Tuesday, January 12, 2010

What would we say if we could?

Read this blog with some professional reading today. The man's point is legit. Teachers are where the rubber meets the road (the juice meets the cell-phone?) in education, but there isn't much energy in finding out what we want and need to do the job successfully. It seems as though in the big picture, we're treated like a crowd of students, everyone gets punished for what some will (or won't) do. Imagine a roomful of politicians deciding what might truly change education. The school they are picturing can't be much like reality. They probably think fondly of the smell of mimeographed copies and remember pounding erasers to curry the teacher's favor. Oh wait, that was my school experience.

But if the question were posed to teachers, "What should be done to improve the overall results of education?" I'm not sure we'd get much information from the answers. There are almost as many answers as there are students. The things I would ask for are intangibles: don't kill their curiosity before they even start school, teach them that learning is fun, that it matters. I want students who are skeptical, but not cynical. Change schools so our work is relevant, connects to what concerns us all in the world, and seeks to prepare our children for an uncertain future. When are those Chinese classes coming on board, anyway?

I do know the answers can't be found in the federal government's pitiful new education program "Race to the Top." I was surprised that even 15 counties in Florida have signed on for a shot at these funds and it's telling that only one union leader out of those counties has agreed. The documentation disseminated about this program before the vote said that a county had to have the union on board, now that only one does, I'm sure that rule will be changed. The state legislature can only see the dollar signs, even though the amounts can't change the big picture. The details are so murky even the superintendents who've signed say they don't know how it will play out. Why would anyone sign a form saying "Yes, I am interested in getting money with many strings attached even while it's unclear what they are"? This writer says it more nicely than I have. But I don't think eyes wide open will cover it. Can you imagine a school board saying no to money that costs them nothing more than increased pressure on teachers?

1 comment:

MJ said...

I read this when you posted it and all the links. It had me thinking and still does.