Superman?

My focus is constantly divided. I'm always thinking about my classroom/school/district, and how successful they are (how successful they can be). But I am also looking at the bigger education picture, which currently seems to be dominated by the Waiting for Superman documentary. You can also toss in the Oprah show from this past week (I'm not home when Oprah is on, so I go based on the twitter-sphere) or the NBC "Education Nation" show that is kicked off by Sunday's Meet the Press.

As a point of full disclosure: I teach in a public school, but in a district that is more affluent (and successful) than other large "city" districts in the state. I also have a friend that is a principal for KIPP, a charter school outfit that gets lots of publicity. Lastly, I have never set foot inside of a charter school.

As I watch my DVR'd copy of Meet the Press, I find myself getting increasingly irritated. The conversation is essentially centered on the fact that public schools are "failures" and that the teacher's union is an impediment to student success. What is befuddling, but not surprising, is that they haven't defined success! Is a student's success defined by the winner take all standardized test? On this show, and in many arenas, the answer is yes. It is assumed by all of those on the show, that input equals output, and a student passing the standardized test should be the output. My problem is that it doesn't always work that way. I've seen really bright and hardworking kids not meet standard. Why? I couldn't tell you. Bad day? A family thing? Missed breakfast? Poor teaching? A combination? Who knows. There are kids who miss things everyday in my classroom (forgetting a topic sentences, miss reading a question, overcomplicating a question). They are not any less bright because of that. Perhaps they need to me more careful, but not any more/less intelligent.

As the show concludes before me, I find myself exceedingly angry. Not surprisingly the panel took aim at teachers and the union as an impediment, blocking the progress of millions of school children across the country. "I fire bad teachers, and the union files a grievance," Michelle Rhee states. Well because I would be willing to bet that not all of the 241 teachers that were terminated were "bad teachers." The unfortunately reality is that their kids didn't meet the growth relative to the standardized test.

Solutions? Dan Brown mentioned a few (which the Radical quotes in a post about the show). In my district I feel like there are some items that are worth replicating. Our New Teacher Support Program is highly effective, and inspires reflective practice. During my first year we had quarterly cohort meetings, weekly observed lessons (informal), and opportunities to observe inspiring teachers in the district. Additionally, we have an online portal where documents related to teaching and learning can be found. Wondering what district assessments should be used for fall? Check the portal and download it. Wondering what is at standard for fluency in the winter? Check the portal. Want to see the scope and sequence that the district proposes for particular curricular materials? The portal has it. The tools are available, and you are expected to use them and not be on an island.

The last two things are crucial. How about an hour and a half for planning every week (beyond your specialist time)? Love it. You mean I have time to look at student work, talk about it with my peers, and collaborate on how to scaffold for particular students? Whoa. It was striking at first, but some of the most important time we have. Lastly we have an evaluation system aimed at our growth. I set a goal for a particular domain of teaching (last year was classroom environment, this year is instruction) aimed at increasing student achievement. The achievement can be measured in many ways, but I do link it to our standardized test. We use them for our grade level and school goals, so it is best to be aligned. But I can see where I am, and speak to the evidence that shows I am proficient in a particular area.

Solutions exist. They are being done in schools across the country. Firing teachers in favor of the charter schools that educate 3% of our nation's kids is foolish without first exploring what innovative districts are already doing.