As 2014 comes to a close
it is worthwhile to look back at the past year in public education, while
keeping an eye on the potential that a new year brings. Unfortunately it is easy to be pessimistic
about the future of public education, especially when we look at the prevailing
climate that surround our schools at the end of 2014. Here are some of the trends that are cause
for concern. . .
Promotion and expansion of the privatization
movement- The Republican victories
at the polls combined with their anti-public education propaganda have set the
stage for efforts to expand the voucher system here in Wisconsin.
These efforts have undermined financial support for public schools and
have created an atmosphere of mistrust around public education. The potential harm to our society is
significant and will serve to move us backward to a time of segregation,
stratification and inequity.
CIVIL RIGHTS-Charter schools are often promoted as a tool to
address educational inequities, but a potential precedent-setting legal case
launched earlier this month says the opposite. In filings with...
citywatchla.com|By Jim
Continuing the movement to hold schools
"accountable" through misguided means- Accountability is a good thing, and our public
schools should always be responsible to those we serve. Yet, the current means of keeping us
accountable don't accomplish the stated goals.
Educators and schools are best held accountable by the students,
families and communities we serve. Using
data and economic measures don't increase real accountability. Instead these types of measurements move us
away from educating students and towards a factory model of schooling.
The following post appeared May 12, 2011. Since then it has been
the most read post I have written--nearly 28,000 views. I am updating it with a
few...
larrycuban.wordpress.com
A report will offer the first glimpse into the Obama
administration’s plan to grade colleges, placing them into three categories of
performance.
nytimes.com|By RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA
Increased financial challenges for our public
schools- Public schools have
always had to fight for adequate funding.
In the current climate this struggle has only become more intense. Whether being forced to justify any, and all
tax money used for education, or competing with trends that too often fail to
serve all students, our schools are facing significant financial problems.
DPI data suggests that taxpayers spent approximately half a
billion dollars to send Wisconsin K-12 students to chronically failing schools.
And that was just...
www.maciverinstitute.com
Millions went to support the Common Core, charter schools
and more.
washingtonpost.com
Attacks on educators- Teaching has always been a profession that has
struggled to get the recognition that it deserves. This is especially for educators who work
with younger students, those who work in supporting roles, and those who teach
"specials" (art, music, PE, etc.).
This reality combined with the negative propaganda about public
education and public educator unions has put all educators on the defensive. The end result has been a real decline in
morale, and an exodus of quality educators from the profession. It is time that the general public
understands just how challenging the job of educating students is. We aren't asking for special treatment, just
the respect that we earn on a daily basis.
'Teaching at a high-poverty school was different because no
matter how fast or long I worked, I could not get everything done.'
washingtonpost.com
Blaming public education for society's ills- Public education is a mirror that reflects all aspects
(pro and con) of our society. We can't
expect our public schools to fix these problems without the support of our
entire society. Public schools need to
be among the highest priorities on a local, state and national level. Instead, we often see dialog around our
schools focus on finding blame and failing to promote positive change.
Dialog around the new
Behavior Education Plan in MMSD provides an example of this problem. We know that we need to do a better job of
addressing concerns around equity and safety in our schools. Yet, we also know that the best way to do
this is to build relationships with students, families and the community as a
whole. These relationships take time and
a significant commitment on the part of all involved. Changing policy won't change outcomes without
this commitment and a dedication of resources.
This means that we need to be able to have real conversations with all
involved in order to move our district forward.
Public dialog is difficult, but it is the only way to make real change
happen.
Will dropping the zero tolerance discipline policy keep
African-American students in the classroom and everyone on task?
host.madison.com|By Pat Schneider
Given all these challenges
it is easy to wonder what the future holds for our public education systems
here in Wisconsin, and around the United States. We are seeing too many people give up, or
give in to the pressures around public schools.
Whether it is retirement, resignation, or blind compliance, the results
are the same. Instead of fewer voices
speaking about the potential power of public education and the value of quality
education, we need more people stepping up to advocate for our students,
schools and educators.
While the present may seem
bleak, here are some reasons for hope in 2015. . .
Using data to make positive change happen- The same data that is used to attack our public
schools can be used to defend and promote public education. Our public schools do well when compared to
similar privatized schools. In fact,
given the commitment that public schools have to educating all students, the
data around education often favors public over private schools. Stripping away the rhetoric around private
schools exposes a truth that education privateers don't want the public to
know. By emphasizing the positive aspects
of public education we can change the dialog and climate around public
schooling.
Poor schools underperform largely because of economic
forces, not because teachers have it too easy
salon.com
Fraud, financial mismanagement, lousy results: Reports highlight
awful charter schools and people are catching on
salon.com
Bad news for Pearson Education made be good news for the
rest of us. The testing and publishing mega-giant is on the run, but it looks
like it will not be able to hide....
huffingtonpost.com
At the same time we need
to make sure that we are emphasizing the most meaningful data. This means changing our discourse from test
scores, school report cards and educator evaluations that are designed to
undermine public schools. Instead we
need to use data to refocus the dialog back to our students and their
needs. Informing the public about the
many positives in our schools can rebuild trust and confidence, while allowing
educators to build on student strengths instead of focusing on the
negatives.
Developing a positive message for public educators-
Too often educators are forced
into a defensive position that doesn't allow us to speak our truth about what
we believe education means for our students.
We find ourselves justifying our actions and even succumbing to the
pressure to implement harmful "reforms" in the name of equity or to
improve our students performance on standardized assessments. Instead of being defensive we should be
articulating our ideas and asserting our opinions about what it means to
educate and to be educated. Educators
don't have to be a part of a bureaucratic and inequitable system. This isn't who and what educators are. They can, and should, be working to define
the parameters of their efforts and communicate this with the public.
Blogger and educator Slekar says it's the legislators who
need someone peering over their shoulders.
Student know how to play school like it's a game, but if
teachers change the rules, they just might appreciate it.
blogs.kqed.org
Uniting around our efforts to promote equity and
close existing gaps- One of the
most unpleasant realities about our current state of affairs in public
education is the fact that our students have different opportunities and
experience different outcomes based on demographic factors like race, gender
and socio-economic class. No educator I
know is completely satisfied with the way things currently are, but we often
struggle to find ways to make change happen.
Working together as a whole community we can begin to make progress in
addressing the inequities in the system.
It starts with recognizing the problems exist, and continues with a
united effort to define what change we want to make happen. Along the way we will continue to experience
struggle and will face many challenges, but the efforts will serve to improve public
education for all participants.
It's been a year since Gee's "Justified Anger"
essay was published in the Cap Times regarding the pervasive racial inequities
in Madison.
host.madison.com|By REV. ALEX GEE
I grew up poor, and I’ve tried to speak up for the students
in my daughter’s schools who don’t eat sushi and can’t afford cheerleading.
Mostly, I’ve failed.
parenting.blogs.nytimes.com|By Debra Monroe
The laser-like focus on math and reading ignores other
things that are vital to closing it.
washingtonpost.com
In the end our public
schools will only be as good as we want them to be. It takes a vocal group of educators,
students, families and community members to advocate for the type of
educational experience that will benefit all students. These advocates need the support of strong
organizations like public educator unions.
We can't rely on those making policy at the higher levels to recognize
or understand the needs of students in classrooms. We've seen what happens when we let the
"system" run its course. Let's
make 2015 the year that public education moves in more sustainable, equitable
and socially just directions.
The
Good, The Bad and
The
Ugly. . .
The Good . . . While the power of unions has been curtailed by policy, legislation
and practices that are reinforced by the current prevailing anti-labor public
sentiment, it is vital that we remember the power of labor isn't limited by
political or economic constraints. In
fact, many of the greatest accomplishments of labor have occurred by stretching,
and even at times breaking, these constraints in order to force the general
public to recognize the value in collective action for the good of all. Our system of government allows for dissent,
but social, political and economic mores encourage conformity.
WASHINGTON
-- In a significant win for labor unions, federal regulators ruled Thursday
that employers can't prevent their workers from using company email...
t.co
The Bad . . . We continue to allow a reality to be created for us that blames the
poor and powerless for the challenges we face.
No, single moms aren't the problem. And neither are absentee
dads.
motherjones.com
motherjones.com
This same false reality is
one that creates the climate of blame around our unions and foments anger
against organized labor. It allows
politicians like Governor Walker to shift the blame for our economic struggles
away from their misguided policies and onto people and organizations who are
truly working for positive change. Wisconsin has become a
breeding ground for Conservative policies and divisive politics, both of which
do more harm than good for most citizens.
The American Legislative Exchange Council has worked for
decades to weaken public unions at the state level.
washingtonpost.com
Whenever the governor insists a policy is “not a priority,”
you can probably assume the contrary.
urbanmilwaukee.com
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has his eye on the
Republican presidential nomination in 2016, and as he tries to boost his
national poll numbers, there...
bloomberg.com
Discussions from a graduating Master's student on items
including life in the Upper Midwest, the
dismal science, and brilliant beverages.
jakehasablog.blogspot.com|By Jake
formerly of the LP
In the end we are left
with a divided society that will struggle to operate in positive, sustainable
ways. Along the way, discussion and
compromise become difficult, if not impossible.
These things that make our system of government possible vanish in a
storm of vitriol and anger. We must find
ways to stop this division before it damages our society beyond repair.
At first glance, Gov. Scott Walker’s re-election last month
looks like a carbon copy of his victory four years earlier. But on closer
inspection, there is an important difference: Wisconsin is even more polarized today than
it was four years ago.
jsonline.com|By Craig Gilbert
Just read the comments after these photos to see just how bitter and
angry our society has become. Protesting
is a recognized form of resistance here in America, those who argue against it
are forgetting our roots and ignoring our Constitution.
About 60 people from the Young, Gifted & Black Coalition
were gathered in Madison...
http://www.channel3000.com|By Channel
3000
The Ugly . . . My home state has a lot of work to do around issues of race and
equity. Hopefully the new year will
bring an increased awareness along with increased action around important
issues of social justice.
The sad lesson of Milwaukee
is that what happened to Mike Brown is no exception. Here's the terrifying
reality
salon.com
