The Result of the Unvoiced: The Power of Their Ideas by Deborah Meier

"I believe that it is the business of every one interested in education to insist upon the school as the primary and most effective interest of social progress and reform in order that society may be awakened to realize what the school stands for, and aroused to the necessity of endowing the educator with sufficient equipment properly to perform his task." (John Dewey, My Pedagogic Creed, as edited by Dworkin, 1959)

We were first introduced to the concept of school reform when we read Tinkering Toward Utopia. In it, Tyack and Cuban suggest that "reforms can be deliberately designed to be hybridized to fit local circumstances. In this way, educators can adapt innovations to the ongoing lives of their schools and seek to create coherence where it counts the most - in classroom instruction." (p. 64) When a district is failing and not producing the students we need as productive members of society, drastic changes have to be made to the current model. We see the perfect example with Deborah Meier in her Central Park East model outlined in The Power of Their Ideas.

Meier has very distinct ideas of what a school should look like. The center of this is in line with Dewey's concept of democracy in education: everyone part of a school, jointly makes the decisions in the school. Though this is often a lengthy way of solving issues within a school, what joint responsibility does is makes every teacher truly responsible for everything that goes on within that school. This accountability requires a vested interest in the success of the school. Meier also demonstrates that she believes the students have a responsibility for their own education, as well. Beyond the weekly status meetings, Meier says, "all students need to understand the way scientists arrive at truth. They need opportunities to experience the scientific method in operation precisely because they can't be expected to reinvent modern science in their spare time." (Meier, p.168). Meier requires that her students experience school actively. Their graduation portfolios and their community service obligation all demonstrate that Meier believed that dedication to education was not handed down by an authority, but by the intrinsic desire for education. Meier instills what Jerome Bruner would call "education for education's sake." This runs into how she believes a school should be led. When the increased administrative lies on several teachers, instead of just one leader, the success or failure of the school relies on the joint efforts of the collective.

I'm not sure if I can refute the feasibility of school reform according to Meier, since she has obviously been successful in her efforts. But I can compare some of the reforms she implemented to my current teaching situation. Though in times of crisis, such as with a failing district, drastic changes will be implemented, I don't believe many of Meier's reforms would be enough in my school district.

Though I really think there's a lot of value to the small school concept, in my district, the small school suggestion has been fought as frivolous. The key would be to have several schools within one building. In my building, this would be impossible, because my school is a middle school built around the middle school concept. There are some similarities, though, between the middle school concept and small schools. For example, the middle school concept relies on teams on the grade level. The team concept has groups of students with interdisciplinary teachers that have the opportunity to really get to know their students. Decisions affecting the team are made by the team, with essentially no input from the other teams. And, all decisions are made together, which necessitate that productive collaboration occur on a regular and recurring basis.

One policy that Meier has in her schools that would probably be most effective for my district, would be impossible to implement. The first is community service. Unfortunately, due to the geographic isolation of many of the families in our rural community, enforcing community service would be nearly impossible. But I don't necessarily believe in enforcing community service. Though I firmly believe in service to the community, I don't think forcing it is the way to make positive changes. I think service learning should be enforced, with options on how to demonstrate a students' understanding of citizenship. I think that there needs to be a balance of what is enforced. Will we eventually get to the point where we say that in order to get a high school diploma, you have to prove that you registered to vote or registered for the draft? I hope not. That, I think, is in direct opposition to Dewey's concept of democracy.

In all, I felt that Meier's philosophies, though untraditional at times, was very much in line with what I believe. I am one of those teachers who would never want to become an administrator (was that group V that had that as their commonality?). But, I have no problem being a teacher leader in my school. As a teacher leader, I can create change, but without the bureaucracy of an administrative position. Fortunately, I have leaders that respect me, and allow me to speak, and who listen to me. I believe that we have an extremely effective school. I believe, also, that if more teachers felt like they would be listened to, we would have more effective schools. I think the greatest lesson we can learn from The Power of their Ideas is that great leadership effects change when all voices can be heard, and are part of the Dewey's democracy. Reflection on that leadership, in the style of Meier, is what actually creates the positive and lasting change. I only hope that I keep this in mind as I continue to be a teacher leader.

Sources

Dworkin, M., editor (1959), Dewey on education selections, New York: Teachers' College Press.

Meier, D. (2002), The power of their ideas, Boston: Beacon Press.

Tyack, D. and Cuban, L., (1995) Tinkering toward utopia, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press