On education...

[alexpgp]

"Promoted" from a thread on grammar_mavens:

Why aren't educators more vigilant about the quality of the education they dish out? Personally, I think it lies with the increasing politicization of education, particularly with the emphasis on equality of results as opposed to an educated citizenry.

My mother taught in the New York City school system for many years. Each year, it seemed, the curriculum would be made easier (I helped her grade papers), and pressure was placed on teachers to make sure students passed. Failing a student was more often than not a casus belli, leading to unpleasant meetings with parents and administrators.

Dumbing down the curriculum is a quick and easy way to achieve an "equal" result. If spelling and grammar no longer matter, then they can't be used to distinguish "better" students from "poorer" ones.

Gutting other requirements, such as language classes, helps streamline the process. Political pressure is particularly effective here. I've heard parents proclaim, at a school board meeting, that learning a foreign language was not essential to a good education. (I know you'll find this hard to believe, but not one board member rose to argue that contention or to advance an argument for language education.)

[Note added postscriptum: I have heard similar arguments regarding music classes, shop, and physical education. In each case, it seemed the parents were really arguing as follows: "My kid isn't any good at this, so it ought not be a required part of the curriculum."]

What to do about the situation? That's tough to say. Any initiative that smells of parents having a real say in education (i.e., having control of how the money is spent) is roundly condemned as right-wing fanaticism. But in the final analysis, nothing will change until individuals do have that power.

Cheers...

Comments

On Education

[laurelo.livejournal.com]

Teaching is a frightening proposition these days. I have been debating for the past few weeks about whether I want to pay a visit to the Board of Ed and pick up a teaching position. Kids don’t scare me at all, I have worked in inner city environments by choice. What I find unappealing is the salary, the administration, the lack of money for needed classroom resources, the adversarial view of learning, overcrowded classrooms and disinterested parents.

A postscript about the latest attempt in the NYC schools that was recently discussed in the NY Times series on education. One program in place is to provide a structure for people switching from other careers to become teachers. The program I read about has a formula that has the teacher’s day broken down almost to the minute, at least in the lower grades. The budding teacher has a “script” which they are expected to consistently adhere to, without any deviation, including any personal commentary.

What inspires kids to learn? In an age where most children have been brought up on technology -- television at the very minimum – learning has become a passive entertainment. But I do like to think that teachers, with an enthusiasm for a subject area and the ability to teach and mentor, have something to do with it.

I keep thinking over and over of the years of campaigning for the cessation of smoking. Both in adults and kids. I remember clearly when smokers always seemed to be a majority and I currently know few people now who smoke. Though it took years of advertising campaigns and indoctrination, it seems to have had a positive effect. So many have internalized the concept of non-smoking as the only choice. Maybe this is what we need for education. A long term aggressive campaign promoting the positive benefits of learning. There is a lot on TV and film that promotes the quick and dirty means to success, very little that glorifies studious effort.

Oh, and regarding parents having a say about education. I worked in a two-way language immersion magnet middle school, philosophically put together by parents and teachers. Other than a small core group of about 6 parents (of a total of 330 students) there was little interest by most parents and our school had the same scant attendance at open houses the rest of the schools experienced. My experience is a middle-upper class school system has active parental involvement and consequently the schools with higher test scores, etc. Despite aggressive outreach programs there has been little parent involvement in the economically challenged neighborhoods I have been employed in.

This really sounds like a rambling rant … sorry … but I’m going to post it anyway!