As education reform is both such an important and a ‘hot’ topic presently, this article is going to be broken into three parts. One part will be available each Monday, starting with this Monday, October 18, 2010.
Lewis Black said it perfectly, “It’s fall, so it’s time for everyone to care about education for a week.” And this fall, it seems like everyone is an authority on all things classroom. The Daily Show (with Jon Stewart) had Lewis Black’s commentary http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-october-5-2010/back-in-black—education-crisis, Time Magazine had a cover story, The New York Times Magazine wrote about education reform in D.C. (why not NYC I don’t know). The first week in October, Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ created a new section called ‘HuffPost Education’ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/education/, there’s ‘Waiting for Superman’, weekly specials on the national news channels, and dozens of others.
Initially, I would read one of these articles, get a little irritated, but generally ignore it. Then I started to hear the teacher backlash about the documentary, ‘Waiting for Superman’, and I started talking with colleagues. And now, well now I’m just pissed.
Are there problems in education? Yes. Are there bad schools, principals, and teachers? Of course. But more than that, I am so unbelievably tired and angry of listening to people constantly talk about schools like they are businesses. We are worried about math and science output – not because math and science are interesting, but because more students are coming to American for their college education from outside of this country and majoring in math and science; and that’s bad. Schools are not businesses, thank goodness. They are schools, places to learn. Look up the word “school.” Seriously, do it. Does it say business, or for-profit enterprise? What about education mill factory? No, It doesn’t. It says, “the activity or process of learning under instruction” (Webster’s Dictionary.)
Learning under instruction. The ‘process’ of learning. People learn at different paces, with unique ways of understanding, and different learning styles. If that wasn’t true, I wouldn’t have a job as a tutor, or see a need to create educational games. Now, add in that students come from a variety of backgrounds, family dynamics, and socio-economic situations. Put that together, combined with testing, standards, and daily surprises – and that is what a K-12, public or private, teacher has to deal with on a daily basis. The amazing thing? That teachers still show up everyday.
In the business world, if you can’t keep up, you’re given a warning and then you’re either fired or let go. Fired. Without a job. Could you imagine if we did that to our children? “Sorry David, you can’t keep up, please leave.” “But Mrs. Pak, I’m only 10.” “Too bad, your test scores show you aren’t keeping up.” The outrage would be tangible – and as it should be. But, instead of blaming the kids (which is completely wrong), we are blaming education as a whole (which is wrong too). Yet, what doesn’t get the blame, ever, — is what our society is doing to the meaning of schooling, education, and learning.
Schools are supposed to be a safe, nurturing, environment where students can feel free to ask questions, get things wrong, and explore concepts. In the business world, the closest comparison I can think of where a person comes in to learn is an internship – and those are usually free time for the companies. At school, students are supposed to be encouraged to come up with new ideas and given time to fully understand a concept. This is where innovation comes from. But it’s not like that anymore; kids are taking state exams as early as 3rd grade, nap time is gone for Kindergartners, and by 9th grade you have to know what it is that you want to do with your whole life. Plus, if a student does not fit into a unique mold of what a ‘model citizen’ should be like in the classroom they are automatically labeled a problem child, one with learning problems, or ADD/ADHD.
This is not what school was meant for. Learning has become a business, not an exploration. And until the education playing field is level – the results will never be what you want them to be. We will never be like China, or Norway, or Luxemburg. These are our children, not cogs in a machine. When I was in high school, I was so so lucky to be able to attend an Arts Magnet school. This school fostered my love of theatre, and taught me a great deal that allowed me to continue my theatrical education in college. The year after I graduated, it was shut down and converted into a math and science academy. Did it close because of low attendance you ask? No. It was closed because there wasn’t a way to catalog the amount of information you learned at a arts school into specific numbers. But, with a math and science academy you could. Lovely.
References
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2019663_2020590,00.html
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2019663_2020590_2020588,00.html
I really agree with your point about being fed up with comparisons between public schools and businesses. What is driving so many billionaire CEOs into the education ‘reform’ game? Money and prestige. It has become an orchestrated game and students have been unwillingly forced into it at the expense of their learning and feeling of support.
And as you point out, these business leaders who have hijacked education are forcing out students AND teachers from the education environment. Charter schools won’t accept students with any special needs or differing learning styles. If you don’t ‘succeed’ you actually are kicked out of the school.
And schools have become testing mills reminiscent of the industrial revolution where workers were expected to turn out mediocre products for low costs and high efficiency. The state I work in has even started testing Kindergarteners three times a year as well.
Is this really the ‘reform’ we have been promised?
Thanks for your feedback. Yes, CEOs are looking at K-12 more now, because of what for-profit universities have done to the college experience. I’m afraid that as more of these new formatted charter schools rise up and mislead the public – the closer we will come to privatizing K-12. And that’s a frightening thought. And testing of Kinders…, that is very scary. Poor little ones.