The past few weeks have put educational issues in the national spotlight yet again, but like the group-think, mob-mentality style people that we are, we have been sucked into a debate about American educational standards, child-rearing (see: Tiger Mom fiasco), and educational funding that still does not include the critical factors of student and teacher success.
There a few things we KNOW about public education:
1. The system is archaic and in need of major re-invention.
2. The system works for SOME PEOPLE.
3. The quality of a child's teacher is the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR in their educational success.
4. Our inability to support high-quality teaching in many of our schools is driven not by too few teachers coming in,but by too many going out, that is, by a staggering teacher turnover and attrition rate.
We need to balance our efforts to prepare high quality teachers with strong strategies to support good teaching in our schools. So, why can't we do this? What is it that is really holding America back? Well, the answer is nothing!
If we wanted to address the very solvable issue of educational inequity we could do so in four years. We could drive reform using the established educational reform strategies of the great Ron Edmonds and his associate Larry Lezotte or we could take the re-worded versions of Ron Edmond's work from the likes of Dr. Roland Fryer or the much heralded charter school kings (Feinberg, Barbic, Canada, etc.). The evidence exists, we know what to do to provide all kids a through and efficient education. We simply do not have the desire.
I once attended a lecture by Michelle Rhee, where she said, she had met with Billionaire Warren Buffett to discuss the challenges she was having with managing human capital and community support while she was Chancellor of D.C. Public Schools. In this meeting, she explained, that Mr. Buffet said, " If we really want to fix public education, outlaw private schools, and assign every student in this country to a public school by random lottery. You'd see the fastest re-distribution of resources in the history of the world!" Mr. Buffet's sentiments while somewhat humorous, ring with a sad truth. The redistribution of resources he refers to is in the levels of community support and involvement but also in the quality of the teachers and leaders in the buildings!
It is no secret that new teachers in low-income schools often have higher turnover, larger classes, and generally pathetic instructional support. It's also true that these teachers often have lower levels of instructional/pedagocial understanding (Sorry TFA, but it's true, says a proud TFA Alum!) and in many cities serve under leadership teams that would be run-out of schools in more affluent communities. Fixing the system will require extensive policy and practicioner reforms, but schools MUST ADDRESS THE TALENT GAP.
If you poll any of the highest performing charter school districts in America and ask their human resources directors for their staff profiles, you will find a gold mine of top tier talent! Your typical candidate would average an undergraduate G.P.A. of 3.8, have served in a series of leadership postions in college, and a come from a wide swath of college majors. You would find people who would have any law, business, or public policy school recruiter salivating just looking at them! But more importantly, you would find like-minded, mission-driven, people who come together and make innumerable sacrifices for the benefit of their students.
You would find rigorously evaluated and meticulously selected leadership teams. People selected not because of who they know and how they look, but on what they've done and what they can do! You'd find structured and organized support for teaching and learning coupled with high expecations for students and staff. These things aren't pie in the sky dreams....they should be the norm for every school in this country!
As states struggle to identify ways to address the challenges created by a struggling economy they will inevitably turn to public education as a quick fix to monetary issues (because education is expensive!). States will moronically cut schoool district budgets by millions forcing school district to take drastic actions regarding teacher layoffs and potential school closings. I say moronically, because this will produce an environment that will further the cause of entrenched interests and force districts to "release talent" regardless of the their efficacy!
If I were Superintendent, and layoffs were necessary, guess who would be out the door? The least effectiive teachers, administrators, and district personnel. Oops, that would require a district to have a fair and accurate appraisal and human talent retention system, which sadly, most do not. I applaud HISD for its work in this area and its new teacher appraisal system will be a game-changer in the teacher quality debate, but its just one-step in multi-tiered battle for top talent. Next, districts must address the challenge of creating meaningful, objective, evidence-based pathways to leadership for aspiring leaders. Otherwise, potential leaders and teachers will continue to do what all talented, resourced, and non-foolishness tolerating people do -- chuck up the deuces!
- But hey, I'm just talking out loud...
