Systemic Malfunction

As I am doing my reading for my Thursday Seminar course, I can't help but reflect on my earlier post about good pedagogy. Is it a lack of good teachers that is holding our failing schools back? Is it a systemic issue of teachers holding back students until they have master basic skills? Who determines what basic skills, and what the benchmarks are? Well those in power (and those that lobby them)... it all starts to smell of institutionalized racism.

The movie running in my head is of newsmen reporting about our "failing schools," and saying "well kids can hardly read." This is then followed by societal outcry that leads to skill building boot camps deconstructing reading, writing and math so that students "get basic skills." Even the best teachers in the world would struggle making those isolated skills relevant. Our system of benchmarks and limbo bars has much to do with the state we are in... as much as good teaching and good pedagogy does.

Closure Follow-Up

I watched some of the Seattle School Board meeting last night. It was unruly, contentious, and heated. I wouldn't expect anything less to be honest. I see both sides, albeit from afar. In my eyes... Families and school communities don't like to see that they will close. Who would really? They think they are being singled out, and that the district is closing schools instead of collaborating to improve existing schools. The school board and superintendent see closing schools as a better option than slashing teaching positions, and the goal is to fill buildings.

The last thing heard on the broadcast last night was, "You are pathetic." People are angry, but is the board pathetic? What alternative do they have? Do they close north end schools and send kids south? Not quite sure how that would go over, but I would guess not so well (and probably lots of white flight). Does this look bad racially? Absolutely. But I don't think the moves are racially motivated. I'm not quite sure how to describe it. What I do know is that this process pitted schools against each other, and got ugly very quickly. Is that what we want for kids? Do we want schools, families, and teachers to say that they shouldn't be closed but that someone else is more worthy of closing? Ugh. No one wants to be on the bottom.