The budget crisis, layoffs, school violence, declining enrollment, homeless children, immigrant children, drug-affected children, we have all heard the
news which paints a scary picture for educators...the days of Dick and Jane are long gone.
But is this a bad thing ?
I don't think so. Research and innovation in response to the problems facing schools drive the training my fellow student teachers and I are engaged in. Entering the schools in the next few years will be an army of teachers who are not attached to drill and kill, teaching to the middle, fulfilling low expectations for students who are disadvantaged in some way, but instead are dedicated to lifting each and every student. This is what we are
trained to do.
Many of the poor results we see in schools, and in society at large, are a result of specialization, compartmentalization, and segregation. Yes, segregation. By law, students are no longer segregated by race or disability. However, we still have a long way to go to fully integrating classrooms. Remind me to come back to this another day to explain.
The current economic condition of our country shows the fallacy of the belief that the people at the top of the heap are not affected by what happens to others. The rise of rampant consumerism in the last twenty years has always scared me. According to logic, it would have to come to an end.
Is this a bad thing?
I have seen the disconnect between administration and teachers at many levels. I have also seen cooperation between them. What would happen if the top execs came down from their towers and joined the rank and file at the assembly line? In one
commentary about the state budget, a teacher protests :
This person functioned mainly as our principal. I’ve heard he would lose his salary and probably have to go back into the classrooms along with other Lead Teachers and curriculum planners with the district.
As a nation are being asked to
tighten our belts and work together to bolster not only the poorest and weakest among us, but those at the very top, the banks and the auto industry. Teachers are not the only ones being laid off, entire districts and county offices are scrambling to face their budget deficits.
Is this a bad thing?
Perhaps this is a time when changes can be made at all levels of education, and collaboration and cooperation will become not just buzzwords, but absolutely vital. I suggest that teachers learn what goes on in budget meetings, the concerns of the Board, and what superintendants try to juggle. At the same time, I invite governance and administration into the classroom. Spend an hour a week working with your teachers and students. Better yet, work with only
one student. This is not to imply a Pollyanna-ish blindness to the real fiscal problems schools face. It is simply an attempt to look for the silver lining, how can we "make lemonade" out of the current situation?
One of the most exciting results of the
inclusion philosophy is the move toward teaching toward
multiple intelligences and using teaching strategies that were adapted for students with disabilities, to reach all students. Often these teaching methods are more cost effective than traditional classroom practices. One example is the use of technology to provide high quality learning experiences. A video that includes images, movement, and music to teach the symbol/sound correspondance of print provides stimulation to multiple parts of a students brain is fun and effective for all learners. It can be used again and again. It can be shared among teachers. In the long run it will be more cost effective than purchasing single use workbooks. More importantly, not only will it will save thousands of dollars in special education costs for students with learning disabilities who will now have a chance to learn with their peers, but using new teaching strategies will improve learning for all students.
Is this a bad thing?
Schools can be the model for developing institutions that provide for each individual by practicing cooperation, compassion, and collaboration across the barriars of class, position, race and ability. When administrators are frustrated by a lack resources to help
their student, they might rethink the need for a catered workshop. When teachers struggle to balance the budget of their school, they might rethink the need for thousands of worksheets. Suspicion and fingerpointing will not save the day. Including each other in our stuggles and triumphs as educators will.
Is this a bad thing?
