I told you I was still mulling...still evolving. Here's more thoughts after watching "Waiting for 'Superman'"...
One thing that did bug me about the film was that it presented parents in only a positive light. The crew followed several kids whose mothers, fathers, and grandmothers wanted nothing more than for their child to get a high quality education. These parents were nothing short of inspiring - many of them working several jobs and making their own personal sacrifices for the benefit of their child. But what about the parents that don't?
One claim that the film made was that charter schools are often more successful than regular public schools. Is some of this due to the innovation and forward-thinking happening in those schools? Yes. But there is also the other side that isn't as obvious.... The parents of students at charter schools are far more likely to have a strong interest in their child's education. After all, they had to APPLY to send their child there. That takes initiative. Parents who send their children to public schools do not have to apply. It is not seen as a privilege to be educated at these schools, but a right. Perhaps the difference between the impoverished child at the charter school and the impoverished child at the regular public school is not only the type of instruction they are receiving, but their support level at home as well.
The flip side of the education mess is that teachers and administrators simply cannot do it all. Yes, we can respond to a changing world and ensure high quality professional educators for all children. But no, we cannot control cultural and home life influences. According to many researchers, the highest indicator of student success in school is parent involvement, which is something the school cannot force. We can encourage it and offer all the opportunities in the world, but when parents won't return phone calls, show up to special events, or even attend parent-teacher conferences, what message are they sending to their children?
So yes, let's make sure we have quality professionals working in education. But let's also hold parents accountable for their part as well. And if you really want to get radical, what happens when we focus instead on educating parents?
I'm sure there will be more to come as I continue to stew. Stay tuned....
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
a teacher evolving
I just finished watching the documentary "Waiting for 'Superman'" about the need for reform in America's education system. I have to admit, I went into this viewing with my guard up. As an educator it is hard to hear that something you care about so deeply that you actually consider it part of your soul, is broken. But it is.
For so long I have been offended when anyone tried to point the finger at teachers as a source of the problem with education. I know many amazing educators who give everything they have to the art of teaching, as I know I do. But the reality is that not all teachers do. And there are unqualified, ineffective teachers in classrooms all across the nation. Do I want them protected, simply because they are part of the same career path as me? Perhaps it is time that I start viewing this approach to teacher performance differently.
As a qualified, effective teacher I am confident that I will be evaluated highly by my administrator. I get nervous about test scores, though. I even wrote a letter to my state representative regarding a bill in the Missouri House related to teacher evaluation, test scores, and tenure, and I posted it on this blog. But if I truly believe that all children can learn and succeed, should I fear? Yes, my students come to me with multiple disadvantages - poverty, unstable homes, lack of parent support - but does that mean that my students can't be proficient in reading and math? And am I enough to make that happen or is there too much out there beyond my control that I may never be able to overcome?
More than every I am open to the elimination of tenure. Other companies and jobs do not have this concept. Teachers have long argued that without tenure, districts would be free to terminate employees at will, without just causes. Isn't that the same in the normal workforce as well? And if we are all effective and high-performing, then what are we afraid of? I, for one, feel pretty comfortable that I could keep my job without tenure and I teach a class that isn't even required by the district! In the film, they showed a deal offered to DC teachers that they could forgo tenure and more than double their salary. The unions wouldn't even vote on it because they found it so threatening. If we were offered that same deal here, I would be the first in line to take the increased salary. I am confident in what I do and honestly, it would be nice to feel like the pay was proportionate to the work.
I have to admit that the film gave me much to think about and digest over the next couple of months as we have summer break (Which for the record is a great example of the variance among teachers. Myself and a handful of others I know will spend the summer meeting with kids, tutoring for free, and attending professional development to grow our craft, while others choose not to. We get paid the same.) My mind is opening to new possibilities and my thoughts about how to fix this broken system are evolving. In short, I am learning. And really, that's what it's all about.
For so long I have been offended when anyone tried to point the finger at teachers as a source of the problem with education. I know many amazing educators who give everything they have to the art of teaching, as I know I do. But the reality is that not all teachers do. And there are unqualified, ineffective teachers in classrooms all across the nation. Do I want them protected, simply because they are part of the same career path as me? Perhaps it is time that I start viewing this approach to teacher performance differently.
As a qualified, effective teacher I am confident that I will be evaluated highly by my administrator. I get nervous about test scores, though. I even wrote a letter to my state representative regarding a bill in the Missouri House related to teacher evaluation, test scores, and tenure, and I posted it on this blog. But if I truly believe that all children can learn and succeed, should I fear? Yes, my students come to me with multiple disadvantages - poverty, unstable homes, lack of parent support - but does that mean that my students can't be proficient in reading and math? And am I enough to make that happen or is there too much out there beyond my control that I may never be able to overcome?
More than every I am open to the elimination of tenure. Other companies and jobs do not have this concept. Teachers have long argued that without tenure, districts would be free to terminate employees at will, without just causes. Isn't that the same in the normal workforce as well? And if we are all effective and high-performing, then what are we afraid of? I, for one, feel pretty comfortable that I could keep my job without tenure and I teach a class that isn't even required by the district! In the film, they showed a deal offered to DC teachers that they could forgo tenure and more than double their salary. The unions wouldn't even vote on it because they found it so threatening. If we were offered that same deal here, I would be the first in line to take the increased salary. I am confident in what I do and honestly, it would be nice to feel like the pay was proportionate to the work.
I have to admit that the film gave me much to think about and digest over the next couple of months as we have summer break (Which for the record is a great example of the variance among teachers. Myself and a handful of others I know will spend the summer meeting with kids, tutoring for free, and attending professional development to grow our craft, while others choose not to. We get paid the same.) My mind is opening to new possibilities and my thoughts about how to fix this broken system are evolving. In short, I am learning. And really, that's what it's all about.
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