True to form, the commissioned report entitled "A Nation at Risk" was a scathing attack on public education. To read portions of it, as I have done, one would think we were at war both with ourselves and the rest of the world. It is clear from the harsh tone and actual language that we had lost our way. It is mind blowing to understand just what motivated this lashing-out at education and teachers. Was it because of the actual classroom conditions, perceived failures, 'the times,' the ushering in of the Reagan era (remember he didn't even want a Dept. of Education) or was it, most likely, a combination of many forces.
Whatever precipitated the onslaught, the damage was, and still is, done. We have moved towards a time when any successes/failures in the classroom and education in total must be quantified. Standardized testing, accountability, time on task, more testing, longer school days, lengthier school year, merit pay tied to student test scores and more. It is a perpetual maze of meeting standards, measuring up if you will.
Of course almost all of the above doesn't come close to dealing with students; their level of interest in material, their level of motivation, how they see themselves in the world and other issues pertaining to their lives. Much of the quantification craze also has little to do with great teaching!
To get right down to it...Perhaps the report "A Nation at Risk" has done more harm than good!
Dick
Friday, October 10, 2014
Thursday, October 9, 2014
A Nation at Risk - Part II
If you read my recent blog concerning itself with the 1983 report, "A Nation at Risk," you will understand that this commissioned report has had much to do with events currently taking place in the classrooms of America. Be it standardized testing, the creation of charters or the accountability factor, it is clear that the report has had a profound influence on today's education.
Where to start. Well, first of all President Reagan refused to commission the report. His Secretary of Education, T.H. Bell set up the commission. In fact, President Reagan, as one of his goals, actually wanted to abolish the Department of Education. No wonder he didn't commission it!
It's general outcome was that America was "was not meeting the need for a competitive workforce." The thinking was that we were becoming less competitive because something must be wrong with primary, secondary and post secondary education.
I think this is an important point because it seems to assume that the goal of education is to prepare our citizens to be workers while seemingly ignoring the other crucial roles that education plays in the lives of its citizens. So, it appears that the mission of the report almost completely ignores other crucial roles that education has played throughout the course of America's history and which has helped to advance our society
The report came up with five content areas that need to be addressed. These include; content, standards & expectations, time, teaching, and leadership & fiscal support. In the coming days I will comment on these areas and do my best to demonstrate the relationship between these and what is currently taking place on the American education scene.
Dick
Where to start. Well, first of all President Reagan refused to commission the report. His Secretary of Education, T.H. Bell set up the commission. In fact, President Reagan, as one of his goals, actually wanted to abolish the Department of Education. No wonder he didn't commission it!
It's general outcome was that America was "was not meeting the need for a competitive workforce." The thinking was that we were becoming less competitive because something must be wrong with primary, secondary and post secondary education.
I think this is an important point because it seems to assume that the goal of education is to prepare our citizens to be workers while seemingly ignoring the other crucial roles that education plays in the lives of its citizens. So, it appears that the mission of the report almost completely ignores other crucial roles that education has played throughout the course of America's history and which has helped to advance our society
The report came up with five content areas that need to be addressed. These include; content, standards & expectations, time, teaching, and leadership & fiscal support. In the coming days I will comment on these areas and do my best to demonstrate the relationship between these and what is currently taking place on the American education scene.
Dick
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
A Nation at Risk
That famous piece of bureaucracy encased in the report, "A Nation at Risk" certainly caused a stir in 1983 and it still, in my view, sadly remains a landmark that continues to bash public education as it set off the cry for accountability, national standards, testing and so very much more. As these particular features of American education still persist to this day it is worth noting that this report was driven during the Presidency of Ronald Reagan along with his Education Secretary William Bennett.
The report essentially said that many of America's teachers were not up to par. Of course, lots of blame was laid at the doorsteps of teacher associations...unions to many.
Though the movement spawned by this report was big on closing the gap between test scores of whites, blacks and others of color, it is worth noting that the report explicitly rejected many of the other civil rights oriented goals of the previous two decades. It's as if the report, and subsequent actions, were blind to many of the realities back then and even today. Yes, scores must improve but by not addressing those still harmed by the lack of civil and economic rights those actions were doomed to fail.
Perhaps the actions which followed in the aftermath of "A Nation at Risk," today's charters, mandated testing and the like did more to jeopardize or harm the nation than they solved. I believe it is worth thinking about!
Dick
The report essentially said that many of America's teachers were not up to par. Of course, lots of blame was laid at the doorsteps of teacher associations...unions to many.
Though the movement spawned by this report was big on closing the gap between test scores of whites, blacks and others of color, it is worth noting that the report explicitly rejected many of the other civil rights oriented goals of the previous two decades. It's as if the report, and subsequent actions, were blind to many of the realities back then and even today. Yes, scores must improve but by not addressing those still harmed by the lack of civil and economic rights those actions were doomed to fail.
Perhaps the actions which followed in the aftermath of "A Nation at Risk," today's charters, mandated testing and the like did more to jeopardize or harm the nation than they solved. I believe it is worth thinking about!
Dick
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
True Reform
School reform, in my mind, is a misguided and poor term to use in discussing the state of public education. I believe what we all ought to be discussing or focused on education going forward. To say that we need to reform education smacks of 'something is terribly wrong.' It's not a matter that something is wrong; rather, that we need to make adjustments and modifications in or to move the enterprise forward.
The history of public education is laced with as many ups and downs as any institution has endured. That being said, the history of American education is one of proven success. It is critical to examine long term/larger picture in order to see that the American public education system has served this country well.
True 'reform' (if that term must be used) is one that has always been at the forefront of the discussion. This is nothing new. Nearly everyone has gone to school and/or college and that means people have a basis of knowledge because of that fact. It is understandable that everyone is going to weigh in on the state of education.
I believe that moving forward we would all be best served, not by shutting anyone out of the conversation, but by making sure that the over 3,000,000 teachers in this country are the ones who need to lead the dialogue. When we look to our teachers, professors and other professionals in the classrooms of America I believe we will find the ideas and solutions that will continue to serve the citizens of this country in the manner they deserve.
Dick
The history of public education is laced with as many ups and downs as any institution has endured. That being said, the history of American education is one of proven success. It is critical to examine long term/larger picture in order to see that the American public education system has served this country well.
True 'reform' (if that term must be used) is one that has always been at the forefront of the discussion. This is nothing new. Nearly everyone has gone to school and/or college and that means people have a basis of knowledge because of that fact. It is understandable that everyone is going to weigh in on the state of education.
I believe that moving forward we would all be best served, not by shutting anyone out of the conversation, but by making sure that the over 3,000,000 teachers in this country are the ones who need to lead the dialogue. When we look to our teachers, professors and other professionals in the classrooms of America I believe we will find the ideas and solutions that will continue to serve the citizens of this country in the manner they deserve.
Dick
Monday, October 6, 2014
Another Myth Buster
One of the major complaints of the reformers is that too many bad teachers are protected by tenure and unions (actually most schools are part of associations not unions). Well, hold on friends, I have some news for you!! In a thoughtful and provocative recent release Dana Goldstein in "The Teacher Wars" debunks this harmful and misguided myth.
As Goldstein notes, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that companies with over "1,000 employees lost only about 2% of their workforce from firings, resignations, and layoffs combined." By the way, this is recent research from 2012. Goldstein goes on to say that "In 2007, the last year for which national data is available, 2.1% of school teachers were fired for cause, a figure that includes tenured teachers.
The fact of the matter is this...teachers are more, not less, likely than many other workers to get fired.
Maybe some out there want more teachers to be fired but that is a different proposition than saying that teachers aren't let go because of poor performance. It would serve everyone well to get their facts straight.
Just another one of those myths circulating as truth but, in fact, it is just that...a myth and not truth!
Dick
As Goldstein notes, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that companies with over "1,000 employees lost only about 2% of their workforce from firings, resignations, and layoffs combined." By the way, this is recent research from 2012. Goldstein goes on to say that "In 2007, the last year for which national data is available, 2.1% of school teachers were fired for cause, a figure that includes tenured teachers.
The fact of the matter is this...teachers are more, not less, likely than many other workers to get fired.
Maybe some out there want more teachers to be fired but that is a different proposition than saying that teachers aren't let go because of poor performance. It would serve everyone well to get their facts straight.
Just another one of those myths circulating as truth but, in fact, it is just that...a myth and not truth!
Dick
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Another One Bites the Dust
The Spring of 2013 saw the closure of 50 neighborhood CPS schools. Word now comes that Hancock High, a neighborhood high school, will now become a selective enrollment school. As the Sun Times reported on Oct. 2nd, that means "the school will no longer guarantee any of its seats to neighborhood children."
Hancock will become the 11th selective enrollment high school in the city. One of the key things to understand, among many regarding the choice of Hancock, is the fact that students get into selective schools via a test. So when you get right down to it, this will not be a neighborhood school in any way, shape or form.
By the way, no public hearings were held prior to this announcement. How is that for engaging the public on such a plan? A community hearing will be held to gauge reaction to the proposal to make Hancock a selective school but you can be pretty darn sure nothing will change.
Just curious...has the current Hancock done something wrong? Can the current school's administration add the programs destined for Hancock as a selective school without gutting the current school's programs? I wonder if that was looked at...not likely!
Dick
Hancock will become the 11th selective enrollment high school in the city. One of the key things to understand, among many regarding the choice of Hancock, is the fact that students get into selective schools via a test. So when you get right down to it, this will not be a neighborhood school in any way, shape or form.
By the way, no public hearings were held prior to this announcement. How is that for engaging the public on such a plan? A community hearing will be held to gauge reaction to the proposal to make Hancock a selective school but you can be pretty darn sure nothing will change.
Just curious...has the current Hancock done something wrong? Can the current school's administration add the programs destined for Hancock as a selective school without gutting the current school's programs? I wonder if that was looked at...not likely!
Dick
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
No Cuts!!
Well, a bit of good news out of CPS late last week with regard to funding. The 10th day of school is always an important benchmark in terms of attendance as it relates to either an increase in funding or a decrease to the individual schools. Traditionally, if a school, on the 10th day of classes has fewer students than what was projected, that usually results in funding cuts to schools which have lower actual enrollment figures.
The CPS brass made a decision not to take back any of its money from schools that did come up short on enrollment. This is good news for the often cash strapped CPS-run schools. Sadly, many of these schools did see a reduction in student enrollment after 10 days of classes.
Thank goodness CPS didn't penalize the schools who suffered a shortfall of students. Any more cuts to these schools, some which face an array of problems, would further cripple learning and further inflame other issues and concerns within the various communities.
Dick
The CPS brass made a decision not to take back any of its money from schools that did come up short on enrollment. This is good news for the often cash strapped CPS-run schools. Sadly, many of these schools did see a reduction in student enrollment after 10 days of classes.
Thank goodness CPS didn't penalize the schools who suffered a shortfall of students. Any more cuts to these schools, some which face an array of problems, would further cripple learning and further inflame other issues and concerns within the various communities.
Dick
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