I won't be reporting from Saturday's Save Our Schools March and Rally because my young granddaughters (and their parents) are visiting from Barcelona, but it's likely that PBS NewsHour will have a presence there. The rally and march are being organized by teachers from across the country -- and have attracted promises to attend from numerous big names in the field, as well as endorsements from Jonathan Kozol, Deborah Meier, Diane Ravitch and others. I regret missing the event, because I expect I would recognize a lot of people there. I wish everyone well.
I have a question, however. The acronym SOS is catchy and convenient -- the internationally recognized cry for help. But what are protestors hoping to save our schools FROM? And, just as important, what are they FOR?
I am one of those middle-of-the-road guys who is concerned about the polarization of public education. I see an ever widening gap, with "We must trust teachers" on one side and "We must verify with high stakes testing because we don't trust teachers" on the other. I think Ronald Reagan -- no hero to liberals -- got it right when he said, "Trust but verify." He was talking about the Soviet Union, but I think the concept applies to public education. How we get to that sensible middle, where we trust teachers but also have a valid and reliable way of measuring progress, is the challenge that I see facing us.
So please go to the rally ready to argue for specific changes in schools -- not just 'holistic education' and the like, but specifics.
Here's one: Barnett Berry of the Teacher Leadership Network suggested to me the other day that principals ought to be teaching part of the time. "Principal" was once an adjective, we both recalled, as in "principal teacher." That one step would free teachers to develop their leadership skills, a useful move in the right direction.
Here's another: after the levees broke and effectively destroyed New Orleans' lousy school system, the organization that was created to rebuild was pointedly called "New Schools for New Orleans," a name designed to make the point that no one wanted to go back to the status quo. Whether you agree with the direction they've taken or not, the purpose was to move forward.
So, my protesting friends, on Saturday put on plenty of sunblock, wear floppy hats, drink lots of water, and please bring suggestions that will make schools better.
Post your thoughts here, if you will.
As always, remember that John's book The Influence of Teachers is for sale at Amazon.