Okay, this is another post about policy and not writing. Though I believe strongly that they go hand in hand. The larger narrative that we've been telling ourselves about the public schools is retarded. Literally. It has failed to grow or develop in the last twenty years. Posh, worry-free suburban schools. Urban schools in crisis staffed by union-protected burnouts. These are both idiotic tropes that need to be destroyed.
So I have my doubts about the current hot idea discussed in an article in today's New York Times about the D.C. superintendent's plan to offer teachers lots of pay in exchange for forgoing any tenure. Personally, I never think about either of those things-- my salary or my tenure-- when I think about how or what I am going to teach. I am always doing the best I can with my personal talents, the resources at hand, the students I have, and the culture I am in. I have rarely encountered any other kind of teacher.
Every fully conscious human being knows what real teaching and learning looks and feels like. Status quo conditions (class size, teacher load, rote expectations) in schools make real teaching and learning rare.
Everyone is trying the best they can. Teaching is hard. Everywhere. Why can't that be the new story?
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2 comments:
John,
I found your blog through one of your comments on Bill's blog. I'm in a teaching certificate program at the moment and we've pretty much been told to expect change. Nobody is quite sure what will change, or what that will change to, but NCLB is most definitely changing.
That promise of change is good enough for me, because like you, I try to focus on my own teaching, and I feel like good teaching and learning is very obvious to anyone with an eye or an ear. The problem seems to be translating that obvious knowledge of good teaching and learning of one student to millions of students.
One of my favorite aspects of teaching so far has been the teachers I work with. They are not in teaching for the money, and if merit-based pay happens, I cringe at the type of people who will get into teaching for the money. Especially if money is directly tied to test scores... good bye art!
I had a conversation this weekend with a relatively drunk but well-meaning liberal. He thought he was being supportive as he insisted that we needed more money. I tried to disagree, but he wouldn't have it.
Unfortunately, this idea has become the stock answer for education reform. Pay them more. Fire them if necessary. That will solve everything. I suspect that Teach for America has had a great deal to do with this.
I would argue that people recognize that teaching is hard (otherwise noone would offer more money to do the job). Unfortunately, even supportive people like my drunk friend, don't want to know any more. More money is a gut reaction. If a job is hard, give the worker more money. It is a simple equation that does not require depth of understanding.
Fortunately, the true narrative is simple too. Smaller classes, more time on task. These are the answers.
-Justin
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