By Tracey
In continuing with the Save Our Schools March events, since it's still so fresh in my mind, I'm posting the speech Diane Ravitch gave at the rally on July 30. She's not Matt Damon, so you may have missed her. (I was deeply touched by the words Matt Damon spoke and am grateful he came. But, I will assume you won't need me to hear his speech.) Ravitch also spoke at the two-day conference leading up to the rally. Her speech at the rally was shortened dramatically, as it should. What you missed was a historical account of how our education system has been "in crisis" since 1910. It's apparently what we do; we claim our schools are in crisis, and then make irrational decisions about how to fix them. Anyone ever read Naomi Klein's Shock Doctrine? A hundred years of crises should raise some flags. But, the greatest offender at this point in time, is pretending that poverty isn't an issue.
Teaching in a "failing" school with 80% free and reduced lunch, I know that poverty plays a significant role in my students' learning. I see how it affects them. I can compare this with my experience teaching in a school with 17% free and reduced lunch. The kids aren't necessarily different, but the challenges they face are. They start school with a different set of skills; and these skills are not on the test.
In her speech, Diane shares data of which I'd never heard. When comparing the test scores of our low poverty schools, the United States ranks number one. This data comes from PISA, an international organization whose goal is to collect and compare test scores of OECD member nations to help inform them about education policy. You can read their report here. But, I liked Gerald N. Tirozzi's analysis of the scores because he separated them according to the percentage of poverty in schools and compared their scores to countries with similar levels of poverty. You have to be very committed to another agenda not to see the correlation between poverty and test scores.
Diane also shares that the United States leads the developed world in child poverty. I checked this out at the Children's Defense Fund. The statistics are alarming. One in five children live in poverty, an increase of nearly 4 million children since the year 2000. That's more than one in three Black and Hispanic children, and one in 10 White children. Read the report. Or, just read the introduction and key facts. You'll get the big picture ideas. Ravitch continues in her speech to inform Arne Duncan that the achievement gap begins before the first day of school. What we really need to do to raise test scores is provide health care to all pregnant women, early childhood education to all children ages 0-5, put health clinics in schools, and offer parent education classes. But, maybe higher test scores isn't what we're really after.
On the heels of congress' most recent dramatic display of posturing, where a regularly occurring and usually uneventful raising of the nation's debt ceiling was hijacked and morphed into a stalemate over spending cuts -not revenue increases, but $2 trillion in spending cuts- we are likely to see more of our students living in poverty. Teachers understand what this means. Schools may not be the problem, but they make a terrific scapegoat.
A sad story but needs to be told!
Very well said, Kristin!! I agree whole-heartedly!
Tracey, you make some great points, and the “the” does change the weight of that sentence. Here’s what I think: I think that all of us who are reflective practitioners, who seek constructive criticism about our practice, and who fight to ensure that every child is valued and taught…we are ed reformers. If the label has been hijacked by one group with an agenda other than the good of all, then we should speak up and reclaim it. Instead, we’ve turned it into an epithet, we’ve turned revision into something we resist, and that scares me.
Even charter schools, something that many see as privatizing education, I see as something that can be shaped into anything we want as long as the legislation is right. I think we need to engage, take the reins, and steer the course of education where we want it, or someone who’s never taught will do it for us. And I agree that education isn’t funded. That’s something that LEV and WEA are taking on right now in Olympia. But, we could be doing better than we are with the money we have. If we put our talents and energies into finding what works and cheering each other on instead of linking arms and holding some ground, I really think we’d all be a lot happier and better at what we do in the classroom.
Thanks, Kristin. I completely agree with you about the “us vs. them” mentality. I think if we’re going to see positive change in our schools, we have to recognize that we all share common goals and interests. We all want our kids to have a quality education that is rigorous, thought provoking, well-rounded, inspirational, and equips them to be successful in today’s world. That means that I don’t view the people involved in groups like TFA or League of Education Voters (who want to see charter schools in WA), or the hundreds of other groups that have since developed, as evil or, to be more specific, disingenuous and hungry for profits. I know they’re reacting to the same concerns I have in our education institutions today. I value our common goals and interests, and see this as a great asset. I expect that we should be able to come together on a great number of issues and improve education for our kids. If my comment led you to think otherwise, then I should rephrase.
I know there are problems in public schools. Lots. I chose the word “problem” because that was the title of the post because that’s what Diane Ravitch said in her speech. What I should have said was “THE problem”. ” …. if they can’t convince the masses that THE problem is public schools, then it’ll be harder for them to profit off them.” But, then again, that might not change much.
I think there’s also gray area in defining what we mean by “ed-reform”. I’m in favor of reforming education. That’s one reason I got into education in the first place. I wanted to make it better. Does that mean I’m an “ed-reformer”? I guess…? I’m actually not sure. I think this is where my comment gets a little sticky. I recognize the millions of us – teachers, parents, students, administrators, community members, who want to see improvements in education. But, I also recognize, and this is where we might have to agree to disagree, that there’s another agenda couched in this term. I’m just going to say it- I believe “those behind the reform movement” (not those I mentioned earlier) have two goals in mind: to break the teachers’ unions and to make education a business venture from which to profit. The outcome might be a good education – for some. (This might be the Braveheart stand-off piece you object to.) I don’t believe everyone’s behind this. In fact I think very, very few people are. But, they’re very effective at pushing this by convincing people that it’s because of all the bad teachers that can’t get fired.
Yes, there are problems with public schools. One HUGE problem is that it’s not fully funded. And, by that, I don’t mean more money for teachers. I mean small class sizes where teachers can really meet the individual needs of the students, and have the resources to help them, offer rigor, inspire them, and give them an authentic, well-rounded education. Yes, there are problems with teachers’ unions. But, let’s not forget that my working conditions are a child’s learning environment. And, yes, there are some bad teachers who’s principals need to fire them. Yes, there are problems. But, let’s not make the perfect be the enemy of the good. I believe in making improvements, not throwing everything out and starting over. And I certainly can’t get behind a business model for education. I believe it is vital to keep our schools public.
Great post, Tracey. I had a hard time with one of your comments, though.
That poverty impacts a child’s course through school is obvious, but I’d like for educators to get beyond this generalized vilification of “ed-reformers.” Really, to blanket everyone who would like to reform (or revise/improve/change) our current system with the label of “wanting to profit” does more harm than good. Instead of buying into this phoney polarization of educators, we should discuss specifics.
For example, Brian’s point about early childhood education and educating the whole family is a strategy I hear from a lot of people who push for charter schools, have taught in charter schools, and who think public education should be blown up and reconstructed. Brian’s suggestion could be labeled very “ed reform,” but it’s not – it’s just common sense.
I wish we could all talk common sense strategies and make some progress on them instead of putting our energy into some big Braveheart stand off on the big field of public education.
Okay – I went off on a little tangent there because of your “those behind the reform movement wouldn’t disagree with these points either. But, and I hate to think this, if they can’t convince the masses that there’s a problem with public schools, then it’ll be harder for them to profit off them. I think there’s one thing driving this agenda – money.
I mean, come on. There are problems with public schools. There are problems like poverty and racism, and there are problems like bad instruction, bad curriculum, and inefficient use of funds. It doesn’t make sense to say the only “problems” with public schools are lies made up by those behind the reform movement so that someone can profit.
I’m just tired of so many intelligent, caring people being unable to make progress on the things we can change because of an “us versus them” mentality.
Clix- not snide at all! Maybe passionate and a little in love with the caps lock, but not snide. I do appreciate your corrections- which I made on the blog- and the smiley/frowny faces always help. 🙂
I’ve been very baffled at how readily people vote against their own interests. I still cling to the thought that it’s because they’re misinformed. My husband thinks it’s because they think of themselves as future millionaires. We teach that if you work hard (and stay away from drugs), you can be rich. Yes, it’s true that a few of us can. But we know that the vast majority won’t. Yet, so many vote for the advantaged interests of the few, not thinking how it’ll affect themselves, family, neighbors, community, etc.
One change I’m going to make in my thinking is seeing issues of poverty as education issues. I’ve been a little too “Western medicine” in my thinking of education policy, when I need to consider the “whole body.” The two are deeply intertwined. And, even though I’ve been concerned about poverty, and supported policies that reduce it, I haven’t ever stopped to really recognize the direct relationship. Poverty impacts education. As a teacher, if I want to see our youth getting the best education available, then I need to make the reduction of poverty my number one issue.
I know, Tracey 🙂 I hope I didn’t come across as snide or anything.
Brian, while it may not be possible to eradicate poverty, I believe we’ll see benefits if we simply REDUCE it.
I really don’t understand why anyone other than rich people vote for politicians who support policies that ONLY benefit those who are already wealthy and powerful! 🙁
Poverty is such a huge factor. It contributes to everything.
But I don’t know how we can eradicate poverty. What we can do is provide early learning opportunities for every child.
Some kids just will never have a chance to break the cycle unless we all agree to educate all children, and parents, from birth on.
My mistake, Clix. You’re right on both points. She says “low poverty” schools, not “higher poverty” like I wrote in the blog. And on your second point, I left out an important word- the United States leads the “developed” world in child poverty.
It should be obvious. I didn’t stand out there in the blazing hot sun because of these obvious points. I think, deep down, those behind the reform movement wouldn’t disagree with these points either. But, and I hate to think this, if they can’t convince the masses that there’s a problem with public schools, then it’ll be harder for them to profit off them. I think there’s one thing driving this agenda – money.
A couple of things –
–When comparing the test scores of our higher poverty schools, the United States ranks number one. —
I thought it was our low-poverty (high wealth) schools that ranked #1. Our high-poverty schools tend to have fewer resources.
–the United States leads the world in child poverty.–
Here I think it’s the first world. I’m pretty sure that Haiti’s child poverty rates are higher than America’s.
What struck me about Diane’s speech is that it’s… I mean it just seemed SO OBVIOUS. As in, why are we all standing in the blazing sun to listen to this? Why do we NEED to? SHOULDN’T THE FACTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES?
Apparently they don’t. 🙁