Sometimes I feel like there are countless teaching/learning initiatives circling above the heads of educators and students. These teaching/learning constellations take on lives of their own, and not unlike the constellations in the sky, rarely touch down and affect the lives of teachers or students. Sometimes these initiatives simply die out without ever affecting teaching or learning in ways that matter. What's problematic about this is that often these constellations are given substantial funding and support while people in the field are relegated to less support and help--children and teachers do what they can to promote optimal learning while more money is spent to support these big ideas.
I generally am a fan of big ideas, and sometimes these constellations of big money and support do translate into good ideas on the ground where teaching and learning happens, but sometimes this money simply supports the constellation that includes lots of professional time and special treatment, but little real results.
In the best of circumstances, I believe that we have to look closely at how we design and forward educational systems. We have to look carefully at who we support and what they do. Too often people on the ground simply don't have the support they need to empower students in ways that matter, and too often substantial funds are relegated to these constellations that sometimes never truly affect teaching and learning in ways that matter. How schools relegate funding and support matters. It takes deep analysis to recognize what investments truly result in optimal teaching and learning support for students and families, and what investments simply support constellations that circle overhead never touching down to make a difference.
