and degrading schools obviously don’t understand what “reform” is and is not.

Reform requires a problem be identified and the faulty practice creating the problem be replaced with a better one. When we tack on “education” in front of the word reform, it implies we are talking about a reform of the education system.

Systemically, did every school set low standards and miserably under-educate children? No, we have some very highly performing public schools; they are in the majority. Does any school under-test their students? Not that I’m aware of. Is the whole system to the point where there is no hope for it and it should be dismantled and privatized? Absolutely not! That is what reform is not. That is a simple transfer of control from public to private hands. It’s a costly shell game.

Real education reform requires that the public come to an understanding of what proven effective education reform really is and develop the drive and unyielding determination to establish all the elements of success in every school.

“We can, whenever and wherever we choose, successfully teach all children whose schooling is of interest to us. We already know more than we need to do that. Whether or not we do it must finally depend on how we feel about the fact that we haven’t so far.” Ronald Edmonds

Edmonds (1935-1983) was the lead researcher for what became known as Effective Schools Research.

Consider the Words of Reform

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In the education reform wars, words are a powerful weapon. Words often cut deep and leave lasting wounds that divide us. We hear, see, and openly acknowledge this effect by slapping a label on those we perceive as our opponents. … Continue reading →