Strains on Public Education

 The strains today on public education come from many sides.   We're all sadly too familar with the issues caused by the pandemic, grumbling from some quarters of the public, and the seemingly endless stream of reformers.

But there's far more to the hit that public education has taken over a period of time that many other delivery systems of education are less likely to have to deal with.    In fact, on some issues they don't have to deal with them particularly when it comes to various state mandates (I'm not by the way suggesting all the mandates are helpful).

I'd be interested to know how many charter schools, private and selective ones take on the load of Education Services students compared to the neighborhood public school.   And if they enroll Education Services students do they provide top flight services?   Do those schools, as a group, have to live up to the expectations of the neighborhood schools when it comes to disclosing finances and their manner of operation.

And then (perhaps an elephant in the room) do some of the selective and private for-profit schools entertain enrolling those from poverty striken backgrounds or those who have 'low' test scores?

My point is this...the traditional neighborhood public school and their respective staffs have plenty thrown at them that other education delivery systems can and do avoid.   So, let's not be quite so quick to be critical of our neighborhood schools.   We might just want to be a bit more supportive!

Thanks and have a good weekend,

Dick

A Perspective on CPS

For those of you who follow my blog/facebook posts, yesterday I mentioned some of the many positive programs in the Chicago Public Schools system.   Terry Meyers, one of the many excellent colleagues I taught with at Hinsdale Central, after reading my post, had this to say about her experience as a substitute teacher.   It gets to the core of point that many wonderful things are taking place in the classroom.   This is Terry's own words...

 Terry Meyers

After I retired I subbed in CPS for 11 years, working in over a dozen schools. I was blown away by the consistent quality of instruction, the dedication of the teachers and administrators, and the wonderful kids. Stereotypes of poor schools are misleading at best.

Before You Criticize

 There are plenty of naysayers and critics of the Chicago Public Schools.    Some of it may be warranted but a good deal of the criticism is ill placed and not true.   At the very least the general public should better understand what is taking place.

For starters it ought to be noted that many children in some of the various neighborhoods come from poverty.    That sadly is a fact and it is not a reflection of the child.   Poverty anywhere puts people behind on so many fronts and that's true in urban and rural areas.

More to my point about understanding what takes place in the various public school buildings in the city.  Many of the schools, certainly a majority, have great programs beyond the traditional curriculum.    These include Headstart, Dual Language, STEM, after school activities, various Arts programs, STEAM and more.

I'd venture to say that most people would have no idea that the various CPS schools offered such  extensive and rich programs.   In most instances the reason these programs exist is because of the building principals, assistant principals and teachers.    And isn't that often the case...the building personnel make the school all the better.

Thanks, Dick

Numbers and Learning

 To those of you curious enough to read today's blog I have a question for you.    If you recall going to school, at any level, do you suppose that testing - whatever the results - really indicated the extent of your learning?    And when I use the term 'results' I'm referring to a percentage or letter grade.

And of course there's that word 'learning.'   Is learning the ability to recall some fact, date, event or number?   Of course learning is much, much more than recitation.   Learning encompasses ones ability to adapt.   It necessarily involves research and that also calls upon one to be curious (since I alluded to that in the above paragraph).   Learning also asks us to 'stick with it' if we somehow don't get it 'the first time around.    

And, yes, learning involves picking up facts, ideas, events and the like.   But that, in and of itself, doesn't means that one has a full understanding of the meaning of those facts, ideas, events and the like.

My point is pretty simple.    'Judging' what one has learned is not something as simple as giving it a number.    And I do believe we have moved to far to the extreme of believing that numbers are proof that something is learned or not.

Thanks, Dick

A Call to Arms

Shortages in the workforce abound.   The nation is seeking retail worker of all sorts, truck and bus drivers as well as teachers.    And we are just talking regular full time classroom instructors.   One of the biggest voids which exists right now is in the area of substitute teachers.

Some states are going to extraordinary lengths.   Last week the Washington Post ran a piece on who states are turning to with regard to finding subs.   New Mexico is asking for volunteers from state employees and the National Guard.   Yes, the National Guard!!!   In Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker made 250 National Guard personnel available to drive school buses.

That's not all.    Some schools are using principals, parents and school board members to fill shortages in the classroom, lunch line along with performing janitorial duties.

There may ultimately be an upside to all of this.    Down the line maybe the personnel shortages in all aspects of education will prove beneficial.   Perhaps, and just perhaps, others will witness the dedication and background needed to be a great educator and do something about inspiring others to become teachers.

Thanks, Dick

Don't let the Schoolhouse Wolves Win!

 Over the past couple of weeks I have tried to lay out the attempt by the 'wolves,' better known in their inner circles as reformers, to disassemble public education.   The wolves are numerous; think tanks, politicians, administration officials, and some in the public.   

Their agenda is multi-pronged.   To some they want more money spent on private and charter schools.  Others still want simply to strip power from unions.  Some wolves think the money spent on public education is wasteful.  A good number of the naysayers claim that public education isn't working and there are better ways to deliver on this front.   Still others want to find ways to game the system.

Let me leave you with this.    The damage done by the 'wolves' is real.   To a certain degree there is an erosion of confidence in public education.   There is sharp criticism of teachers by a fair number of 'wolves' and the trust - fundamental to making any enterprise function - in those who are the frontline workers is taking a real hit.  

Yes, we have to call off the 'wolves.'   That means making sure teachers are treated as professionals just as we treat dentists, doctors and others as professionals.   It means that 'We the People' have to tell various officials who aren't in the classroom to listen to their frontline workers and to lay off with putting more on the backs of teachers.    We each have to find a way to help make public education all it has been, is and can be going forward.

Thanks, Dick

Willing to Bet

 While still teaching in 2003 I decided I wanted to hear from students.    It was a wide ranging survery where I contacted 1,052 students at a variety of grade levels in 7 states.   Student and teacher names were withheld and I had a high degree of certainty that I was getting some valuable feedback.  I found the results instructive and I wish I could give the same survery to the very same students today.

I hit them on a number of topics and issues.   I asked them how they best learned, their overall concerns, their interests, and what courses most liked and disliked.   The survey asked them to rate the value of teachers, projects, styles of teaching and the importance of computers.

By far, when it came to rating of how students best learned and the value of the various resources/tools, students overwhelmingly said that a good teacher was the most important element in their learning.    Some 72% of students said that the teacher was most vital to their learning.

You know what?    I'd be willing to venture that the results would hold true for the most part in 2022!!

Thanks, Dick