Vouching
for Public Schools. . .
We are constantly being showered
with rhetoric that tells us our public schools are failing, that a significant
number of our educators are either incompetent, unmotivated or both, and that
we need to make drastic changes in the system in order to increase the equity
in educational opportunities for all students.
Yet, the attacks are grounded in some false assumptions, half-truths and
a legacy of efforts designed to undermine our public education systems across
the nation.
Neither political party
and very few interest groups have really stepped up to defend our public
schools, despite the fact that these schools are the only place where services
for students of all needs and demographics are mandated. Instead, we have seen a call for
re-segregating our schools and recreating a separate and unequal system that is
not only unfair, but also unconstitutional.
Our public schools have been consistently maligned, underfunded and
overregulated by those who claim to be acting "for the
children."
Yet, when funded and
supported we have seen achievement gaps closed by our schools, and it is only
in the last 25 years, as cuts to funding and new mandates were implemented,
that we have seen this progress halted. Here
in Wisconsin
we've seen cuts to education that are unprecedented in scale, and the efforts
to demean the efforts of public educators intensified. Data about our schools are twisted, and
"reform" rhetoric has become the norm in discourse about public
education.
We are seeing pushback
from supporters of public education. A
great example comes from those fighting against the efforts to promote
legislation creating a special needs voucher (re-titled scholarship) program.
Tech,
Trust, Obstruction
and
Advocacy . . .
Technology can be a
valuable tool in our daily lives, and plays an important role in the education
of our students as well. The Madison school district
recently unveiled an ambitious plan to improve access to technology for
students in the district.
Response
to the plan was mixed, and there were strong opinions raised on all sides of
the issue. This topic has become a
source of some controversy and intense feelings with a few unnecessary snide
comments thrown in.
Please take some time to look at the plan. If you have
thoughts, questions, recommendations or even a reaction to share, we’d love to
hear from you. Fire up the digital device of your choice, and send us an email
at board@madison.k12.wi.us. If
you think we’re making a mistake by proposing to race headlong into this
technology thing, let us know that as well. But you might want to deliver that
message via the Postal Service.
host.madison.com
While you should take time
to read the plan itself, and formulate your own opinions, I want to take the
time to expand on the position of those "opposed" to the plan.
First, to identify us as
opposed to the technology plan is inaccurate.
We support a plan to get technology in to our schools and in to the
hands of our students. Technology is a
huge expense and these are tough financial times for schools. To add technology, or any other initiative
without careful planning and open, honest dialog would be a huge mistake and
one that would likely cause more harm than benefit for our students. The opposition arises not from an anti-technology
viewpoint, but from an effort to insure wise implementation, to address
existing needs, and to protect things that are of value from funding cuts.
I would hope that in a
district committed to education of all students, that opinions from the
community would be a valued part of the discussion. To imply that those who question the plan are
out of touch with the modern world, as Board President Hughes does in his
article on the MMSD website, does little to build support for the plan, or to
foster open communication around this, or any, issue.
That leads directly to the
issue of the speed with which supporters
are moving forward with the plan.
While they are making the argument that the tech plan has been a topic
of discussion for months, many in the district have only become aware of the
details in the past week or so. Educators
and students in the district have suffered from the quick implementation of
district wide initiatives that have had mixed results in recent years. The adoption of a district wide reading
program for elementary students in the recent past is an example of this type
of action. One of our strengths as a
district is the well educated and highly involved community that our schools
are embedded in. Through discussion and
public input we will see new ideas come forth, and a stronger plan developed.
This isn't to say that we
need to study, discuss and reformulate technology plans over the course of
years, but rather that opening the discussion to a wider audience, including
educators at a variety of buildings, will give us better results in the long
run. In the week or so since the plan
was introduced we have seen input given, and modifications made in the
plan. Clearly there is an opportunity
here to develop a positive and sustainable vehicle to get technology in to MMSD
schools. We appreciate the willingness
of administration to listen to concerns, and hope that more opportunities will
be given before a final plan is passed.
The question that Tech
Plan supporters have is, why would anyone resist improving the technology
available to MMSD students? After all,
technology isn't going away and our district has not consistently kept up with
the latest innovations and advances available.
Once again I remind you that those voicing concerns about the plan are
not opposed to technology, nor are we simply obstructionists who want to
criticize any new initiative. In order
to support a Tech Plan, or any initiative, I feel that a few basic issues must
be addressed.
1- It must not take away
from existing or new programs that build human supports for our students,
families and community. Education is a
labor intensive endeavor and we need as many people as possible actively
involved in the process. Things like
Ready, Set, Goal conferences, school staff in the most at-risk communities and
enough staff to insure the diverse needs of all learners are met need to take
precedence over any technology or materials that are purchased.
While we are being assured
that the Tech Plan won't restrict spending on these needs, it is difficult to
believe that we will not see technology pitted against human resources at some
time in the not so distant future.
2- It must build on the
strengths that exist in our schools, and fill a genuine need in a meaningful
way. There are many innovative ways that
MMSD staff is using technology right now, and we should build off of these
programs. If we simply put devices in
our schools we will not get the maximum benefit from our investment. Putting decision making about technology at
the school level can insure that we tailor purchases to the needs of a building
and that funds are used in the best manner possible.
3- It must be sustainable
and supportable. Too often we see our
current technology failing us for a variety of reasons, and the idea that
adding more will somehow improve things seems illogical. There will be significant costs involved in
educating educators to use technology most effectively, and to maintain the
devices in buildings. The best plans are
often simple and develop over time, once again building on the strengths in
each school around the district.
Unfortunately, there is
also a history here of initiatives being rolled out to great fanfare, and then
abandoned just as quickly. It is unfair,
and short sighted to oppose initiatives solely for this reason, but also very
human to feel apprehension when a huge plan like this is unveiled. Those anxieties are increased when a plan is
accelerated through the system, and when those in favor of it speak in stark
terms of "your either with us, or against us." I hope that we can continue the dialog and
emerge with a plan that will feature the best possible solutions to some very
challenging problems.
I invite everyone to come
to the regular Board of Education meeting on Monday, January 27th @ 6PM in the
McDaniels Auditorium at the Doyle
Building to hear more
about the plan. Several SCAPE members
will be offering their ideas, and we hope to hear from others in the community
as well.
State
of My State. . .
"I have almost reached
the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride
toward freedom is […] the white moderate, who is more devoted to 'order' than
to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a
positive peace which is the presence of justice." These words come from Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr.'s "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" and ring true through the
years. I would argue that we are facing
conditions that are returning us to an America where access to opportunity
and justice are becoming more restricted, and that we are seeing issues of
injustice becoming more widespread with every passing day. While visibly true for citizens of different
races, all of us are feeling the effects of policies designed to divide and
conquer us. Whatever your demographic
identity, it is becoming clear that we are facing a concerted effort to return
American society to a time in history where phrases like, "All men"
meant some men, and "The general welfare" referred to a select few.
The idea that Dr. King
espouses about "the white moderate" can be expanded to include anyone
of any demographic who is satisfied with the current status quo that exists in
our state and our nation. We are hearing
a lot about "freedom", "opportunity" and
"equality", but the words are ringing hollow when we see the reality
that so many of our fellow citizens are experiencing. Too many of us are simply willing to sit on
the sidelines and allow those who are in power manipulate our system and speak
for us.
We need to increase the
tension in our society in a positive way.
This means speaking up for what we believe in and not accepting the word
of social, political and economic leaders as truth simply because it was uttered
by someone with credentials. We need to
make sure that we stay informed and involved and use whatever methods available
to make our voices heard in the debates that currently occupy our
attention. We also need to make sure
that we are aware of future struggles looming on the horizon.
Dr. King was a champion
for Civil Rights, which included rights for all people. He was a voice for labor, a voice against
violence and a voice for equality for all.
His message and legacy, which we honored on Monday, is one that we need
to make sure is heard throughout the year, and applied to all situations. It is interesting to see how Dr. King's
memory is juxtaposed with the message that was delivered by Scott Walker on
Wednesday. Walker used some of the same words like
"opportunity" and spoke of putting "power back in to the hands
of the people." However, the truth
behind these words is not the truth that Dr. King spoke about.
It is up to us to reject
order unless it leads to justice, and to create the tension that is necessary
to lead our state down the path towards opportunity and justice for all. We must refuse to allow empty words and
promises to replace the collective actions that promote widespread equality and
positive relationships between citizens of many different demographics. We can't forget that all the talk of budget
surpluses and tax refunds are part of an agenda that focuses on building
economic success for a few on the backs of the many. As George Washington said, "Truth will
ultimately prevail where there is pains taken to bring it to light."
The
Good, The Bad
and
The Ugly. . .
The Good . . .
A victory for labor!!
The Bad . . .
Another federal court case
that could change things drastically for unions around America. Meanwhile, Wisconsin
unions await our Supreme Court's ruling on MTI's case against Act 10.
The Ugly . . .
We know that there are inequities
in the distribution of wealth, but this is startling.
Meanwhile, most of us are
working harder, and losing ground.
