Some West Genesee administrators and teachers had the
opportunity to meet with Emily Davis prior to Spring break. Emily is a Teacher
Ambassador Fellow from the United States Department of Education. It was a
terrific opportunity to have Washington’s ear as it relates to some pretty
large Federal mandates and initiatives, as well as some global concerns around
education. As a parent, teacher and administrator I have thought a lot about
that meeting and the state of public education in general. My thoughts are not about
what is wrong with public education, but rather what is right about it and how
we can continue to evolve and make it even better. The system isn’t broken from
where I sit. Our public schools in New York State are among the best in the
nation, and our country has the greatest system in the world. It isn’t perfect
by any means, but it is the best system out there because we educate everyone, and
we are able to debate and voice our concerns over what needs to be improved and
changed.
My immediate concern is that our attention is being drawn
away from some very significant issues and being narrowly focused on concerns
over standardized assessments and CCLS. I’m not defending high-stakes
assessments tied to teacher (and principal!) evaluation in any shape or form, I
will never support or advocate having elementary and middle school students
sitting at desks for 90 minutes at a time to do anything, and I’m not profiting
from the implementation of CCLS in any way. I respect the views of those who
are expressing their dissatisfaction with State assessments and the rollout of
the CCLS by the State, as well as the implementation of those standards by some
school districts. My concern isn’t the battle and debate over assessments and
CCLS. My concern is that attention is being diverted from other important, much
needed (and often avoided) debates that need to take place.
As a State and nation there is an unwillingness to grapple
with some of these deeper structural issues. We pick easier, short-term battles
and avoid the long-term structural battles that IF dealt with would have the biggest collective positive impact for
everyone; ALL of our children, in ALL districts. For most, the neighborhood you live in today
still determines the quality of education and the opportunities you have access
to. You can drive ten miles and cross four school districts with incredibly
different opportunities and programs for their kids. There isn’t a better example
of true inequity than that, but because it is uncomfortable, difficult, political,
and it has always been that way, we don’t deal with it.
In addition to inequities, public education is in need of a
re-boot to help it catchup to the world that is changing at an ever increasing
rate just outside of our walls. Many classrooms across the country look very
similar to the way they did in 1985. Many districts lack the infrastructure to
provide learning experiences that mirror what our students will see in the
military, college and in their careers. Personal electronic devices are a part
of the new-normal for our children and society, but schools are often the only
place where those devices are banned and their use connected to harsh
consequences. There is a lot of work to
do to adjust public education to mirror the times, close the opportunity gap
that exists, and bring schools out of the 1980’s or 1960’s for that matter. All
of that work is incredibly important and in need of much more national and State
attention.
I understand the frustration and concern that is dominating
the headlines with testing and standards. I am experiencing both from the
perspective of a parent and a building principal. I also have concerns that
some of those making global decisions about public education are not be in
touch with what happens in the trenches of public education on a daily basis
and/or have had limited to no experience in public schools. I’m concerned that
some decisions are solely about the business end of education as opposed to
making decisions that are in the best interest of our children.
Despite those concerns, significant and meaningful change is
in the air; change that impacts students directly for the better. I’ve been
fortunate to see it happening in classrooms and districts across our State and
country. You can see it in the learning experiences our students are given each
day at West Genesee. You can hear it in the voices of both new and veteran
teachers who are working tirelessly to provide the best opportunities for their
students. You can see the wonder and
excitement in the eyes of our students who are having relevant, meaningful and
rigorous opportunities that stretch their imagination and have them thinking
‘big.’ Creativity by administrators and districts to maintain and even enhance
programs, as funding is being cut, is alive and well. Future teachers are
receiving training and professional development that better prepares them for
today’s world and today’s students. The much needed re-boot is underway and is
being powered by the enthusiasm, passion and energy of teachers,
administrators, school boards, and parents that put kids first. That meaningful
change deserves much more attention and support than it is getting.
Meanwhile, the debate over standardized assessments and CCLS
will and SHOULD rage on, but not at
the expense of taking the spotlight off of these other areas. For those of us in
classrooms and in school buildings, our daily focus will continue to be on our
students and moving public education forward so that we may better prepare
future generations for our changing world. The most unfortunate fallout from
the standards and testing backlash is that it has provided the perfect
distraction from the real, deep rooted issues in education which are poverty,
equity and the inability of schools to evolve at a rate that remotely comes
close to the rate of change in real world. I hope we all get as excited and
outraged over those deep rooted issues and inequities that exist from zip code
to zip code as we are over standardized assessments and CCLS. All of it needs
our voice and attention.
Steve Dunham
sdunham@westgenesee.org
@Sdunhamwgms
