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 Why Is school Reform mission Impossible?

De

James L. Casale, Ph.D.

It would be easier to saddle up a python and ride off into the sunset than reform our government schools. The system is fatally broken and even Tom cruise couldn’t rescue it. Those who govern the system are-I am being kind- misinformed, the talent pool is too shallow and always has been, and the teachers’ unions continue to be major obstacles.

Tomadores de decisão

Our Founding Fathers assigned or, should I say, left the responsibility of educating the public to the states. This precipitates three questions: who are our legislators? What do they know? and from whom do they get their information about education?

While the approval rating for state legislatures is light years ahead of congress at about 37% and a majority of legislators in many states have college degrees, are they really equipped to make the important decisions about a complex system they know little about? In fact, the Lilliard E. Richardson report (University of Missouri) reveals that the least formally educated legislatures have a higher public approval.

An article in the Chronicle of higher education quotes John Adams speaking about representative assemblies; they “should be in miniature an exact portrait of the people at large.” add governors, state boards, commissioners, (the Florida commissioner reportedly has one year of teaching on his resume), and school board members to this malaise of decision makers. This results in the proverbial, “inmates running the asylum.

I can only guess where they obtain their information before they make important decisions. Colleagues, staffers, donors, college professors- who haven’t been in a classroom for decades-committees, commissions, spouses, and pals come to mind. Do they even bother to seek and find the most knowledgeable teachers and administrators who are the true experts? Where is the talent, the research and the objectivity that should comprise state and local decision making?

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The talent Pool

 The talent pool of outstanding teachers and principals- the line staff that can produce results-is shallow. There never were, are not now, and never will be enough talent to save the government schools. Our profession does not attract the best and the brightest. GRE scores for education majors are among the lowest. The brightest prospects are not necessarily the best since teaching is an art form that requires the artist’s instincts and a unique set of characteristics that include a sense of humor, compassion, tenacity, kindness, self-assessment and leadership. Not enough talented people are attracted to the teaching profession due to the salaries, the unimaginable difficulty of teaching a classroom of young people with varying abilities, the misguided legislators, and teachers’ unions who worship at the altar of the status quo.

Think back on your own K-12 experience and compile a list of the most outstanding teachers you experienced? You wanted to be in their class, wanted to do their homework, worked hard for them, and wanted their approval because they were always prepared, enthusiastic, knowledgeable, inspiring, respectful, compassionate, fair, and modeled what should be every school’s mantra, learning how to learn, becoming a life–long learner, and figuring out how to get along with everybody. OK. quantos? My unscientific surveys always reveal a number less than ten.

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Teachers’ Unions

 Should I stop here? They have been obstacles to school reform since forever. They oppose anyone and anything that interferes with their main mission; recruit members, negotiate for benefits and working conditions, protect tenure and worship at the altar of mediocrity. They oppose charter schools, vouchers, merit pay, California’s trigger law- which allows parents to close failing schools, innovative teacher evaluation reform, and anything that impinges on their power and turf.

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Their PAC organizations, lobbyists, and hefty donations control state and national democratic politicians and thus legislatures. Ask Scott Walker, the Wisconsin governor who had the audacity to challenge union power. We witnessed democratic legislators running for cover to the next state in order to foil quorum requirements and demonsTrações e comícios por ovelhas da União, incluindo aquelas fora de Wisconsin.

O governador de Nova York, Cuomo, um democrata, e o prefeito de Nova York, Bloomberg, um democrata não declarado, desafiaram os sindicatos dos professores em seu estado. Cuomo estava tentando vincular um componente obrigatório de avaliação de professores ao orçamento do estado e a Bloomberg queria fechar as escolas com falha e descartar 1500 professores ruins. O mais recente inimigo do sindicato é Betsey Devoss, o candidato a secretário de educação e campeão de escolas charter e vouchers.

Há esperança de melhoria

Embora a verdadeira reforma escolar não seja possível, a melhoria da escola tem uma chance e isso acontece esporadicamente a escolas e distritos escolares, apesar de todos os obstáculos. Requer, pelo menos no nível local, os conselhos escolares com visão, conhecimento, tenacidade e sabedoria para contratar administradores e professores de destaque. Os trabalhos de posse da vida- são um albatroz pendurado nos pescoços dos legisladores estaduais e dos conselhos escolares que os impedem de descartar professores e administradores incompetentes.

Os pais que aceitam sua responsabilidade solene como os primeiros professores e modelos de seus filhos são nossa única esperança de melhorar as escolas. Eles devem se tornar mais experientes e proativos. Não são necessárias habilidades especiais. O que é necessário é um compromisso de se envolver na educação de seus filhos. Esse compromisso requer uma atitude positiva em relação à educação, seu papel em levar sua família a se tornar alunos ao longo da vida, uma declaração de missão familiar e um plano que é guiado por seus objetivos familiares.

Reflexão de fim de semana relacionada

NOTA: O Dr. Casale é o autor do altamente elogiado, “Wise Up e seja a solução: como criar uma cultura de aprender em casa e fazer com que seu sucesso na escola”.

Link para este post: Por que a missão de reforma escolar é impossível?

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