Enemies

"I think the only choice that will enable us to hold to our vision... is one that abandons the concept of naming enemies and adopts a concept familiar to the nonviolent tradition: naming behavior that is oppressive. "- Barbara Deming

Sometimes we can choose one or a few as the target(s) of all that's not been good or all that's challenging, but rarely to never is one the reason for all life's woes. Typically that "one" represents a series of events and actions or systematic snags and challenges.

Take your eyes off the "one" and look carefully at the systems that affect your work, effort, and life--where can those systems improve to support the good work and life possible.

This is a step in the right direction.

What's the Rush? Education Balance

Last night's #edchatma which focused on expectations included some discussion about education balance. How do you balance your education interest and efforts with other areas of your life?

It's true that one becomes very boring when they only talk about or work on one subject--the adage that "variety is the spice of life" holds true. With that in mind, it's essential that we balance our education think/effort with life outside of school.

Finances plays a role here. I notice that educators with more money sometimes balance better as they have the extra dollars to travel or enjoy other pleasures. On the other hand, educators with less money, often have to work extra jobs to make ends meet, therefore, they have less time for school focus. There are also some who have the resources to focus on school, but may not have the resources to do much else so they focus on school efforts and think.

Yet to do well by our students means we have to vary our interests and seek good balance. We are far more interesting in the classroom if we have interests outside of the daily work. Those interests will change over time too as your life and commitments change.

But, at times, there's an urgency to right the education path, to organize the many issues at play to better what we can do. This betterment takes extra energy, time, and commitment, as change doesn't usually happen without extra effort and time.

So what do I think educators should do in this regard?

First do the job well that you're hired to do.

Next make time to continually develop your professional work and skill.

After that take care of your basic needs. Make time for health and recreation.

Further, support your life outside of work. Once  you leave your job, you'll be left with the life you've built outside of school and you'll want that to be a good, rich life.

The work/life balance will look different for all of us, but the constant is that it's imperative that we do create a balance of some kind to support our lives well.

Educator Variation

I know lots of educators, and like individuals in any profession, there is great variation.

There's variation in time. Some educators are socially driven young adults, others are very busy moms and dads, still more are financially challenged, and some are financially advantaged. There are educators who are excited to go to work every day and serve children, and there are educators who are very tired of the job. There's great variation and that variation even impacts individual teachers throughout their career as there are times when you are wholly invested in everything you do in school and times where the teaching takes a place in your overall life.

Educators also vary in experience, compensation, working conditions, support, and interest. Some educators are brand new while others have extensive experience. Some educators are paid well while others can't count on their salary to pay the bills for basic needs. There are schools where educators are well supported and schools where there isn't enough support, and then there are educators who are passionate about the field and others who see it as a 8-3 job.

While educators demonstrate tremendous variation, they are often discussed and treated as one as if we were all the same. That's a big mistake in education.

Instead, how can we recognize this tremendous variation and use it to the advantage of all? One way to do this is to re-look at education roles. Instead of lots of one-size-fits-all roles for educators, create more variation in roles. Perhaps add steps dependent on the amount of time a teacher wants to devote to the job. Right now most steps are associated with academic credits and experience, but instead there could be steps associated with the depth and breadth of education roles. Further, perhaps there could be circles of educators who want to do more that are well supported by systems and states with time and money. If there are teachers who want to impact the field, then perhaps there would be more avenues open to those teachers to lead their efforts in positive ways. The NEA Teacher Leadership Initiative is an example of such a program. It's a terrific program. The next step would be to build out these programs so that they are recognized in teachers' local systems and States. NBPTS certification is another example of this.

I talk to lots of teachers. Some are very invested in the field beyond the work they do with students and others are solely interested in the job only with regard to the children they teach or school they work in. How can the education field make note of this variation and use it not to judge but to maximize the work we do with and for children individually and collectively. This is a topic I want to think more about.

Charter School Confusion/Decisions?

I read a lot about charter schools, but I'm confused about a number of matters in this regard.

First, I know that one attraction to charter schools is that they have the ability to keep well supported students and not keep students who misbehave or whom are not well supported. This creates, in part, a potentially safer, more dedicated student/family body for the school. Parents who care about their students worry about schools that may be unsafe and students who may be unsupported, thus the draw to charter schools.

Next, I also know that charter schools can circumvent some of the red tape that holds back innovation and service in your typical public school. An innovation or approach that may be easy to employ in a charter school may be more cumbersome to try out in a public school due to red tape and bureaucracy.

Further I have read that many charter schools underpay their employees. Is that true? If so, are we satisfied with that? Do public schools similarly underpay some employees?

I have also heard that some charter schools are supported by venture capitalists and for-profit agencies. Is this true, and if so, what does "for profit" do to organizations that are meant to first and foremost serve students? Do these organizations have the best interests of students in mind?

I have read that charter schools take needed funds and successful students away from local public schools. Is it fair that the State supports some schools for successful, supported students and some schools for less successful and less supported students? What does a divide like this do for our communities, culture, and nation? Recently I heard the sociologist, Robert Putnam, speak. As I listened to him compare his home town from the days when he was young to today, I recognized the same growing disparity and distance in my own home city. It was true that we were comfortable visiting any part of the city when we were young and we had friends from diverse economic groups, and I believe that's less true today. We are more separated by social class, and this has had a detrimental affect on who we are as a people. Does support of charter schools increase that disparity and weaken our democracy by further segregating us by economics, family support, and other factors?

What is the role of the public school in today's society? Who continues to support public schools and why? What is our vision for public schools going forward? How do we see the support for charter schools' impact on the lives of our children and grandchildren?

I'm not a fan of one-size-fits-all solutions. I do think that variety and choice supports a dynamic culture, but I also believe that we have to support all of our children with the best possible programs, institutions, and opportunity. Supporting our children is an investment in the future because well supported children will grow up to be positive, proactive contributors to society.

I'm one small voice in this debate, a debate that requires substantial, deep thought and process. It's not a quick fix or fast solution, but instead a process that demands the voice of all and the question, What kind of State do we want and how do we want to support all of our children best? We are laying the foundation for the future, and what we do today matters for generations to come.

What are your thoughts and opinions related to this matter? How will you add to the debate and discussion?

What Do Good Schools Do?

As I think about schools across our nation, I am thinking about what good schools do.

Good Schools are Positive Places of Learning and Development
Good schools are positive, happy places that embrace every individual with promise and good service. Good schools recognize that students learn better with positive, personalized, and sensitive support.

Good Schools Promote Voice and Choice for All Members of the Learning Community
Good schools include processes where all members of the learning community including students, families, educators, staff, leaders, and community members have voice and choice with regard to their position and mission in the learning environment. These organizations foster a shared leadership approach and maximize the "collective genius" of the organization with good process and communication.

Good Schools Employ Optimal Communication
For the most part good schools employ optimal communication process where the information is accessible, forthcoming, inclusive, and comprehensive. At any time in these organizations all members should be able to identify what the organization has done, what it is currently doing, and what its plans for the future are. Little time is wasted looking for information or trying to figure out who does what or what happened, since most information is regularly, transparently shared.

Good Schools Use Good Process
These good schools don't stay mired in old think or slow, inefficient, and exclusive process. Instead these school identify processes that invite discussion, debate, research, development, and a sensitive approach to all individuals in the system. These systems are not afraid to problem solve and seek the best supports and processes in this regard. As part of these processes, good schools take a close look at what they do and assess and revise their efforts regularly.

Good Schools Have Sufficient, Timely, and Traditional Structure and Resources
Good schools are "homes away from home" where students feel comfortable. In these schools students have what they need with regard to structure and resources to learn well. These schools have flexible, facile infrastructure, clean, welcoming structures, responsive schedules, and apt tools for learning such as paper/pencils, tech equipment, online/offline books, math manipulatives, maker stations, and more.

Good Schools Provide Physical and Emotional Health Services
Students in these schools use their health cards to access top notch health care at school. Counseling and physical health services once paid for by school systems will now be supported by students' health agencies. While this will create added paperwork, I think it will be a win-win for health insurance companies, health agencies, and students since students will receive regular, timely care in their schools. Health care today is often compromised because of access and finances, and this could be a win-win with regard to these issues.

Good Schools Teach the Whole Child
Good schools know that teaching and learning well is not a race. Instead it's a mission to serve the whole child. In this regard, good schools pay attention to the attributes of teaching the whole child well and lifelong learning competencies.

In our world that can sometimes be faulted for too much isolation and lack of community, schools, in the broad sense of the term, hold the key for supporting and serving children well. These schools will vary in structure, personnel, and focus dependent on context, but all of these schools will have the common denominator with regard to teaching students to grow and develop well with regard to their own desires and pursuits and as part of our democracy, communities, and families.