A Compilation of Sensible Rhetoric

I worked hard at memorizing lists of facts and figures, and carried with me a book of facts ~ Charles Van Doren

For the past two days, there has been a couple of interesting "lists" based on common-sense logic, experiences, and "white lies", from likely and unlikely sources. I would like to share and compile some of those lists below:

Yesterday, accomplished teacher/instructional coach-turned-activist/writer, Anthony Cody, created a list of nonsense ideas being touted by ed deformers and complementing each item with a common sense approach he and other educators (including myself) believe is necessary for meaningful school reform (in colored bold and larger font) -- see here for article:

• Poverty is just an exuse; poverty matters.
• Class size doesn't matter; class sizes matters in many ways
• Test scores are the way we measure student learning; when we focus all of our energy on only one set of measurements, we miss so many other crucial aspects of learning
• Reform MUST be driven by external measures such as high stakes tests; assessments are most useful and reliable when they are closely connected to classroom instruction
• [Classroom] experience does not matter; experience matters very much
• Tenure provides teachers with lifetime jobs... Teachers do not have "jobs for life"; we have due process.
• Charter schools are deserving of public funds and support; actually, charters have not even been shown to have better test scores, on average, than regular public schools
• The heart and soul of a school is in our passion for data; the heart and soul of a school is in our passion for children

Today, from of all places -- the Wall Street Journal's SmartMoney magazine, author Sarah Morgan included in her compilations of "10 THINGS" a list of truths charter schools would like to keep out of public domain:

1. We're no better than public schools
2. Our teachers aren't certified
3. Plus, they keep quitting
4. Students with disabilities need not apply
5. Separation of church and state? We found a loophole
6. We don't have to tell you where your tax dollars are going
7. We'll do anything to recruit more kids...
8. ...but we'll push them out if they don't perform
9. Success can be brought
10. Even great teachers can only do so much

As a supplement, SmartMoney has a similar "10 THINGS" list for public school districts as well; you can view that list at your perusal.

Finally, in a call for more activism from educators and public education advocates, Failing Schools' blogger Sabrina Stevens Shupe included in her plead an accurate list of characteristics that makes schools "sick environments":

• The mandated curriculum and teaching practices are often drastically out of step with what is known about how people learn
• Children have little to no time to play (especially if they don’t pass the tests), and people are openly hostile to the idea that joy and learning can co-exist, or the idea that creativity is as important as basic skills
• Children are so anxious about work and tests that they cry and vomit in class. (There’s also something pathological about a paper that reports on such occurrences as if they’re positive developments…)
• Bullying is committed not only by errant children, but by school leaders
• Parents are pressured to medicate their young children, while older students illegally procure the same drugs in order to survive the schooling experience
• Teachers who routinely work 10 to 12 hours a day have trouble keeping up with all of the demands on their time and energy, and develop severe health problems like exhaustion, high blood pressure, insomnia, depression, and anxiety as a result
• Children who routinely work 10 to 12 hours a day have trouble keeping up with all of the demands on their time and energy, and develop severe health problems…
• Lying is all but required in order to keep your job, and competitive/punitive assessment practices for students and teachers create such desperation that cheating is increasingly common.
• The most “accountable” people in the system are the least powerful, being told everything from what to teach and how and when to teach it to the specific manner in which the information on their whiteboards should be arranged (and if you dare to question such things, well…)
• Veteran teachers who found joy in teaching for decades are now itching to retire because their working conditions have deteriorated so badly, while younger teachers leave much sooner, feeling undervalued, burned out and unable to imagine how we might balance such work with families or lives of our own.

Blockbuster Teaching

With all of the hype focused on several educational documentaries on the crises in our public schools, I would like to pay homage to a special group of public school educators who made a REAL difference in their students’ lives. The stories of each of these educators caught the eye of Hollywood. Consequently, from 1981 to 2007, a movie was made depicting the stories of each of these educators.

There were several commonalities theses movies shared. In each movie, the educator was portrayed by a well-known veteran actor or actress; many of them won or were nominated for Oscars and Emmy awards. Each educator depicted was passionate, dedicated, yet caring to the needs of the students. Each educator depicted taught at a public school; one of the educators eventually created her own school. Each educator depicted overcame professional odds and made some sacrifices in their personal lives to make extraordinary contributions to education. Each educator depicted was certified and credentialed, and has devoted more than two years to the teaching profession.

So, without further adieu, this is my list of eight movies I categorized as Blockbuster Teaching:

The Marva Collins Story (1981-TV film) -- Marva Collins portrayed by Cecily Tyson

Hard Lessons: The George McKenna Story (1986-TV film) -- George McKenna portrayed by Denzel Washington

Stand and Deliver (1988) -- Jaime Escalante portrayed by Edward James Olmos

Lean on Me (1989) -- Joe Clark portrayed by Morgan Freeman

Dangerous Minds (1995) -- LouAnne Johnson portrayed by Michelle Pfeiffer

Coach Carter (2005) -- Ken Carter portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson

Fighting The Odds: The Marilyn Gambrell Story (2005-cable TV film) -- Marilyn Gambrell portrayed by Jaime Gertz

Freedom Writers (2007) -- Erin Gruwell portrayed by Hilary Swank

With the exception of Jaime Escalante, who passed away earlier this year, each of these educators continue to make a difference in the lives of kids and countless others, thanks to their Hollywood exposure.

So, educators, please remember these movies and watch them to inspire you to be better in your craft and deepen your passion to make a difference in the classroom and/or schoolhouse. For Blockbuster Teaching may become extinct in the next few years if ed deformers have their way...:(

Profile: Diane Ravitch -- Righting Her Wrongs

Click here for her biographies (from her website and NYU faculty bio), blog, Facebook Page, and Twitter account.

It is doubt that shows we are still thinking, still willing to reexamine hardened beliefs when confronted with new facts and new evidence. ~ Diane Ravitch

Prior to blogging on education, I never heard of Dr. Diane Ravitch, renowned education historian who has authored several books and written many education-related articles and op-eds. Her lengthy career in education began long before I was born or before I started my teaching career over ten years ago. However, what she has done recently not only should be celebrated among public education supporters, but also teach us a lesson about acknowledging mistakes. While we are all entitled to make mistakes, in redeeming ourselves, we must not only acknowledge our wrongs but also correct them.

According to her latest best-selling book, The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education, Dr. Ravitch explained, in keen yet uncompromising details, how the current education reform tactics are destroying our public schools, deprofessionalizing teachers, and mis-educating our children by the overemphasis of standardized testing and school accountability. In addition, she chronicled her journey of righting her wrongs. You see, beginning with her tenure at US DOE under the first Bush administration as an assistant secretary and counselor, Dr, Ravitch, a life-long Democrat, naively pushed for the Republican educational platform of standards and school choice. Even after her stint with US DOE ended, she advocated for many of the current reform tactics, e.g., charter schools, merit pay, and accountability as well as a supporter of NCLB.

However, in the fall of 2006, she experienced her epiphany ironically at an educational conference sponsored by a conservative think tank; via scholarly presentations on the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of NCLB, Dr. Ravitch explicitly saw the massive flaws in this federal legislation. From the few number of parents not taken advantage of school choice to meeting the impossible mandate that every American student will be proficient in reading and math by the year 2014, in her book, she acknowledged these and other critical errors in NCLB, despite its good intentions of fixing our public schools and closing the achievement gaps. Since then, she has become a staunch critic of NCLB and the current education reform movement. She has consistently shared her views for sensible reform method, well-rounded curriculum, and a bottom-up approach to fixing our public schools with supporters and opponents alike. Now, I look forward to her several 140-character commentaries on Twitter daily.

I want to say my initial exposure to Dr. Ravitch was an early 2010 news report on her on CBS or ABC Nightly News; I can't remembered unfortunately. What I do remember it was around the time during the release of her latest book, which was receiving much buzz from educational circles and media outlets. After talking to one of my close friends, who is also a fellow educator, early this summer, I went to the nearby Borders bookstore and purchased her book. Well, about an hour ago, I just finished reading it...finally. Thanks to her book, I am more knowledgeable about the historical roots of the current education reform movement -- from the misconstrued impact of A Nation At Risk to NCLB as we know it to the current influx of corporate foundations intervening in the education reform debate seeking an business investment, instead of funding proven ways to properly educate our children in becoming sufficient, well-rounded, and productive citizens.

As teachers, we live busy lives, in and outside of the school house. It is difficult for some of us to have a normal social life or to indulge into an enjoyable hobby. Nevertheless, due to the urgency at hand, it is important for in-service teachers to stay informed and abreast on the current education reform movement not only on a local level, but also especially at the national level. I implored every educator and public school supporter to buy and read this book; it is a great start in understanding the seriousness of this matter. If the ed deformers have their way, the future of our children will be in grave danger, as they will be trained to become docile yet successful test-takers instead of intellectual, diverse thinkers and contributors to our society.

Dr. Ravitch, 

I have followed you and read your wonderful, enlightening book. I loved and am moved by the knowledge you willingly shared and the courage you displayed as you unapologetically follow your conscience. As educators and public education supporters, we love and appreciate your dedication and tenacity as one of the prominent critics of the current education reform movement. To me, your journey is liken to that of the Apostle Paul in the Bible. Once a notorious persecutor of Christians, Saul transformed to Paul, one of the major authoritative and supportive figures in Christian living in most of the New Testament, after having a divine epiphany of his own. Like Paul, despite the political backlash, you have championed for a great cause and conviction by righting your wrongs. Therefore, we thank you for being our "modern-day Paul" in education reform. I will forever be a die-hard fan of the influential figure you have become in our quest for quality yet sensible education reform. Keep up the good fight!

By the way, I hope you come to Atlanta soon...:)

The "Deprofessionalization" of Teaching

While doing online research for an unrelated topic for my blog, I stumbled across an episode of the acclaimed daily news program, Democracy Now!. Entitled "Educators Push Back Against Obama's 'Business Model' for School Reforms", host journalist Juan Gonzalez spoke with Karen Lewis, president of the Chicago Teachers Union, and Lois Weiner, professor of education at New Jersey City University, to discuss various issues related to the current education reform movement in America. While there is the embedded HTML code for the episode video clip on the Democracy Now! website, I opted to use the episode video clips posted on You Tube, since they are divided into two segments. Although I will focus on selected parts of the interview, I strongly encourage everyone to view it in its entirety.

In the first segment of the interview...



...this is what grab my attention the most:

JUAN GONZALEZ: But now, what’s wrong? The supporters of Arne Duncan, superintendents like Michelle Rhee in Washington, DC, Joel Klein in New York City, and others around the country, are saying, what’s wrong with having higher accountability standards for teachers? What’s wrong with encouraging experimentation and entrepreneurship, in terms of how you deliver public education to the millions of children who so far have not been served by the public education system? So what’s wrong with that?

KAREN LEWIS: Well, the problem is that the whole idea of the business model doesn’t work in education. In the business model, you can select how you want to do something. You have an opportunity to innovate in a way that discriminates. It’s very easy to do. Whereas in a public school system, where we do not select our children—we take whoever comes to the door—what we need is actually more resources and more support for the people that are there and the work that’s being done...

In the second segment of the interview...



...these are what struck me the most:

JUAN GONZALEZ: You’ve also taken a look at the impact of No Child Left Behind on teachers. Could you talk about that?

LOIS WEINER: Well, I think it’s important to understand that there are—No Child Left Behind is part of this global project to deprofessionalize teaching as an occupation. And the reason that it’s important in this project to deprofessionalize teaching is that the thinking is that the biggest expenditure in education is teacher salaries. And they want to cut costs. They want to diminish the amount of money that’s put into public education. And that means they have to lower teacher costs. And in order to do that, they have to deprofessionalize teaching. They have to make it a revolving door, in which we’re not going to pay teachers very much. They’re not going to stay very long. We’re going to credential them really fast. They’re going to go in. We’re going to burn them up. They’re going to leave in three, four, five years. And that’s the model that they want.

     So who is the biggest impediment to that occurring? Teachers’ unions. And that is what explains this massive propaganda effort to say that teachers’ unions are an impediment to reform. And in fact, they are an impediment to the deprofessionalization of teaching, which I think is a disaster. It’s a disaster for public education.

 ...

LOIS WEINER: Well, that’s part of the—you know, that’s part of the thinking here, that teaching really is not—does not have to be a skilled profession, because we’re not going to teach—we’re not going to educate kids to do anything more than work in Wal-Mart or the equivalent. They only need a seventh or an eighth grade education, at most a ninth grade education, and so we don’t need teachers who are more than, as Grover Whitehurst, a former Undersecretary of Education, said, "good enough." That’s all we need is teachers who are "good enough" to follow scripted curriculum and to teach to these standardized tests. And if you only need teachers who are good enough, you don’t have to pay them very much. And that’s the project...

While Ms. Lewis emphasizes some key criticisms of the education reform rhetoric spewed by the ed deformers, it was the commentary by Professor Weiner that opened my eyes to this game the ed deformers are playing. To the ed deformers, all of this is a systemic ploy to dumb down the future workforce to become more docile and less high-skilled, as well as to deprofessionalize the teaching profession. I think Professor Weiner conveys this better than anyone else I have heard. And I believe she is absolutely correct.

How is teaching becoming more deprofessionalized?

• In my Master's thesis, I examined how NCLB affect the teacher workforce. (Mind you that I completed my degree over a year before the current ed deformers' propaganda got into gear.) According to its HQT criteria, all public school teachers must be certified by the state, as well as attain an undergraduate degree and pass content assessment. However, that is not the case for charter school teachers; in fact, a large percentage of teachers in a charter school are not mandated in many states to be certified. Nevertheless, every public and charter school teacher must meet the HQT criteria. In retrospect, NCLB is more concerned with teachers who are more knowledgeable in their content area than in pedagogical skills.
• Educator Julia Stein shared her experiences as a charter school English teacher and described how the administrators at this particular (and probably other) charter school  as fast-tracking kids, as young as in the 10th grade, in these college-level courses which they are not prepared for.  In addition, she expressed her unfavorable views of teaching English classes with more focus on grammar and less exposure to a variety of literature
• According to the EPIC/EPRU, Miron/Applegate, and Vanderbilt studies, teacher attrition (moving to another school or leaving the profession) is as nearly twice as high in charter schools than in traditional public schools. In an article where I discovered the former study, one of the commentors, D. Jones, shared her expertise on the matter:
  I am a charter school survivor. I taught two and half years at two different charter schools and survived low pay, bounced paychecks, no pay, no running water when the school didn't pay the water bill, no personal leave time -- even to go to the doctor when sick, and many other things that public school teachers never (usually) have to contend with. Rather than leave the profession, I found a good public school district which I have now been at for 3 years. Charter schools are a training ground -- nothing more. Good teachers who love the profession should move along into the public schools and consider their charter school time a good learning experience in how NOT to do things.
• In a more recent study on teacher attrition by Vanderbilt University, dissatisfaction with working conditions was cited as the primary reason for teacher attrition among charter school teachers. plus, the rate of involuntary attrition (termination) was significantly higher among charter school teachers than their traditional counterparts. Another study on teacher attrition conducted in Wisconsin's schools, which is more biased toward ed deformers, cited lack of job security and demanding workload as the primary reasons for higher attrition rates among charter school teachers.
• Due to the current economic woes around the country, state budget cuts in education has not only affected public school teachers, but also charter school teachers as well.  For example, see what happened to the teachers in Oklahoma:
  Not even the current stimulus package from the feds can rescue charter school teachers.
• One of the perks of charter schools is having a non-unionized personnel. However, there is an increasing number of charter schools nationwide where their teachers have unionized, including in areas like NYC and Chicago.
• Throughout the country there are widespread cases of charter school executives and managers committing corruption, fraud, and profiteering of school funding, which some of it comes from taxpayers. It is also worthy to note many of these executives and managers are paid salaries much higher than superintendents and principals in public school systems.

There is no instructional leadership or real, holistic learning taken place in many of these charter schools. Instead, there is this "supervisor-subordinate" dynamic among a college-educated workforce; streamlined process of student learning that many students may not be prepared to handle; and an organizational culture where the "bosses" sit on top and are being paid nicely while the "peasants" work harder and are paid less. Of course, the ed deformers wants to portray teachers and teachers unions as being "greedy", "selfish", and "irresponsible"; they wish not to share their dirty little secret that who they are ACTUALLY describing are themselves. Oh the irony!

No professional, including many of these same ed deformers, wouldn't be who they are if it weren't for another set of professionals -- teachers. Educating children is not contingent on content mastery alone, but also pedagogical skills in understanding how children learn. That's the art of teaching. Learning is too complex for standardization. Yet, those who embrace the "business model" of schooling don't have a clue; for the people they claimed to fight for a good education will be hurt by this movement the most...our children.

UPDATE: Directly from Shanker Blog this morning comes a simple concern addressed to ed deformers: Do you REALLY think the teacher supply in the future is "deep" enough to withstand voluntary or involuntary attrition in schools, especially charter schools? I DON'T THINK SO!

Profile: Maya Soetoro-Ng: An Unlikely Ally?

Via HuffPost Education, I came across this article this morning, thinking to myself, "here we go with another 'WFS' endorsement from the White House". But to my surprise, the current president's baby half-sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng (biography), a former educator and university professor as well as a writer-in-progress, had a different reason of endorsing the film, according to her informal e-mail sent to family and friends, including education blogger Sam Chaltain (he shared her entire e-mail on his blog); read below:

Dear friend and caring community member,

I only have a few minutes right now, so my evaluation will be necessarily incomplete, but I want to share some thoughts about Guggenheim’s new documentary, “Waiting for Superman”, which I saw last night (I had only seen several discrete segments before).

At the point in the film when children were crying because they weren’t selected in school lotteries, many people around me couldn’t suppress tears and, as a mother of two girls, I too felt intense grief and empathy for the parents of the children.  After the film, I spoke with a wonderful longtime public school teacher and she was teary as well, for a different reason; she was shedding tears of frustration about the fact that the film ignored the enormous commitment and talent of many public DOE teachers and the great work taking place in the classrooms and schools where they throw in their hands and spend large parts of their days. I was one of Randi’s teachers myself in my first years of teaching in NYC. I was even the union rep. for a couple of years. I do understand the hurt, but I urged this teacher not to let the imbalanced nature of the documentary frustrate her, and instead to go talk with others in the community about what she knows, feels, remembers, and can use to help make schools even stronger.

Marveling at the emotion generated by both those who are critical of the film and those who wholly accept the film’s assessments, I’ve become increasingly glad that this imperfect but also compelling film has come along at this time.   Here’s what I hope doesn’t happen:  I hope that we don’t grow more embittered and angry with one another and expend huge amounts of energy in senseless shouting; I hope that public school teachers are not vilified by people who think that they know more than they know about what happens in classrooms.  I hope that the film’s emphasis on test scores doesn’t make us lose sight of the many other potent and meaningful forms of learning and assessment that exist like creative writing, projects of civic engagement, Socratic learning forums, and multifaceted portfolio presentations.


Here’s what I hope happens:  I hope that the film will increase the amount and caliber of dialogue between teachers, administrators, community members, and parents.  I hope that it will encourage teachers everywhere to share their craft and schools loudly and proudly, when pride is merited, and welcome the community’s assistance as well as new opportunities for collaboration.  I hope that the film will help people to see the importance of graceful negotiation when trying to change a system and recognize the true power of persuasion.  I hope that people will think of public schools as belonging to all of us, regardless of whether we have kids in the system, or have kids period.

I hope that we begin to view successful experiments, like good charter schools, as opportunities for evaluation and implementation of best practices.  Of course a larger percentage of charter schools are healthy learning environments, not because the teachers are all better but for the following reasons: charter schools are usually smaller and therefore more manageable; school charters require greater buy-in and contribution from parents; charter schools have the freedom to create cohesive school cultures surrounding issues of local interest and imperative (i.e. Hawaiian language and cultural immersion schools); the choice and freedom in charter schools often allow for a greater sense of ownership by teachers, students, and administrators; and whether conversion schools or new, charter schools are often built using innovations that have been tested and found effective in older, larger, and more overwhelmed regular DOE schools.

Now it is time to reverse the flow of innovation and use charter schools as laboratories for what might work in larger DOE schools.  Let leaders of schools, government, and community focus on building a strong sense of school family, or ohana, in every public school with less tracking, smaller class sizes, smaller learning groups within the classroom, and family-style attention to the whole child.  Let’s think about how to get the community more actively involved in public schools, find new ways for families to participate and share in the culture of the school, and bring the kids out into the community more.  Let’s work to offer free after school, extended year, and parent-enrichment programs, and have school event daycare options for single and overworked parents.  Let’s think of our public schools as the center—the beating heart—of our communities.   Go check out the film, by all means, but then let’s keep talking. With mighty love,

Maya

While I have my own issues with the movie, I too agree with Soetoro-Ng; the movie is worth seeing due to its compelling appeal to spark dialogue. Look at what's happening now in the education reform debate since the release of this film! Unfortunately, this movie has become another exploitative tool to push anti-public school and anti-teacher union propaganda being endorsed by so-called experts, including her big brother and his incompetent Secretary of Education. Thankfully, in spite of her White House connection, Soetoro-Ng hasn't forgotten where she comes from; also, she is a proponent of village accountability. These alone are refreshing...:)

Revised: The Evolution of the Charter School Movement...Originated from Educators, Tainted by Corporations

Disclaimer: Due to some technical problems causing the sudden erasure of half my initial blog entry on this topic, while editing it this morning, here is the new and revised blog entry below. Enjoy...

A few days ago, via Facebook, I came across this article written by renowned education historian, Diane Ravitch. In an eloquent, yet detailed manner, she gave a critical analysis of the movie, Waiting For Superman, challenging misconceptions about public and charter schools, as well as false information being dubbed as factual. Perhaps what grabbed my attention the most is what she stated about origins of charter schools:


The film never acknowledges that charter schools were created mainly at the instigation of Albert Shanker, the president of the American Federation of Teachers from 1974 to 1997. Shanker had the idea in 1988 that a group of public school teachers would ask their colleagues for permission to create a small school that would focus on the neediest students, those who had dropped out and those who were disengaged from school and likely to drop out. He sold the idea as a way to open schools that would collaborate with public schools and help motivate disengaged students. In 1993, Shanker turned against the charter school idea when he realized that for-profit organizations saw it as a business opportunity and were advancing an agenda of school privatization. Michelle Rhee gained her teaching experience in Baltimore as an employee of Education Alternatives, Inc., one of the first of the for-profit operations.


WHAT? WAIT! I DIDN'T KNOW THAT!

Albert Shanker

Of course, I have heard of the late great Al Shanker (biography), the legendary president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the second largest teachers union in America. But I didn't know this. Wow! Elated, I was inspired to inquire more about Shanker's role in the formation of charter schools...and it was a personal lesson learned for me

Dr. Ray Budde

From my research, I discovered several things. First, Shanker didn't first come up with the idea of charter schools; it was originated by the late Dr. Ray Budde (biography), a former teacher, principal, and education professor in Massachusetts. As a teacher, Shanker had serious issues with school administration who were giving young teachers a difficult time; hence, these teachers' passions were being destroyed. After stumbling across Budde's idea of public schools being freed from state and local bureaucracies and basically run by unionized teachers, Shanker, as AFT President, began sharing Budde's idea publicly, first in the spring of 1988 at the National Press Club.


Shortly after, educator reformers in Minnesota sought Shanker in helping with the establishment and implementation of charter schools. In fact, Minnesota became the first state to pass a charter school law in 1991, paving the way for now 40 others states, including Puerto Rico and District of Columbia, to pass similar laws. However, these reformers altered the original intent of charter schools to foster competition with public schools, utilize a more business-like operational approach, and remove not only LEA control, but also collective bargaining ties by the teachers unions. It was then that Shanker began to change his position and advocate against every charter schools idea that didn't include collective bargaining initiatives. Even today, years after Shanker's death in 1997, teachers unions are vehemently against the current charter school movement.


Thus, the idea of charter schools evolved...


...from Budde's idea:

Ray Budde's proposal was actually for a restructuring of the district: for moving from "a four-level line and staff organization" to "a two-level form in which groups of teachers would receive educational charters directly from the school board" and would carry the responsibility for instruction. It dealt with existing schools. It was the concept that Paul Hill later called the 'contract district'; that the Education Commission of the States later termed the ‘all-charter district'. ~ From Ray Budde and the origin of the "charter concept" by T. Kolderie

...and Shanker's input:

Shanker expanded on [Budde's] idea by proposing that teachers start schools new (though within existing school buildings). But like Budde, Shanker simply put his idea out there; did not move to implement it.

~ From Ray Budde and the origin of the "charter concept" by T. Kolderie

In his writing and speeches, Shanker outlined a system where educators would have greater autonomy to develop an innovative school proposal and receive a "charter" from an official government body to implement the plan. Regulations that stood in the way of the proposal would be waived, and the school would control its budget. It would be a publicly funded and non-discriminatory school of choice, where parents would choose to send their children and where teachers would choose to work. Periodic evaluations would ascertain if pre-determined goals were met and if the charter should be extended (Shanker, July 1988). This proposed "autonomy for accountability" arrangement was nothing less than the working definition of a charter school, some form of which now exists in 40 states. ~ From The Grinding Battle with Circumstance: Charter Schools and the Potential of School-Based Collective Bargaining by J. Gyruko
 
... to the current charter school movement:

      But charters only took off because others radicalized the charter concept Budde had devised. Reading Shanker’s column, Joe Nathan and Ted Kolderie, at work on educational reform in Minnesota, saw potential in the charter idea. Delighted that the powerful Al Shanker had given it his blessing, they invited him to the Twin Cities to help peddle it to Governor Rudy Perpich and the state’s legislature.
     But as they worked on the legislation that was eventually passed in 1991, Nathan and Kolderie fundamentally altered the charter concept.  According to the Budde model, charters were to be authorized by school districts and run by teachers. Central office administrators were to be pushed aside, but charter schools would still operate within collective bargaining arrangements negotiated between districts and unions.
     Nathan and Kolderie instead proposed that schools be authorized by statewide agencies that were separate and apart from local district control. That opened charter doors not only to teachers but also to outside entrepreneurs. Competition between charters and districts was to be encouraged.  All of a sudden, charter schools were free of the constraints imposed by collective bargaining contracts districts negotiated with unions.
     At this point, Shanker signed off, calling charters a “gimmick,” and teacher unions ever since have done their best to slow the movement down, insisting that charters be authorized only if local districts agree, as well as burdening charters with numerous regulations, including a requirement that they be subject to collective bargaining.  For Shanker and his heirs, the collective bargaining agreement always came first.
~ From No, Al Shanker Did Not Invent The Charter School by P. Peterson

While never abandoning collective bargaining, it is noteworthy to note that Shanker advocated for increased professionalism in the classroom by pushing for similar agendas that so-called experts are demanding for today, including

• National board certification for teachers
• High academic standards for all students
• Accountability for results
• Peer review among teachers
• Minimum competency tests for new teachers
• Team approach in school organization and management
• Cooperative learning
• Individualized and participatory instruction
• Use of technology
• Focus on other professional issues

Even today, years after Shanker's death in 1997, teachers unions are fighting for not only better working conditions and labor relations for its members, but also for better professional opportunities to improve in their craft.

One of the famous quotes by Shanker is this: When school children start paying union dues, that's when I'll start representing the interests of school children. This may sound condescending, but he was doing his job by representing the interests of those who paid his salary...the teachers and other school personnel. However, I am a firm believer that if school and district administrators would fully support and encourage their teachers the best way they can, then the teachers will give their best to their students. It would be a win-win situation. Unfortunately that is not the case. Therefore, while teacher unions are not perfect, we teachers need them to protect us and provide us with a professional voice.

UPDATE: I just came across an interesting blog entry by Queens Teacher detailing how well-known charter schools in NYC are funded. All the donors hail from, you guess it...WALL STREET! This is further proof that the education reform propaganda being pushed by, as the blogger described as "ed deformers", is about money and making more money and not about the kids.

"Give Me A Chance"...Improving Teacher Quality Cannot Be Rushed

Motivation is what get you started. Habit is what keeps you going. ~ Jim Rohn

I woke up this morning, and after counting my blessings, two questions popped up in my mind. These questions blew my mind and excited me to ponder further. Later this afternoon, I came across an excellent article; while it stressed the need for village accountability, this article also help me to appreciate my epiphany questions even more. So, what were those questions? They were these:

Can a teacher become "effective" overnight? If so, how?

Apparently, the so-called experts and fans of the movie, Waiting for Superman, believe teachers have one shot only to get it right. If they don't, then they will be out of a job. Also, they believe effective teaching equates in being strong in content knowledge only; in one cartoon scene in the movie, it shows a teacher, in a schematic sense, open the minds of each of her students and pour alphabet soup, representing knowledge, in their minds. Wow! I wish I knew teaching would be that easy!

Those of us who know better believe otherwise. Teaching can be so rewarding and fulfilling. However, teaching is a tough job; ask Tony Danza. Or better yet, ask Geoffrey Canada, who was profiled extensively in the movie. In the movie, Mr. Canada, a former teacher, stated his first two years of teaching were the hardest, but during his third year, he began to show growth and progressed into a Master Teacher some years later. Yet, he is one of the main one pushing for this "one shot" teacher evaluation process in an effort of removing ineffective teachers. Oh the irony! Surely, as an educator, he forgot where he came from.

Indeed, there are some teachers who don't care to improve in their craft; they have no sympathy from me as they should be removed from the classroom. However, most teachers want to improve in their pedagogical skills and enhance their content knowledge. This requires an personal investment of time, effort, and finances from the teacher, along with support, patience, and resources from the school leaders. While time is of the essence, good things come to those who wait. While I am not condoning experimenting with children's lives and risking school progress, teachers, especially novices, need time for professional growth; one school year isn't enough.

I can't tell you the countless stories I've read and heard from teachers who worked hard in preparing their students for these mandated, high-stakes tests to only see a small percentage of them pass these tests. How demoralizing and heart-breaking it is to be in that type of situation? If the so-called experts have their way, those teachers would be fired at the end of the school year. These teachers wouldn't be given a chance to grow and improve in their craft. All of the years of pre-service training and attaining their teaching credentials would have been done in vain. What a waste of potential...

Nonetheless, the excellent article I touted earlier made several important points about the emphasis of improving teacher quality:

• Teaching quality is the most important IN-SCHOOL factor in improving student achievement
• Other in-school factors e.g., quality of school leadership, quality of the curriculum, and teacher collaboration efforts, are also influential in improving student achievement
• "Decades of social science research have demonstrated that differences in the quality of schools can explain about one-third of the variation in student achievement. But the other two-thirds is attributable to NON-SCHOOL factors."
• "...test scores can be influenced by so many other factors besides good teaching."
• "Even the highest-quality teachers cannot fully insulate their students from the effects of" POVERTY as well as family issues and other societal ills.

One of my earlier blog entries criticized these so-called experts on education reform for rushing in finding solutions to a very complex problem that involves multiple factors. In one of my more recent blog entries, I further accused these so-called experts of treating student learning as a mere product to market to parents. Nonetheless, the propaganda of scapegoating teachers and their unions being pushed by these so-called experts, like the most recent publication of their "manifesto", has greatly hindered education reform, not progress it. Yet, the public and other high-prolific personalities continue to eat this up.

Educators, we TRULY know what will it take to improve the learning process in our schools; yet we continue to be ridiculed and minimized to anything but the professionals that we are. We must continue to combat the propaganda and educate the public on our take of the debate by being vocal and sharing our perspectives and expertise with the public. One way of doing so is to participate in the upcoming Education Communication Day on October 29, 2010, spearheaded by SOS Million Teachers March. Also, don't forget to vote on November 2!

In closing, if a struggling teacher shows potential in becoming more effective, give him/her a chance to grow and learn the craft. In the midst of teacher shortages in critical areas like secondary math, secondary science, and special education, as well as the recent budget cuts in education and layoffs of thousands of teachers, it would be prudent and more cost-effective in finding ways to retain the teachers they have. These growth habits in teaching should be allowed to blossom, not destroyed with the weeds. Using the so-called experts' approach of removing teachers may include losing potentially effective teachers. There is always room for improvement in teaching quality, but these improvements were not meant to be rushed and should not be rushed. Teachers, like every other professional, need time to crawl before they walk, during pre-service and especially in-service.

The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies, can continue growing as we continue to live. ~ Mortimer Adler

But, hey, what do I know?

Young Black Men...The Insightful Storyline...from boys to men

Keep on learning
Keep on growing
Wisdom helps us understand
We're maturing
Without knowing
These are the things that change boys to men
~ New Edition

One of my favorite songs from the R&B male group New Edition is the inspirational song "Boys to Men". This song is befitting in addressing the problems with our young black men, which also stem outside of the classroom as well. They are lost and desperately need to be found.

So, via Facebook, I asked several of my black male friends, who are all college graduates, to share their wisdom and personal stories.  Some responded in a narrative; others kept it simple by focusing on these three central questions I posed to all of them:

1. Who were your role models growing up?
2. What were your sources of motivation to succeed?
3. What can be done to fix these problems with our young brothers in our schools and in our communities?

Below are their responses per verbatim (including some minor modifications and spelling/grammar corrections). I hope you enjoy what you've read and learn from them.

To be honest I am not going to be much help on this one. I had a father that enrolled me in Boy Scouts and worked hard to move us in a house and out the projects. Most of these kids don’t have a father. Single mothers are raising dumb future criminals who hate themselves while raising daughters that go on to college. Also I grew marked as a gifted child and taken out of mainstream education system from second grade. I have never been in an average public school. Our teachers all thought we had bright futures and treated us as such. I see why these kids don’t want to go to school. What do they really have to look forward to if they graduate? Guess my answer is condoms and a good jump shot.

PS We always want to talk about the plight of black children and the missing fathers. We are never going to get anywhere until we address the black women in our communities that pick dead beats to have babies with, mess up their boys’ heads, and look out for the sisters and not the whole race. It was said that you can measure the character of the race when you look at the morality of its women. Many times you if you bring it up they act sisters are a protected class of people. Time to hold them accountable for their share of the mess.

V. Callender, Brooklyn, NY

My parents always raised me to want more and exposed me to a higher standard of living. And going to college and always having some form of income was something I was always told I had to do. My parents accepted no less.

J. Peoples, Murfreesboro, TN

I grew up without a father in the household. My mom was an educator who instilled in me, the necessity of a good education. My motivation was to not be like my family members who lived in low income communities and who relied on government assistance. I grew up in a rural area where there was nothing for the youth to do. So another strong motivation for me was to get far away from that area. The youth of today has to see the benefit of getting a good education, and they have to be taught that they can obtain it as well regardless of their living situation. They need to see more positive successful black men, who have made it out of low income neighborhoods, and hear their personal stories and testimonies. We have to show them that reality is not the raps stars or drug dealers, but it’s those who are teachers, lawyers, doctors etc. We must instill in the youth a hard work ethic, and a tenacious spirit for quitting is not an option. We must challenge these young parents to get these kids from sitting in front of the TV 24/7 and put a book in their hand. Reading is essential. We must teach our children how to communicate and speak properly and not just slang or Ebonics. If we are ever going to take back our communities, and school systems we must have a village mentality in my opinion. Last but not least I believe some spiritual foundation is essential! Hope this helps.

A. Mercer, Temple Hills, MD

Who were your role models growing up? My father, grandfathers and uncles.

What were your sources of motivation to succeed? 9/10's of my motivation was due to positive encouragement from family, friends, educators, etc... The other 1/10 remains, and continues to be, the haters. Keeps things in perspective.

What can be done to fix these problems with our young brothers in our schools and in our communities?  We must find a way to re-establish then cultivate TRUST between young and older black men. Give me some time to brainstorm more.

J. Beverly, Douglasville, GA

Who were your role models growing up?
While there are qualities I admire, I don’t believe in role models. What were your sources of motivation to succeed?As a child, I spent a lot of time in the hospital and needed to learn how to walk several times, so I had to find a way to channel that frustration and focus it toward a goal. That goal was solidified educationally when a teacher told me to act my age, not my color. Knowing my legacy, I decided to act my color and not my age.

Like Vaughn, I was pulled out of the mainstream education system at an early age. (V and I were doing taxes in 6th grade and debating capital gains taxes and Dukakis v Bush in 7th.) Our educators told us we were going to be college graduates before telling us explaining what a college was, so they set the standard high and challenged us to knock it down.


What can be done to fix these problems with our young brothers in our schools and in our communities?

1. We need to acknowledge that while we want the best for every child, not every child is going to cut it educationally…and tell it to them sooner.

2. Start ensuring that children are acclimated to reality. The plurality of children that want to be an NBA player, NFL, player, or lawyer. (REALITY: There are approximately 800 people playing in the NBA and 1,800 people playing in the NFL, which is less than 0.00001% of the American population. Additionally, approximately about 92 percent of ALL lawyers are non-minorities. I’m not saying a child’s dream should be killed outright, but their parents should help the child to invest in viable backup career options.)

3. While I’m on that point, expose our children to more math, science and foreign cultures.

4. Our communities need to acknowledge that while teachers present information daily, parents need to supplement that knowledge. Acknowledge simply sending children to school will NOT make them smarter by osmosis and getting a passing grade is not succeeding. Also, children have to have a supportive educational atmosphere at home.

5. Recognize that if you’re a single parent, belittling the other parent allows YOU to vent your frustration, but it does nothing to develop THE CHILD. (When the SBFP says to a child, “your daddy ain't s---, you ain't got s--t, so you ain’t never gonna be s--t, it does more to stunt the psychological well being of the child than failing any educational class.)

6. Teach children to think long term and beyond the immediacy of feeling good at the moment. (The bling kids see on TV looks good, but how many people with on camera bling actually own it, vs. renting it? Getting “love in the club” feels great at the moment, but the aftermath can last long after that night, after the club shuts down and the effects may well be permanent.)

7. Realize that the problem with the education system is not financial. (You could double, triple, raise the outlays tenfold and many problems would still exist.)

8. Teach children to think, to be able to manipulate information, and not regurgitate information for the sole purpose of taking a test. (A child can have an amazing capacity to remember information verbatim, which helps for recitation, but that memory is of no use if the child cannot reinterpret information if it’s presented in a different manner.)

I have a laundry list, but I’ll stop here.

L. Houston, Washington, DC

Sorry I'm late to the dance...

Who were your role models growing up?I had a handful of assigned mentors growing up, but I don't remember a whole lot that I learned from any of them. I realize today that my mother was probably one of my biggest role models growing up and I find myself sounding more like her every day. And the frat (when I was a member of the Sigma Beta Club) was role models as well.

What were your sources of motivation to succeed?Motivation? Hardly. Success was mandatory in my house. It wasn't an option. I wasn't a C student and my mother wasn't going to accept anything LESS than a B. I was frequently told I wasn't average, and I lived up to it. Still do.

What can be done to fix these problems with our young brothers in our schools and in our communities?Nothing. No amount of money or legislation can get people to care about their futures. It's going to take young brothers wanting better for themselves and it's going to take parents--while they still have control--DEMANDING (not asking) the best from their boys.

A. Springer, Las Vegas, NV

My role models were my father and brothers. My father didn't finish high school as a youth. Later in life he was employed as a school bus driver and decided to stay at the school and earn his high school diploma! He had a thirst for knowledge and would read the newspaper from front page to back every day! He could converse on almost any subject. He instilled the desire to learn upon his children. I had four older brothers who all graduated Valedictorians and Salutatorians (sp). All of them went on college on scholarship and earned high marks in technical degrees! During that era the teachers and the community would get behind you and try to push you to success!

Today it seems the tide has shifted. With the success and exposure of entertainers and sports figures many of our young men feel that bookwork is not necessary to succeed. But even that, be it a deterrent as it may, is not the root of the problem in my opinion. The problem begins in the home. Many parents today do not get involved in their children education! Parents will buy their kids every "babysitter game" on the market, but will not invest time in helping with homework or pushing them to do better. And some of them that have a desire to help cannot fathom the new teaching methods of today's system. The days of multiplication tables and word/spelling memorization are gone!! Now it's touch point math and "spell it how u think it sounds". Still, education needs to start in the home, with the school system being an extension of that educational process.
Well, that's my two cent!! Take it or leave it!! Thx for the blog....

A. Hamilton, Sr., Lake Charles, LA

Let's see, I'm going to give this a shot.

My role models growing up were my parents first and foremost. But my family in general was influential in my life. My dad and all seven of his brothers joined the military because my grandfather felt that joining the military was a way to get a step ahead in life. There was never this "I don't want my baby to leave me" type of sentiment. Most of them went to Vietnam, were parachuter, they all lived through the experience, and went to college. It started with my grandfather.

My mom was in a family of 4 girls. One unfortunately got murder, but my mom and the two other girls all went to college, graduated, and pursued careers. On that side, my grandmother was, and still is the matriarch.

So it was a foregone conclusion that college was in my (and my brothers) future. But my parents encouraged ANY kind of education. For example, if you are a plumber, go be a certified plumber. If you are a mechanic, go be a certified/licensed mechanic. If you are a musician/actor, get formally trained. I'm sure you get the picture. So there for my role models/motivation.

Now, I work in education also. And I find myself telling kids the same things I mentioned above. 1. It's okay to leave home or stay home, just keep going on your life journey. 2. Go get SOME type of post high school education and 3. Take your time and live life.

The parents however are different. They don't want their babies growing up, leaving home, or doing anything that threatens their relationship with their "babies." Particularly black single moms and their boys. It's the only male in the house, so these boys play the role of sig. other and the ladies don't want them to be anything else. College, jobs, growing up, moving out, relationships, and anything else that is a life progression prevents that boy from growing into a man. This isn’t a catch all of course, but that shoe fits a lot of people. Some ladies are motivated and want better for their kids; some want their babies to stay babies.

So the issues: lack of role models, lack of direction and focus, lack of inspiration, lack of emphasis on education, single parent homes (where are these dads?), and uneducated parent. It’s a vicious cycle. It's not everything I was thinking, but it's long enough.

T. Joseph, Independence, LA (Currently serving overseas in Iraq)

 *A heartfelt thanks to those friends who responded to my request. Kudos to you and keep doing what you're doing*

Young Black Men...The Hopeful Storyline

Despite the troubling news concerning how the public schools have failed our young black men (among other things), there are some signs of hope and optimism:

1. In the Schott Foundation of Public Education's recent study on the lack of progress of black male students in public schools, it mentioned that success of New Jersey 's Abbott plans, which are legal mandates ordered by the NJ Supreme Court to provide equitable resources available to all students. Consequently, New Jersey has the highest percentage (69%) of young black men graduating from public high schools, followed by Maryland (55%), California (54%), and Pennsylvania (53%)
2. Last week, a news article reported, in Massachusetts, black public high school students are outperforming their peers nationwide on the SAT.
3. Earlier this summer, The Urban Prep Academies, all-male charter schools in Chicago for young black men, announced that 100% of their 107 graduating seniors were accepted in four-year colleges and universities.
4. Deonte Bridges, 2010 valedictorian of Booker T. Washington HS in Atlanta City Public Schools (which by the way, is dealing with an embarrassing standardized test cheating scandal), has been awarded over $1 million worth of scholarship funds for his college education. Listen to his moving testimony at his HS graduation ceremony:

The next video clip is a follow-up on how Mr. Bridges is dealing with his new found fame and being a inspirational role model:



In conclusion, I would like to share a few quotes about hope for our young black men:

• We all are in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. ~ Oscar Wilde
• What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessing in disguise. ~ Oscar Wilde
• Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. ~ Albert Einstein

As former presidential hopeful and civil right activist Jesse Jackson used to say -- KEEP HOPE ALIVE!