Dynamic, Apolitical Suggestions for Education Reform

Dynamic, Apolitical Suggestions for Education Reform

In proposing several suggestions to begin repairing our public education system, I am not going to bore you with the statistics smothering public education in America today. To quote Mark Twain citing Benjamin Disraeli, "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." And, as we all know, statistics can be interpreted to support almost any point of view making statistics meaningless in this context. One must look at the human data, not statistical data, to address the root cause of education's problems today.

President John F. Kennedy said, "Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education." Robert Maynard Hutchins offered the thought, "The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives." And, William Haley said, "Education would be much more effective if its purpose was to ensure that by the time they leave school every boy and girl should know how much they do not know, and be imbued with a lifelong desire to know it."

These and other great thinkers have provided observations about education over the years, yet public education today is in disarray. Thousands of voices shout for change, but attempts to initiate education reform are often met with resistance and nonsense. I would like to share a series of suggestions that could be implemented with minimal additional expenditures. The following suggestions are made with the simple goal of conveying the truth behind a quote by Alexander Lockhart, which says, "Each one of us holds the power to achieve greatness, and you hold the key to your destiny." Once parents and students realize they have the opportunity to remove the barriers of their self-created situation, bridges out of poverty can be built creating a personal path to a brighter future.

In the simplest of terms, the solution to repairing public education is to create, beginning in the first grade, a school-based culture where students are motivated to learn using a wealth of resources guided by firm discipline. Implementation of this simple concept should create public school graduates who are life long learners, and earners, creating a generation capable of leading the resurrection of the American Dream. To do this, we must win students' hearts and minds at the elementary grades then never lose their hearts and minds.

Public education is frequently in the news, primarily for reports of crime in schools, poor student performance, financial issues, intractable teacher unions, administrator and teacher pay, and divisive, partisan, education policy issues. The disgusting gridlock we see in Washington, D.C., is a mirror image of what prevents meaningful progress in repairing our nation's dysfunctional educational system. It is nearly a unanimous consensus that something needs to be done, but with politicians being products of the American education system, what hope do we have that common sense and bi-partisanship will come to the rescue of millions of public school children and America's future?

For many classroom teachers, it seems that education policy makers don't fully grasp the reality permeating public schools. Of course, there are good programs and practices being implemented in classrooms across the country, but a comprehensive change in the mindset guiding public education, not just programs and policies, must happen for teachers to be effective in reaching and teaching today's students. Parent Trigger laws are a step in the right direction but questionable, emotion fueled changes could create even more problems. Perhaps grassroots education reform should take a cue from the current American Wall Street protestors or even the Arab Spring uprising as seeing hope that citizens can make a difference.

To paraphrase a quote from a popular comic superhero, "With great opportunities, comes great responsibility." What that means is that with the great opportunities, and resources, public schools provide students of all races and abilities, the student, parent, and policy maker must realize they each have personal responsiblities and accountability to meet as well. It is time to stop using teachers as universal scapegoats for poor student performance. The need for education reform echoes one half of a phrase from the 1970's, "America, change it or lose it!"

In my state, several school boards have provided long running, cringe inducing comic relief or charges of criminial malfesance that taxpayers can only shake their heads at; and all of this occurs regularly with no seeming consequences to their questionable actions. Between the revolving door of fired superintendents and principals leaving with golden buy-out packages that teachers can only drool over, and school boards who dismantle more of their credibility with each televised school board meeting, it is no wonder the taxpaying public has lost hope for any meaningful education reform. Perhaps it is time for school districts to be less focused on diminishing tax bases and more focused on classroom discipline and requiring parental responsibility and student accountability in an effort to restore the public's faith in the system.

Let's briefly identify societal issues adversely impacting the classroom environment beginning with parents who had poor school experiences and either overtly or sublty convey that attitude to their children. Next comes the issues of teen parents, poverty, uninterested parents, incarcerated parents, and young people who have already experienced the criminal justice system so that nothing a school enacts as a consequence for disruptive behavior has any effect. While we may not be able to impact these outside issues, we can certainly address the issues inside the school building. Inside the school building, insulated from societal distractions, we must create a sanctuary that is conducive to learning where students develop a legitimate positive self image and personal confidence founded on knowledge.

In addition to outside influences on education, inside the system are teachers and administrators who feel societial conditions outside the school are a reason not to enact basic discipline with meaningful consequences inside the school. These lifestyle situations should not be seen as excuses to allow the student to do less than his or her best, or act like fools in the classroom; rather the classroom should be a respite from those factors where students should be held accountable for personal actions.

I have read stories of over zealous "no tolerance" discipline examples, but my classroom experience has shown me that in too many cases, leniency goes far too far toward the soft side because administrators buy into a lifestyle excuse for causing poor academic performance and poor behavior. The students don't need to be indulged, they need a strong guiding hand they do not seem to get from anyone at home. When schools and parents condone disruptive behavior through lack of action, what type of behavior do you expect to occur in school and on the streets? Search YouTube for student or school fights if you want a visual wake up call.

Until district level administrators and education policy makers spend a significant amount of time in regular, non-Advanced Placement or Gifted and Talented classes, the problem areas that need the most attention will continue to be under-addressed. The key to success for public education is about connecting with children who have no motivation to learn. Simply put, education is more than curriculum and testing, it is about creating a mindset open to learning, and the only way to create a mindset for learning is to instill motivation by providing reasons for learning and retention of information. But, with job creation and economic policy gridlock in Washington, D.C., what hope do future graduates see?

Allow me to share a fact that further illustrates the disconnect between public school administration and teachers, and further shows an arrogant, if not incestuous, system. Most school districts do not allow faculty or staff to evaluate building principals, academic coaches, or assistant administrators. The evaluation is done by similar high ranking officials isolated from the daily school routine. I believe this is an example of an insulated system that actively and purposely ignores teacher input that could improve the school. Faculty and staff should have a stake in the evaluation process paving the way for more accurate assessments of leadership to be used to guide future decisions.

Let's progress from elementary schools to high schools with specific suggestions that could start the repair of our public education system. Some of these suggestions are controversial, but without hard changes the plight of public education in the United States will never improve. Directing stimulus money to revitalizing all public schools with construction work, resources, and new hires would stimulate the national economy providing jobs throughout the nation. These suggestions, modified for each successive grade level, if enacted would provide continuity throughout the student's public school journey.

I want to say at the start of these suggestions is that I don't care for the term "disadvantaged youth" as an excuse for students to perform poorly. As soon as a child walks through a school house door his or her disadvantage should vanish. Each child is exposed to a wealth of advantages, such as dedicated teachers, books, the internet, computers, crafts, academic coaches, and other resources. During these critical years we need to create a learning envrionment where children go home every night excited about returning to school the next day! It is at this level we must win students' hearts and minds so we can nuture their developing intellect through the next twelve years.This is the time we must begin demanding personal responsibilty from the parent and personal accountability from the student; too many students exhibit arrested development behavior that must be addressed if they are to thrive.

A key component of resources available in elementary schools should be a staff of counselors and evaluators trained to detect and address learning disabilities. Detect and address learning disabilities at this early age before too much time has passed for an individualized learning plan to matter. Put co-teachers or a teacher and a paraprofessional in each elementary classroom to ensure each student receives proper services at this critical time.

It is imperative that educators initiate meaningful consequences for disruptive behavior at this young age and continue it through high school graduation. It is a sad, but unmistakable fact that far too many parents have ceded their responsibility as adults forcing teachers to assume the role of parent in addition to that of instructor. It is time for teachers and administrators to stop being indulgent "grandmothers" to the students and be teachers, not enablers.

Stop social promotion. Immediately. Holding an underperforming student back a year is no more damaging to the student's self-esteem than being roasted by peers as stupid in the classroom setting. Simply put, students should not be promoted until they are able to accomplish, proficiently, what is expected of them at the appropriate grade level. Motivation to learn must begin early and managed with rewards or consequences.

One controversial idea that has shown to be effective in several charter schools is the use of segregated classes, (not segregated schools!), to better meet the diverse needs of high school youth. Use strategic segregation by race and gender for all academic core classes to improve student focus, reduce social drama, and burgeoning hormonal distractions. Elective classes, lunches, assemblies, and extra-curricular experiences will not be segregated. The adversarial relationship between charter schools and public schools should not be an obstacle to public schools emulating successful charter school practices in the public setting. Successful practices should be utilized no matter the source; after all, aren't educated children and successful graduates what we want?

Taking the concept of designed class makeup one-step further, I find merit in the suggestion of creating classes based entirely on one specific learning style. In classes of mixed learning styles (auditory, visual, kinesthetic), a certain percentage of the students may not be actively involved during the time when the teacher is interacting with other students using learning styles suited for those students. When a class features one specific learning style, like-minded students can be actively engaged the entire class period and utilize peer collaboration for self-directed study. Again, this strategy would only be implemented in core academic classes.

There is a need to remove consistently disruptive students from regular classrooms permanently. Disruptive students are an issue taxpayers would be aghast at if they knew how difficult it is to remove a consistently disruptive student from a classroom. Please support teachers by removing habitually disruptive students for the sake of students wanting to learn.

Another example of education policy disconnect is that my district routinely ignores a state misdemeanor law prohibiting cell phones in the classroom or on school property because enforcement is kin to attempting to drain an ocean with a coffee cup. I suggest placing cell phone blocking devices in every classroom. If schools are not going to enforce the cell phone use on school campus laws, then at least limit the areas students can use them. I do not support using cell phones as a classroom tool because not every student has a smart phone nor does every student even have a phone. Every student is provided access to internet ready computers and other resources that negate the absurd idea of using cell phones as a classroom tool.

I have heard the idea of paying students for academic performance discussed. One theory is that if you pay the student for good grades, the student will not have to work after school and can apply more attention to academics and homework. Really? Does anyone believe that? I believe that if this practice moves forward, the school district should put the money in an escrow account for the student who can then access the money for college or university needs after high school. I am fundamentally opposed to paying students for grades, but that is a far less heinous use of taxpayer money than many of the uses I have seen.

There should be a law, (don't you hate that phrase?), requiring administrators, education professionals, and policy makers to have continuing classroom experience through returning to a regular classroom environment for 80 hours a year minimum. By experience, I mean fully immerse themselves the regular classroom environment such as helping the teacher grade papers, filling out the reams of documentation and forms required beyond grading papers, taking attendance, be involved in the disciplinary process, and attend parent conferences. Policy makers need to experience first hand the good and the bad resulting from their policies.

As concerned citizens and taxpayers we must be vigilant to ensure that political agendas and cronyism do not enact bad polices or defeat implementation of good policies. The education crisis has crept up on us in an insidious manner over decades but we do not have decades to repair it. With so many unemployed parents of school age children, a movement to engage policy makers in a dialogue about education reform, led by parents, could be good for our national zeitgeist.

We can begin to change our future immediately by instilling motivation in students to learn and placing personal responsibility and accountability back on the student and parent. Teachers cannot reform education alone; it is imperative that teachers have help from parents and that students know much is expected from them. Entitlements and welfare abuse have caused too many parents and students to rely on government handouts undermining their understanding of the need for an education.

To recap, first, ensure that elementary education receives the funding, counselors, and resources it needs to aid teachers in winning the hearts and minds of young students and creating a mindset to keep those hearts and minds won throughout the next twelve years.

Have a staff of counselors and evaluators on site to detect and address learning disabilities at the earliest possible stage. Provide parents resources to help their children at home. Provide counseling for parents if they are in denial regarding their child's special needs.

End social promotion immediately. Students perform at the expected level or stay where put until he or she can perform at the expected level.

Immediately start showing students, and parents, that disruptive behavior in the classroom will not be tolerated. This will be a point of contention because parents are often in denial about how their students act in school. The sad fact is that public schools must act as parents establishing discipline guidelines as well as teaching common courtesy and civic responsibility to the student.

Take a hard line stand against consistently disruptive and criminally inclined students. Place disruptive students in classes where their behavior can be addressed without disrupting class for the remaining students.

Bind extra-curricular and special class participation to good grades, good attendance, and good behavior. Use this as motivation for students to behave and perform well academically if they want to participate in extra-curricular activities.

Stop using career and technical education centers as a dumping ground to facilitate easy student schedule creation or placement venues for obviously non-college bound students. Career and Technical Education classes should be elite classes for high school students who have clear goals in mind and who want to learn skills to carry onto college or into the workforce. Career and technical education classes today are not the classes where counselors sent juvenile delinquents in the 1950's; career and technical education classes today are high-tech driven and provide some of the best opportunities for students to find jobs. Career and technical education classes should get the respect they deserve.

Lastly, for all school grades, enact legislation that puts administrators and other policy makers in regular classrooms, in which they will fully participate in everything teachers must do, for no less than two full weeks each year. Too many policy makers do not comprehend the daily struggle of classroom teachers grappling with ill-prepared students, parents, mountains of paperwork, and questionable policies; first-hand classroom experience could go a long way toward crafting better policies and legislation.

Reform of public education in the United States will require compromise and a return to common sense lost to an era gone by. Influencing the interconnectivity of modern issues directly affecting public education is a complex task, but the task is not insurmountable. Educators may not be able to alter external societal influences or cultural mores affecting students, but within the school building educators do have control over the environment and the students. By exercising control, schools have the ability to alleviate some of the issues taking students' attention away from learning.

America is a nation of heroes and concerned citizens, we see daily examples of that, and those examples provide beacons of hope during this dismal time in our nation. I am disheartened by the prospects of the next several public school graduating classes; hopefully, there will be some statesmen, physicians, scientists, and altruistic leaders to emerge, but I believe they will primarily graduate from private, religious, or charter schools. However, dynamic, apolitical, inexpensive reform that starts the process toward reforming public education would provide a national goal. As goals go, who could be against helping the children? Perhaps a national goal, for the children's sake, will even unite the red and blue states, the Tea Party, and even local neighborhoods. The change we need must start at the grassroots level; obviously, we cannot rely on politicians or pure academicians to lead the way any longer. Let the heinous waste of your tax money and the frustration you feel over bad customer service, poor product quality, and misuse of government services mobilize you to action before the United States passes the point of no return.