Can't We All Agree On This?

I don't dive into politics much here at the LPB--I don't really have the energy, and besides, my readers (hi, Mom!) are a diverse group of people with different experiences and beliefs. I respect that and don't want my happy little blog to turn into a cesspool of angry political ranting and ugly anonymous comments.

Every once in a while, however, I find something that sufficiently rankles me enough that I have to post my own snarky comments about it. Today I post an article about education and I want to state here and now that I am not being snarky. I am honestly baffled, every day, that this country is so divided over an issue that is so crucial to our future as a democracy:

Education.

First, allow me to share the article. Titled, West Virginia learns Finland's 'most honorable profession': Teacher, it details how former West Virginia Schools Superintendent Dr. Steven Paine took on his state's low scores and did what he could to make a turnaround. His rationale was radical by many politician's standards: He decided he should care less about standardized test scores and more about teachers.

How's that for novel?

I suggest you read the article as a whole--it's well-written and contains more information than I can summarize here. I just wanted to add my thoughts and what I walked away with after reading it. In no particular order of importance, they are listed and explained below.

1. It doesn't matter where you stand on the political spectrum, we all want the same outcome.

I tend to lean farther to the left than my parents are comfortable with, both socially and economically. That's no secret. I don't shout it from the rooftops and I've certainly never shared that with my students (with them, I prefer a secretive smile and an attitude of "You figure things out for yourself, my opinion shouldn't matter to you.").

I've had my share of political discussions, and one thing I can say, without a doubt is that I've never come across anyone who doesn't believe that in order for the United States to continue being a world power, our up-and-coming generations need to be able to compete in the world market. They need reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic; they also need certain technological skills as they navigate the 21st Century.

No one disputes this. I've never heard anyone say, "Kids don't need education!"

More telling: Aside from politicians, I've never encountered anyone, of any political mindset, who believes that standardized tests are an effective way to measure student progress and teacher competency. Anyone who has ever taken a test has encountered "test stress." Hell, I didn't make it into Honors English all through high school because I bombed the writing test to get in--even after years' worth of teachers told me I was an excellent writer!

Let me state this again: We all want the same thing for kids. A high-quality, comprehensive education.

2. Teachers are not the enemy, here.

According to the article, teachers in Finland are afforded the same high respect as doctors, lawyers and other professionals. It is actually a competitive career path, with only a small percentage of people who apply for teacher training actually earning a spot.

I've seen so many posts fly across my Facebook news feed about how we ought to respect teachers, etc., etc., blah, blah, blah. Of course I agree; I am a trained teacher and I have eight years in the arena. I love teaching (most of the time). But garnering a bunch of "likes" on a Facebook status doesn't actually help. The only way to get that respect for teachers is to elect people who make teacher training and support a top priority when the topic of education comes up. We need to support the policy makers who turn education reform back over to the people who know what needs to be reformed and just how to do it: EDUCATORS

From the article:

Recently, West Virginia's new superintendent, Jorea Marple, a lifetime educator and Paine's former deputy, impressed many teachers when she went straight into the classroom after her appointment this year.

"She didn't just do a walk-through or a drive-by. She went in and shadowed these teachers and worked with them, and she went into some of the most impoverished parts of our state," Richardson said.

"That really meant a lot to teachers."

"They value us, and there is this sense that they really and truly care about our kids. And that probably seems like it should be a no-brainer, but really it's not. Sometimes things get so political that the kids are left out of it altogether."

Shortly into my first month teaching in Elverta (my first teaching position), I remember driving home one day, and passing the playground at the elementary school. I was a 50% employee, so I left as the kids were coming back in from recess most days. I remember seeing my boss, the principal and superintendent (it was a small district) out on the playground, standing with one hand extended as a class, probably second or third grade, walked by. Each kid in turn extended a hand and high-fived her as they passed. It made me smile to see this busy woman taking a few minutes to simply validate the presence at school of these children.

I have found that administrators--at the school level, the district level, and higher--who have a presence in the day-to-day life of a school are more likely to have effective teachers and fewer discipline problems. When the leaders are absent, or visibly not supportive of the teachers, the kids pick up on it, and problems are created in the classroom.

When teachers are supported, and included in the decision-making, schools thrive. Kids thrive. Education just happens. It's beautiful to witness.

3. Project-based learning engages students and helps them learn important skills beyond the "Three R's." 

I've often thought that if I were to teach high school choir again in future, I would love to try something with my advanced choir--a learning project that not only helps them prepare songs for the all-important concerts and competitions, but also helps them form a deeper understanding of how music works.

Instead of the same daily routine of daily warm-ups and hashing out harmonies and rhythms, I would love to have a choir arrange a well-known song of their choosing (within reason, of course. I draw the line at the truly horrid pop and hip-hop that's out there, but might, instead guide them towards classic rock or a musical).

Think of the possibilities--every day after warming up, the class would devote some time to working out harmonies and discussing why certain harmonies work (oh, look! the notes we're singing are all in the chord!) and why others don't (Oops, the chord doesn't have an F in it, so we can't sing that note unless we make it a suspension that resolves to the E below it...but it still doesn't sound quite right. Eliminate that F!). We could discuss the underlying drum rhythms of the song and how we might work that into a vocal percussion part, or perhaps the sung harmonies under the melody. The possibilities are endless and look--I'm teaching the kids so much about music theory while still preparing them for a performance.

It sounds like genius but believe me, I can't take credit. It's just good teaching techniques that I learned from...well, good teachers.



Every time I see another debate about education, or listen to another politician spout off his or her "Well, I thinks" and "I knows," I grind my teeth a little. I maintain that it's not possible to know how to fix education unless you have spent time in a classroom. Not a high-profile visit, smiling for the camera, but honest-to-God time. Until you have been the only adult in a room full of children, with all of their attendant problems and realities, you do not know about education. You can study the figures and moan about dismal test scores, but until you have filled out a Mandated Reporter form, or watched a child sit in their desk, unable to function because they barely had dinner last night and certainly didn't eat breakfast this morning--You. Do. Not. Know.

I don't have all the answers, but I do know that fixing education is not going to succeed if we just throw our money away at tests and finger-pointing. Listen to Teacher. You might learn something.