By Tom
Let's take another look at Race to the Top, (RT3) but this time from a student's perspective.
RT3, the centerpiece of the Obama administration's educational policy, is a federal initiative in which states compete for grant money by showing that they have put into place certain school reform measures that the administration values. Among these measures are liberal provisions for charter schools, merit pay for teachers based in part on student test scores and state-level authority to take over so-called "failing schools."
For the sake of argument, let's pretend that these provisions actually add value to a state's school system. And for the sake of comparison, let's consider two different states, who've taken two different approaches to the administration's challenge: Illinois and Washington.
Illinois, in which many of the reforms were already in place, was named a finalist in the first round of grants. Washington, where voters have rejected charter school three times, and where state leadership has balked on merit pay and instead invested in National Board Certification as a way to reward and encourage accomplished teaching, opted to pass on the first round and focus instead on the second. State leaders are currently trying to slap together a reform package that will look good on their RT3 application.
And again, we're proceeding based on the premise that these measures actually add value to state school system. Which, if we accept the logic, means that it's better to go to school in Illinois, where these reforms are in place, than in Washington, where they aren't.
Since RT3 is a competitive grant program, the winners get money. So Illinois, if it wins one of the grants (and something tells me they will), will emerge as an even better place to go to school. They get paid for being good, and the money will add additional value to an already strong system. Remember, these are Tough Economic Times. Every state is cutting budgets, and getting up to $700 million from the federal government is a pretty big deal.
Washington, apparently already a bad place to go to school, won't get any better, unless and until they jump through the RT3 hoops and reap the benefits thereof. And if they pull it together in time to win a grant in Round Two, they'll be even better.
I don't have a problem with competition, as long as the competition is voluntary. But as far as I know, the kids in Washington and Illinois weren't willing participants in this particular competition. And make no mistake, this is a competition; there will be a handful of winners and boatload of losers. And the winners and losers are the students in their respective states.
So if you're a kid in Washington, you have nothing and you'll probably get nothing. At least from this initiative. If you're a kid in Illinois, you've apparently already got something, and you'll get even more. And whose money is it? Ours. All of ours. (technically it's our great-grandchildren's money, but let's stay focused) And it seems to me that it belongs to the Washington kids as much as it belongs to the students from Illinois.
Of course there's still hope for the kids in Washington. Remember, we started with the premise that charter schools, merit pay and strong central authority add actual value to a state school system.
In fact, there's no conclusive evidence to support this claim.
Which makes RT3 not only unfair, but kind of stupid.
Yes, frustrated. And embarrassed. It’s hard for me to argue that schools need more funding when I can name four teachers in my building who have no business being in the classroom. One teacher was transferred here just as his former principal was nearing the finish line of getting him fired for incompetency. One teacher is filing a suit in order to fight back because my principal has started the process to relieve him of his teaching duties. It just goes on and on, and while I know the union’s purpose is to ensure teachers aren’t fired without due process, it shouldn’t be so hard to fire an incompetent teacher when the administrator follows due process.
If I had total conviction that public schools offered a quality education and employed effective teachers, I could take a stronger stance in the whole funding vs. schools debate. But I don’t. Even if my school had ten children in each class and plenty of money, the 200 students who had those four teachers would remain uneducated.
Until we’re – and by that I mean the teaching unions – willing to expect the best of each teacher, I understand the unwillingness to put more money into public schools.
Kristin-
What I think I hear from you is a frustrated reaction to a sense of collective “unaccountability.” Everyone has a part to play in education: higher ed, administration, teachers, the unions, parents and especially the students themselves. And the only way we’re going to improve education is if all of us work together and get it done. I’m just not sure if Race to the Top is the answer. Actually, I’m pretty sure it isn’t.
Rena-
I honestly don’t know what happens at the end of the term for these grants. I’m not even sure what the money can be used for, but it sounds like a lot of states are hoping to use the money to offset current budget shortfalls.
The whole RT3 seems to be a bit of a beauty contest rather than an educational funding program to support schools. The bottom line seems to be that teachers will be asked to do a lot more than they currently do, and there will be a very small dollar amount that goes to the Districts. We don’t even know what will happen at the end of the four years. Will districts have to show maintenance of effort and keep whatever programs they put into place without the funding? More questions than answers at this point.
It’s such a stalemate. The reality is that all the grownups have failed kids. Teachers hold the line when it comes to work load versus pay. Taxpayers hold the line when it comes to paying for education. Parents hold the line when it comes down to their responsibility in their child’s education. Elected officials hold whoever’s line attracts the most voters.
It’s a mess.
I don’t care about merit pay. It can happen or not. I’m not afraid of charter schools. If they draw off students then they draw off students. If my school has 1000 kids instead of 1200, then it does. The same drop could happen if people had fewer children. I’m not afraid of tough evaluations for teachers.
I think the compromise needs to start somewhere. We can’t move forward if teachers take one position and refuse to move and lawmakers and their budgets take an opposite position.
Frankly, I think the first step towards compromise has to be teachers stepping up and being willing to make some tough choices regarding who gets to keep a teaching job. Unless we are willing to step up as professionals and meet some standards other than simply showing up to work and not hitting or sleeping with a child, then we are the biggest part of the problem.
Just because it’s hard to find a way to evaluate teachers and fire the bad teachers doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done. There are more good teachers than bad teachers, but the incompetent teachers drag everyone down. Instead of holding their own lines and creating a side-stalemate, administrators and the union should be working together to protect the reputation of public education. Right now, everyone is pointing fingers, laying blame, and refusing to take the risks that accompany change.