The spotlight beamed on discussions of education reform last week as it became the focus spanning prime-time slots on every network. This was a great idea. This was big!
As a concerned and involved parent, I expected this media blitzkrieg would generate unity. Yes, this will be very big, I thought.
I believed the dialogue on topics carefully selected for this highly publicized "National Summit on Education" would genuinely focus on resolution vs. blame. I envisioned the other prime time major shows covering education would produce some sort of result -- a consensus on an approach -- in its widely acclaimed group-therapy type style. Yes, definitely big!
Utter disbelief came over me as I listened to segment after segment of a one-sided clamoring chorus criticizing a population of teachers on cue. The big assault began to unfold. By the end of the weekend, I could parrot the lines echoed repeatedly from each panelist who traveled from show to show.
Chancellor Rhee's raw remark: "Oh, I know kids are getting a crappy education."
Secretary Duncan's remark: "Teachers must be held accountable for failing our students -- this is morally unacceptable."
Harlem Children's Zone CEO, Geoffrey Canada's remark: "It's just impossible to fire public school teachers."
AFT President Weingarten's remark: "Unions are working to resolve these issues in many states."
One more day I could have substituted as panelist for any one of them myself! I emailed a friend who refused to watch and I asked, "How will attacking the teachers vs. the problems improve the quality of education?"
I kept watching thinking soon I'll hear researchers, education historians, highly regarded and credentialed teachers intelligently discuss the fact that the foundation for these reforms are built on a wobbling house of cards. I reminded myself, this is too big -- genuine dialogue will begin soon.
Where was the discussion on the high stakes tests that brought us to this national crisis? Where was the discussion on a string of reforms being introduced which were proven failures? Those discussions never came; ergo, no consensus could be formed. Instead, this media frenzy converted the dialogue into a carpet bombing of debasing teachers and their unions.
In the aftermath of this frontal assault on our nation's teachers lies the casualties -- our nation's children.
I don't know precisely when this became a war on "them vs. us" -- "Feds vs. unions and an entire population of teachers"? I only know that it did. How do I know? I'm an involved parent -- a non teacher, non unionized, businesswoman volunteer who's had a front row seat in the trenches.
Within days the talk among parents during orientation nights, book fairs and coffee shops became frighteningly similar. "Teachers are the enemy. They are lazy, incompetent and ineffective. After all, a Chancellor and a Secretary of Education would not make such accusations if it was not widespread. And, let's not forget Oprah!" The residual effect of this slanted media extravaganza was the dismantling of a teacher as a professional and identifying them as the enemy we are battling in our war on education. That destructive attitude crept into the consciousness of parents, grandparents, businessmen, politicians and, most tragically, children.
If teachers' jobs were not difficult enough, they are now increasingly forced to deal with parents and children who enter their classrooms with a newly implanted chip on their shoulder. Demoralizing teachers, I'm sorry to say was just elevated as a national past time. Yes, oh dear God, this was big.
This "Summit on Education" created a stronger sense of divisiveness in communities. If you disagree with any policy of this Administration, you are instantaneously pigeon-holed into the category of status-quo clinger. Then you, your experience, and your opinion are tossed aside.
You are either for, or against teachers now.
You are either for, or against all charters (no stipulations allowed).
You are either for, or against one form of evaluation based on merit pay.
No one seems to be for a dialogue to implement the changes needed -- just for the heroes and the villains, who are interchangeable depending upon where you sit.
The collateral damage caused by this chilling rhetoric was immediate and will have a profound effect on our nation if not dealt with.
This is a horrific environment for any human being to work in and for any child to be placed in. We will see more behavioral problems in classrooms, I suspect, as children lash out in retaliation. There will be less learning, not more, in this environment.
As an organizational consultant, I can state with confidence that if respect for teachers is not re-instilled very soon, we will be on an unsustainable path as a nation in need of education reform. You must gain endorsement of the changes you propose from those you expect to implement them. You can never impose massive changes on others without seeking their input first. And now, you've made those who are tasked with implementing change, your enemy.
Yes, this was big. We are dismantling our democracy with deadly dialogue. Let's get back to the dialogue and demonstrate to our nation that we respect the teaching profession.
Follow Rita M. Solnet on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ritacolleen
Now you tell me the whole problem with education: unions, teachers and high taxes? I am not whining...I had it great as a child and I want it to be even better for my grandchildren and all children whether they are black, white, brown or whatever. A quality public school education from trained teachers will only happen when the neighborhoods are safe and the physical, mental and medical needs of the child are adequate.
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If you think it is possible to re-instil respect for teachers, then tell us in a blog how it is done.
I do not believe the failure of the educational system is the fault of teachers, parents, administrators or children. The problem is bigger than any component of the system. Top down, expert-based reformism no longer works. Other solutions are required.
If you look to business, you will find corporate solutions: the religious will give you religious solutions. Try the community the schools serves, the children and their families.
Find community solutions. Free schools from government at all levels, from experts, corporations and religious leaders. Attach them to the people they serve.
Judging from the myriad comments from the "silenced," however, morale sure is low, and that is a pity. Maybe it's a venting process, and I hope it is, but as far as moving the dialogue forward, I can't see it working outside the choir room.
Seeing nothing but this venting and persecution complex stuff, folks will soon turn away. After all, it may be true that misery loves company, but it's also true that company doesn't necessarily love misery.
Have you read more articles for unions fighting for small classes, fewer tests, the affects of poverty and PTS in dangerous neighborhoods, then those that bash teacher's unions? Do you read about reformers and their mouthpieces (Oprah, Guggenheim, et al) praise teachers? or is all that you hear is how bad teachers are responsible for failing schools? Do you hear about the public school successes? or is it all for the charter?
It's not a persecution complex; it's war. If you turn away from the negativity, perhaps you ought to understand, rather than blame, the victim. Teachers are speaking out en mass in every venue that is available to them - trying to educate the public.
The platform for reform that teacher's unions have espoused, loudly, for years is for equity in funding to bring back the arts, literature, voc ed classes, music, small classes (under 30 would be a dream!), and computers for all children. They have also been screaming about the focus on test scores as the sole judge of kids - and their teachers. Eliminates critical thinking and creativity. They ask for less money for testing and more money for instructional resources like books... Sorry you don't understand.
I've seen this same line at least a hundred times by now all across the blogosphere. Whoever is doing the “shutting out” isn't doing a very effective job.
“And you betcha, we will continue to call out the Billionaire Boys Club who are orchestrating this destruction!”
And in doing so, you will lose. Not because you are wrong on the issues per se, but because your strategy is ineffectual and wholly negative.
By itself, being against something isn't enough. What specific positive measures are teachers actively fighting for? Where is the platform? What are the specific planks in the platform? What productive energies and ideas are the teachers bringing to this debate?
What teachers are specifically for is not being clearly articulated. And regardless of the veracity of any point you might have, without the specific case FOR something, the endless “calling out” of the BBC, and complaining about how you are being bashed comes off as nothing more than the usual staff room grousing and whining.
Endlessly retweeting Ravitchisms and passing around yet more articles that slam the BBC is not sufficient unto the day and people outside the choir room will soon turn away.
That will not be the fault of the BBC. You are playing right into their hands. And as bad as that is for the teacher rank and file, it's even worse for the students and their families.
The meta-narrative over these thousands of comments comes through loud and clear: Kids gotta change, parents gotta change, admin has to change, politicians gotta change, society has to change. The teachers are all good—if only everyone else would change, things would be just exactly perfect.
It's not a matter of slickness. The teacher side of the table has no clear goal and no plan. Hollering about the problems, deflection, finger pointing, and a persecution complex reaching cartoonish proportions is NOT a winning strategy. Endlessly repeating it will bring neither respect nor positive results.
Consider the damage this non-stop bitching and moaning does to the learning environment, never mind the lessons being taught to the kids. They are always learning from you, but not always what you think you are teaching.
I am sure there are many fine teachers ignoring the Reform Wars because it smacks so much of that negative dynamic in so many teacher lounges. I am not speaking of them; I am talking about the “debate team,” the leading voices who have the blogosphere floor and have convinced others that endless bitching and playing the victim card at every turn is the way to go.
What do you think this endless bilge sounds like to a parent whose kids aren't getting what they need? What is it doing for the kids?
Then I read something like this and I know that not everyone has drunk the Kool Aid. Thanks again.
“As an organizational consultant, I can state with confidence that if respect for teachers is not re-instilled very soon, we will be on an unsustainable path as a nation in need of education reform.”
Do the teachers play an active role in any of this? I have seen little evidence that the teachers participating in this "debate" are interested in dialogue. Instead, they seem content to spend their energy lambasting the “billionaires boys club” and anyone associated with them.
If there is a coherent alternative plan anywhere, would someone would point to it. All I can find is endless protestation about how the other side is wrong, evil, and plotting for the destruction of life as we know it, and how teachers are helpless victims crushed beneath the wheels of the wrong, evil, corporate machine.
I can't believe that this is at all the position of all teachers, but it is certainly the dominant voice coming out of the Reform Wars. It isn't serving the teachers well, but will go a long way in ushering in the exact sort of reforms that the teachers are against. That will suck for the teachers, but in the end, it's the kids and their families who are going to pay the steepest price.
That says so much. We are all destroyed by this hype making us the enemy.
blaming the teachers and the unions will only make things worst.
obama has put the wrong man in charge of education.
he fails to look at the total system.
this will fail our children like bush's agenda failed our children.
we still think pay for performance is the answer. it is not.
85 to 95% of the problems in an organization are systemic.
as our nation heads down the path to third world so do our schools.
we still have this idea we can buy our way out of everything.
drucker and skinner have had a profound negative impact on our nation.
both of their teachings have been misused greatly.
it would have been better to listen to a deming who saw clearly the systemic influence on performance.
as I was talking to one person a while ago and he stated: "stick a fork in us we are done".
I wonder as an organizational consultant you also teach this insanity of pay for performance??????