A Voice for Teachers

     If you are reading this, then the message is getting out to educators.  I have decided to start a dialogue with teachers in an effort to "revolutionize" the way we communicate with the powers that be by being a voice for teachers.  Oh, I know that some of you have served on the so-called "site-based decision making teams" where you spend hours discussing campus business just to be told that you are serving in an "advisory" capacity only.  It has been my observation that just about all decision making is made, not "on" site, but "out of sight" of the teachers and the community.  Most schools have an EIC (Educational Improvement Committee) where a beautiful luncheon is prepared for the members and one-way communication takes place.  During these meetings the administration accentuates the positive and completely ignores the negative or questionable issues.  Even school board meetings function as one-way communication devices where teachers fear speaking because the "bosses" are there, hearing every word.  I have considered running for the school board, but I don't like the idea of not being able to speak freely.  So, right now I am opting for speaking my mind instead of running for office.

    

     As teachers, you need a voice so that the real issues at hand, the ones that need to be made to educate our children, can be brought into the open for an honest appraisal.  Right now, teachers are so afraid for their jobs that they will not speak out at all.  You may speak to me on this blog site.  You may remain anonymous because I understand your very real fears of reprisal.  I will direct our conversations periodically on specific topics just to focus our collective thinking, but you may submit a comment on any topic involving education.  I will then address the board each month with our concerns.  By law, if an inquiry is made at an open meeting, it must be placed on the agenda for the next meeting.  

Sec. 551.042.  INQUIRY MADE AT MEETING.  (a)  If, at a meeting of a
governmental body, a member of the public or of the governmental body inquires
about a subject for which notice has not been given as required by this
subchapter,the notice provisions of this subchapter do not apply to:
(1)  a statement of specific factual information given in response to the
inquiry;  or
(2)  a recitation of existing policy in response to the inquiry.
(b)  Any deliberation of or decision about the subject of the inquiry shall be
limited to a proposal to place the subject on the agenda for a subsequent
meeting.
Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 268, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.

      I know that you are passionate about teaching, but I caution you to be civil and tactful in what you write.  I suggest you refrain from using real names or any specific identifiable "marks" of any fellow teachers, administrators, school board members, or students.  Our goal is to improve the education of our children, not slam the current board or administration. 

      

     At present, the huge budget cuts are looming.  What suggestions do you have for cutting the budget in a way that won't truly harm the quality education our kids need?  For example, some districts have bought a canned curriculum called "C-Scope". It was touted as costing each district $7.00 per student.  However, because these districts have also bought all of the ancillary materials without any thought about how much paper teachers would have to use to follow the plan to the letter, the actual cost seems to be about $16+ per student per year (This number is based on what some school districts have posted on their budgets. Please visit http://www.etacuisenaire.com/cscope/cscope.jsp for more information.)  For a school of 5500, that is a whopping $88,000 per year, or, as I see it, two full-time teachers with some experience who can create curriculum themselves at a considerable savings to the district or adjust the current curriculum to suit the needs of the students sitting in his/her classroom.  

      

     I have not met a teacher yet who didn't believe in the need for a core curriculum and vertical alignment.  The problem seems to be that these curriculum programs leave very little room for teacher creativity or teacher input concerning how something should be taught.  Teachers with depth of knowledge in their areas of study often find errors in the scope and sequence, which is a "non-negotiable".  The biggest concern, however, is that programs such as C-Scope are designed to do one thing: teach kids only what they need to know to pass the state exams.  To many dedicated educators, this is not what a real education is all about.

       

     Another area of concern is that of out-sourcing for substitute teachers.  A district that chooses to use such an entity often pays around $200,000 per year for the service and gives up all control of who subs in the district.  Is this a necessary expenditure or a luxury?  Are we sacrificing yet another freedom of choice?

      

     I encourage you to send the link to this blog to all of your fellow teachers who genuinely care about the future of education.  Until teachers who are actively working in the classroom have a voice that is heard and respected, education will continue to decline in quality at the hands of people who have been out of the classroom too long or who have never been there at all. 

Bringing Order to Chaos

           What do I do each day?  I bring order where there is chaos, focus where there is lack of direction, and understanding where there are random thoughts.  It’s what my spirit draws me to do.  Human beings crave organization.  Without it, no goal is accomplished; no group moves forward.  I have studied people and their cultures most of my life.  In the various creation stories, it is always the same.  First, there is energy and space with no form.  The Greeks called it Chaos; the Norse named it Ginnungagap.  Then, in some “magical” way, order is brought to the universe, and the earth and heavens are created, somehow bringing order to the galactic mess.  Christians, Jews, and Muslims believe it.  Even atheists believe it; they call it the Big Bang.  Wow!  Instant order!

            When a teacher fails to bring order to a classroom, nothing can be accomplished, unless by accident.  Therefore, just as in the beginning of earth, first and foremost, there must be order.  If God thought it was a good idea, why wouldn’t we?

            To maintain this order, there must be standards, rules.  God gave us ten to bring order to the entire planet, all the while giving us opportunities to fail or succeed by sprinkling us with free will.  Jesus simplified the plan by giving us the Golden Rule.  This rule turned the “shall nots” back onto the individual, who must first understand and love himself enough to extend that love and understanding to others.  Conscience became the ruler of man.

            Our forefathers saw a lack of conscience in the British monarchy that ruled the colonies.  So, they created chaos, the American Revolution.  Then, they devised 10 rules with a handful of amendments to govern what became the greatest nation in the world.  Each state was given free will (states’ rights), and they tacked on dozens more rules in an attempt to get people to focus on that which is important in a given area and bring order to it.  This free will led the states to split, more chaos.  Then, Reconstruction brought order once again.  Through it all, there are those who try to bring definition, understanding, and application of these rules so that societies can move forward. 

            As a teacher, I am at the heart of this process.  Some days I must bring order and move my students forward.  Other days, I must play the devil’s advocate and plant seeds of discord to generate thought so that the masses can assume responsibility for self and see a need for order, a need so strong that they – not I – calm the waters, organize the crew, and strike out on the voyage of their lives, focused, prepared, and determined to achieve the goal, whatever it might be.

Building Character in Children

               What’s the matter with kids these days?  How often have you heard that question or even asked it yourself?  After spending thirty years teaching and working with children and their parents, I have a bit of insight into the answer.  So much of the blame, if blame is to be laid, can be directly attributed to weak parenting.  Let’s face it:  There are no bad kids, just bad parents.  Now I know that is not what most parents want to hear, but it is the truth, like it or not, and what I really believe is that bad parenting is what has gotten this country in the shape it is in. 

                How many parents have really taken the time and effort to hold their children accountable and to see failure as an opportunity to learn and problem-solve?  With my own children, a failing paper in school meant they would have to go to tutorials, miss out on social events, and take on a few more responsibilities to learn the value of doing a job right the first time.  We once made our son use his own money to pay his very smart friend to tutor him through algebra.  It didn’t take him long to figure out that it was more rewarding to pay attention in class and ask questions of the teacher whose services were free!  With my students, late papers were only accepted in extenuating circumstances and carried the price of a thirty-point deduction and a call home.  The first six weeks was tough, but then only a few failed to get with the program.   How many of us have taught the children in our lives to work hard, put 10% of their earnings in savings and another 10% into a charity, pay all of their bills on time, and play with what is left over? 

                I grew up as a so-called "have not" in the fishing village of Flour Bluff, Texas, in the 1970's.  However, because I chose to actually take advantage of a free public education in an excellent school system, I have been able to live my dreams.  In those days, our teachers did not give us little coupons or candy or prizes for expected behaviors.  Nor did they give us chance after chance after chance to turn in our work.  We were expected to meet the deadlines that they set, do quality work, and follow the rules. We knew that failure in any of these areas would have unpleasant consequences, including a call home that would prompt our parents to add to our punishment.  As a result, I learned a true work ethic that has helped me be successful in everything I have done.  That institution was the great equalizer for those who chose to show up, work hard, take pride in their work, and truly become good citizens.

            Of course, our school gave us opportunities to learn what being a good citizen was about.  For example, when I was in junior high, our school did something that made such a strong impression on me that if affected all that I have done as a member of society.  We were given an opportunity to clean Waldron Road, the main drag in our community.  The entire junior high walked from end to end of this street and cleaned every foot of the roadside, including the very deep ditches.  At the end of the day, we returned to school hot, tired, and proud of what we had accomplished together. Likewise, my husband's high school drafting class was given the chance to replace the entire floor in the varsity gym. They loved it!  The "haves" and the "have nots" worked side-by-side, talked to each other, laughed with one another, and became equals.  Our parents did not see either of these tasks as degrading, dangerous, or too physically difficult.  They saw them as character builders.  After all, hard work would always be required of us. 

                Today I see a different kind of parent on the rise.   They train their children by rewarding them for every little thing that they do, often times giving the reward before the job has been done.  Of course, parents like to blame the schools for what’s wrong with their kids, and I certainly believe schools have been aiding and abetting these parents for the last few years.  I have seen many an administrator or teacher bow down to the wishes of a demanding parent whose little darling finds himself on the wrong side of the “law”. Why, I have seen schools buy into ridiculously expensive, restrictive behavioral plans that tie the teachers' hands, reward expected behavior, and basically leave bad behavior unchecked. Too many opportunities to violate a rule without punishment are given.  Think of it as a behavioral welfare system that rewards mediocrity. 

                Of course, I know that there are some really good parents out there doing all the right things.  Their children, thank goodness, are in the majority and will work hard and become good, law-abiding productive members of society.  However, the negligent or over-indulgent parents, who are responsible for the outlaws who will drain our system, our bank accounts, our public service organizations, and our energy, must decide to become the adults in the family and bravely use the wonderful power of veto.  Until that happens, every step forward of society will be slow and lumbering as the productive drag the lazy along with them.  The village can help raise a child, but it is the individual parent who can raise an outstanding citizen.

    

    

Educational Apps vs Teachers

                I am worried for the children of our schools.  We are facing hard times, and the decisions that legislators, local school boards, and administrators make in light of the current budget cuts will directly affect them.  I am certain that they are wrestling with what to do – and to what or whom.  I just hope that they use their sense of good judgment when they start trimming the proverbial “fat”.

                I am praying that they can remember a teacher who changed their lives by seeing something in them that they didn’t even see in themselves, by appreciating their passions, by recognizing their God-given talents and abilities, and by giving them opportunities to grow and bloom where they were planted.  That’s what real teachers do for kids.  Sadly, sometimes the folks in charge of education in this great state are convincing local leaders that education must be teacher proof.  It is as if they believe that a new program, such as a canned curriculum, or a cutting-edge piece of technology, like a SmartBoard, can somehow replace a good teacher, or worse, that these tools can magically turn a poor teacher into a good one.  In my 30 years in the business, I just haven’t found that to be the case.  That’s like saying that the “Ghost Finder” app on my iPhone makes me a ghost buster.  All I’ve really accomplished with that app is keeping my grandkids out of the rooms where I store my so-called collectibles.  And, even though my “highway rest stop” app is useful, if nature calls in the West Texas desert where there are hardly any rest stops, I can still take care of business without it. 

                This whole concept of removing the human element reminds me of a lady I once knew. She told me that she didn’t have to worry anymore about the finer points of driving because her husband had bought her a Cadillac that had so many bells and whistles that it could practically drive itself and that she could just put it on cruise and paint her toenails all the way to Houston.  Well, that’s sounds pretty cool, but do we really want her to do that?

                My point is that education is not about investing in the latest educational “app.”  In fact, there is a plethora of research that tells us that the most successful schools do the opposite.  They actually invest in their teachers, the most valuable asset in any school, because they know that kids succeed when they have teachers who understand their unique talents, challenges, and abilities.  Education is a living, breathing organism composed of human beings who have passions that must be fed, or the organism dies - one precious dream at a time.  Our leaders must take this into consideration when they make their decisions about where to start cutting and remember the teacher who made a difference in their lives or in the lives of their children or grandchildren.  I am praying that God will give them the wisdom to make the right decisions - and that they don’t forget to invite Him to the meeting.