For years I've been writing about ways to improve my practice and schools in general. I've gained great insight from many, many extraordinary educators near and far--their work has inspired me and led me ahead with regard to my practice. In so many ways, my teaching practice has improved, and there's so much left to do to continue to hone my skill in ways that matter.
As I reach for the center at this very busy and celebratory time in the school year, I am thinking about what makes schools and education successful. I have noticed that so many schools all over the country are embracing positive practices. Thanks to Internet share, good ideas are easily conveyed and implemented in schools everywhere. Of course there are schools that remain compromised and all of us can work to help elevate those schools by advocating for fair funding and supports which are mainly the reasons why some schools remain less successful, and we can all continue to work with one another to uplift schools and teaching everywhere with the attributes that make schools and teaching strong and positive, attributes such as these:
Put students and families center stage
A servant/partnership perspective towards the children and families we partner with and serve is the right perspective for teaching well. Children and families are our clients, and whatever we can do to develop strong supportive relationships with them and develop dynamic learning communities will help to improve education everywhere.
Collegial Collaboration
Together we do better. We have to continually develop our ability to work closely with one another and advocate for supports to enrich that collaboration in order to teach well.
Quality time-on-task with students
I continue to question the coaching model in schools as I believe that in many schools that distances the most qualified staff from time-on-task with students. I am a fan of co-coaching models where experienced educators have the time to coach one another while still utilizing their expertise with students in the classroom. While I do believe that there needs to be a few personnel that do not have direct experience with students that often, I believe that most staff should be working directly with students every day. I feel that our capacity for teaching well is diminished when we have too many bosses and not enough people in the field--this is an area where most schools can improve. To add the mid-manager level of coach who doesn't have direct responsibility for daily teaching of students is to distance educators who spend each day with students from the leadership opportunities and professional learning opportunities necessary for their professional growth and good work with students. While some coaching models may be very effective, I believe that many schools use this model in ways that don't empower the collective capacity of the organization. I think we can do better here. I also believe that every school system has to conduct a time audit that looks deeply at the relationship between number of staff hours and how many of those hours are spent in direct service to students--more quality time-on-task with students will improve education for all.
Sufficient supports for quality education
Optimal education relies on suitable teaching/learning environments, reasonable schedules, right materials, and quality professional learning. Without good supports, teaching/learning potential is diminished. Teachers who can't go to the bathroom, have a decent lunch break, or are unable to make a needed phone call, complete paperwork, or properly prepare for learning experiences are at a great disadvantage. Fortunately over the years, my teaching/learning schedule has improved and I feel that I have a good schedule and supports for teaching well. I know teachers who work in less supportive systems than me who are challenged by the fact that they are not treated as professionals and are working in what I consider oppressive conditions with inadequate pay, too-large class sizes, little to no supports, or adequate materials/spaces for teaching. This has to change because if the teachers are treated poorly, it will be difficult for them to treat the children and their families in optimal ways. Challenged teachers in challenged situations cannot provide the quality education possible. This has to change.
Quality professional learning
Too much time is spent on low quality professional learning. In today's world, it's possible to access optimal materials for top-notch learning via the Internet 24-7. There is not a lack of resources, however educators are often relegated to sub-par professional learning opportunities. While this is improving, there's room for greater improvement with good thought and planning that utilizes the best possible processes, lead time, professional materials, experts, and other means of providing educators with time and tools they need to develop their craft in beneficial individual and collective ways. Teachers should not have to put up with sub-par professional learning in this day and age. Of course this movement demands that educators stay abreast of their own professional learning through a process of analysis, reflection, goal-setting, and collaboration.
Adequate pay
For schools to succeed, educators deserve fair pay. When teachers are not paid enough, they cannot do the job possible. I get a fair pay which allows me to spend a little extra to support what I do in and for the classroom as well as pay my bills, take care of my family, and have a little fun. Every educator deserves a fair pay.
Modern spaces for teaching and learning
Every child deserves modern spaces for teaching and learning--spaces in school, outdoors, and in the community that supports an optimal education.
Government support
Schools are the cornerstone of a great society--a well-educated populous is more peaceful and prosperous. Government leaders and organizations need to support our public schools--we need to vote for leaders who recognize and support this great need and potential.
Before and after-school care and summer programming
We have to recognize that in this country many families have to work and that means they need child-care for when their children are not in school. Quality before- and after-school programming and support for summer camps are critical. Many of our most at-risk students in the country do not have access to quality programs such as these, and this is a critical need that holds great potential for steering students in positive directions rather than costly negative directions. We can definitely do better in this regard, and should look to school systems and communities that are doing this well to improve this opportunity in every school system in the country. Children in poor, underfunded, and disregarded school systems will be our neighbors as our world becomes more and more interconnected--we need these students just like our own to be successful, positive people--people who had a great education and people who were supported well by our public dollars and efforts as young people.
Everyone has a voice
We cannot fund education through philanthropy. Instead we need to fund education through tax dollars because that means everyone has a voice. When education is mostly funded by the vast dollars of rich individuals and organizations that means those people have greater voice, yet we all know that those very wealthy individuals and organizations cannot know what the diversity of people in our country need. We need to rely on the voices of community members and families to tell us what their children and community need for successful schools--we need to invite the voices of all to run our schools and determine how those schools can be successful for where they live and what they need. It's unlikely that students in a Massachusetts' city will need the exact same school as students in rural Colorado. Yes, much will be the same, but there will be needs that differ given the geography and context of each place. We need to mostly fund schools via tax dollars in order to give everyone in our country a voice with regard to those schools. This does not mean that philanthropy is not positive, but it means that we can't have a philanthropy-only or private-investor-only attitude or effort to funding schools.
Shared leadership
Rather than a strict patriarchal or matriarchal hierarchy in schools, schools profit from modern-day structures of shared leadership. This will look different everywhere depending on context, but when educators teach and lead, students do better. This is essential to good schools.
Transparent, streamlined, and regular communication
In most situations, the more everyone knows about what's happening in schools the better. Optimal communication shares what's happened, what is happening, and what will happen. This communications invites the voices of all stakeholders including students, families, community members, educators, and administrators with lead time, respect, and good process.
Spiraling up
Optimal schools spiral up with a regular process of collective analysis, reflection, and goal setting. Mistakes are embraced as a natural part of this process, and people work together to right each others efforts with respect, empathy, and care.
Schools continue to evolve. Educators evolve too. Together we are at a wonderful point in time where the potential for what we can do with and for students and families is incredible if we have the right supports and structure. We can always do better and everyone of us the the responsibility to respectfully advocate for what it is we need to elevate children today to be the best society the United States can be. This is within our grasp if we're willing to work for it.
