“In America, when a problem is too difficult for adults, we pass it on to schools.” – Patricia A. Graham, 1996
The historical appraisals of the education system in the U.S. bring much to the table in the way of why we have institutional education. But it also offers a glimpse as to how we got here. I say this because I’ve spent the better part of the evening reading about how Illinois calculates AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress or Always Yell Persistently. Either way, I end up yelling after reading about AYP!) and now is the part of your reading where you’re wondering if I’m going to discuss female body parts or the genius that is making tampon flower bouquets (it was Craft Time at the Camp Mocha last weekend).
I’ve read A Nation At Risk.
I know the details surrounding Brown v Board of Education.
I’m aware of the deep religious origins of American education.
I realize that the stories about what I see and hear and do in education are far more interesting and telling about the state of education in 2009. The things I don’t write about or can’t talk about could fill a book. There’s never a dull day and yet the “being fulfilled” in my position isn’t a standard measurement I can use to justify the job. In the broader sense I think that education is only one way of schooling. Not every student will go to college nor do they have to see that as The Only Way. But we continue to champion academic success by looking at the graduation rate and the percentage of students going on to post-secondary educational schooling. Of the many things I think that need to be changed in education that is high on my list:
How do we get students, all students, even the vocational tech students, to recalibrate what constitutes a successful life? In my case, I set the parameters of what is successful to me and don’t expect to hold anyone else to that exact standard.
Some days “success” comes in the form of watching a student’s grasp of geometry take hold.
Some days “success” is when I see two students mediate their differences and leave my office with a greater understanding of one another and, more importantly, themselves.
Some days “success” is knowing that I helped remove a known gang member from the general population so that students could come to school in a safe environment and learn.
A sense of humor is essential. A smile makes all the difference in the world. Schools are a magical place to be and today happened to be one of those days where I felt every single emotion an educator can feel while carrying out the consequential and significant task of teaching. I can have all the knowledge in the world about teaching but if I have not the capacity to care then I may as well quit now. The questions I have about school remain to this day ones that I utter to colleagues in exasperation. It’s almost like a broken record of “Why do we have to fix ALL THIS STUFF?” Most certainly, compulsory education forces the hand of educational policy and once that comes back into focus for me I look at all the great kids in my life and think, “Hey! I didn’t screw that one up!”
Some days that’s all I can hope for.
It would be nice if all students just had that drive to succeed regardless of the path that they’re walking.
I love your attitude! Success isn’t measured in test scores, no matter what AYP stands for.
BTW, my school’s scores will be in the mail soon, and my class has historically tested low. My goal this year wasn’t test scores: it was teaching my kids to cope with a class double the size of what they’ve experienced in the past.
It is interesting how educators are responsible for reaching the children where they are, yet the progress reports, tests and such are responsible for assessing the children against a universal standard. If we acknowledge the discrepancy, then perhaps we could have a clearer picture of our effectiveness. But we seem unable to make the distinction between where we are academically, and where we could be, all things being equal–ie.if that’s where we want to be and we have the support necessary to get there.
I’m glad you’re looking at the picture as a whole, and that you’re possibly high enough in the system to implement some kind of change. Or am I way off base there?
I agree with Avitable’s comment, but there is one problem with that–our schools only appreciate and reward one path the others are made to often feel like failures even if they are doing well.
As an educator, I agree with so much of what you have said. I have always worked in impoverished schools where test scores are the most important things. As a teacher, I have always felt that test scores were the least important and I never focussed on them in class and my students always seemed to do well when it came test time, because I hadn’t put any pressure on them.
There are so many issues with our public educational system. With each new policy we end up moving further away from giving our students–or allowing our students to get the type of education they really need in order to be life long learners in whatever field they choose.
I am a fan of tracking–not school imposed tracking but student imposed tracking. Student’s know whether they are going on to college or not, etc. We took the choice away from schools but we didn’t give that choice to students. Only 20% of all jobs require a college degree yet we want all of our students to get one. Are we just setting them up for future failure?
I could go on and on–but I won’t monopolize your comments. This post was great and I agree that academics really is only a small fraction of the schooling our kids need.
I wish you were the AP at my kids’ high school.
I’ve had my share of issues and successes with the local school district, but after what I did to the poor administrators of MY high school back in the daze? I’m much more understanding with those shaping my children today.
I’m thankful that your struggles are such that they are. By which I mean that in Oregon, many teachers and staff have an “agenda”…be it environmentalism, gay rights, religious right or sex education versus abstinence. It’s a big to-do in this state, and we would all do much better to have your mindset.
Lots of hugs,
TSM
Angie – I must admit not to being that high up on the ladder. I share the work, like all educators do, but getting the real change to happen is slow and feels small on the scale.
That’ll never stop me from doing the work.
Y’all remember all those wishes for me to be the AP at your kids’ schools when I lose my job.
Which, I’m not going to do.
So don’t read anything into that.
It was just a phrase.
Ok. STOP. I must STOP myself from commenting here because really I am just trying to be funny.
I’m leaving now…
Kelly, I think I understand what you’re getting at, and I also think that parents place too much blame on teachers and expect them to “fix” their kids when it comes to education.
I’m thinking parents need to get more involved with their kids’ education. So here’s my question: Dawson is 4 years old and I’ve enrolled him in 4K next year. What kinds of things can I do to help him succeed in school now and throughout the rest of his school years? How can I be of benefit to his teachers?
Maybe I’m naive, and perhaps I should know the answer, but I don’t. And too often I hear parents blaming teachers for things and it seems very unfair.
I’m a new teacher. I’m working “up north” in Canada. If you’re from Canada, and you’re from “up north”, you know what kind of a community I am talking about.
I’ve been teaching for…….. oh, three weeks and working on my fourth. In my class already, there have been at least 8 suspensions. I’ve also had a gun pointed at me… and… God knows what else. Suspensions should actually be mroe like, 50 if we were in any other school, than one “up north”.
The community’s problems are immersed within the children… I’m seeing behaviours no child should have… the effects of drugs and alcohol both in the environment and in utero… we’re constantly being “blamed” for these children not “succeeding”…. when the problem is really top down and not down up. Meaning… the community is so broken, that the they feel the only way to fix it is through the kids… but these are kids, dealing with adult problems. They can’t and aren’t equipped to do it.
I’m thinking of writing a book, called The Perfect Storm… when all of the elements for a severely dysfunctional classroom are all put into one class, all at once… ugh.
Dana – I think the best question you could ask is that one. How can *I* be the best advocate for my child? The answer lies in more questions.
How does my child learn best?
What accommodations does he need?
Where can I get him the help he requires?
What is the best way to get information from him about what he’s mastered?
What level is he? Where could he be with X amount of work?
Keep asking. It’s an educator’s dream to hear all that.
In-cog-neat-oh! – I hate to say it, but I feel your pain. I deal with those same things except I’ve not had a gun in my face. My reply is always the same to your wonderings: we’re not leaving children behind. They’re coming to us that way?
So how can we help the greater community at large then? Because we have the resources. This can be fixed. Are we all willing to do it?
I graduated 157th out of 174 students in my class. I missed over 70 days of school my Senior year. I didn’t know how to use a comma or the answer to X + 3=5.
I went on to get a PhD in Biological Chemistry, and I have my own business that involves the law and science.
Some of us figured it out early (my sister). Some of us figured it out late (me). Some of us never figured it out (my brother).
During the course of my K-12 education a few folks tried to help. Early on, I wasn’t able to respond to their offers; later on, I wasn’t interested.
I guess I’m saying that if a kid doesn’t have support at home and isn’t interested, then you may be trying to make a horse drink. Or something like that.
I really like your examples of “success.” Sometimes I think we parents (& “society,” however you define it) lose the trees because of the forest. We forget to smile. We don’t make time to care. We don’t celebrate 2 kids learning how to “agree to disagree,” because those things get lost behind “ALL THIS STUFF” that needs fixing, as you put it. We focus on what the child can become, rather than recognize that he IS someone today who needs us. I know you are needed where you are, but I wish we could clone you!