Can civil rights groups and public educators both be right? And what if Dyett became a model?

The battle between those who support common core and those who don't is fundamentally based on the way education has been for the past 200 years.  There are concerns about local control vs federal control of education. 

A case for federal involvement goes back to Brown vs Board of Education as there must be oversight to allow fair treatment of all students especially those who have been denied equal education in the past.

A case for those against common core is that a singular standardized test is not an adequate way to assess kids as it does not indicate real achievement, falsely determining whether teacher are teaching and learners are learning.

Both have valid points and both must be taken seriously.  Let's first explore the impact on students forced to a standardizing mentality.  It is clear that obstacles in the way of learning exist with many of those in poverty and that especially affects their ability to take tests in a group setting, regurgitate answers given to them and see complex issues as having simple answers. 

The reality is that the test, as the outcome demanded, drives the curriculum.  And here is how it does damage: Children in the burbs, who have less obstacles in their way do better on the standardized test, are more at ease taking it in large groups and are more adept at seeing simple answers to complex questions as well as giving answers that satisfy the requirements of the artificial norm.  Thus they are able to spend less time studying for the test and more time with innovative learning. Creative learning such as the arts, and hands on activities as well as broad experiences in the community are more readily available ,

However, in urban areas where success at the test is limited, the scope becomes narrow.  The arts, physical education, hands on activities like shop and home economics as well as innovative activities in the classroom are lessened or even eliminated.  The end result is that those children are forced to learn in the way that they are least capable before they are allowed to learn in the way they are most capable.  This is not only unethical, it is immoral!

Now we explore the concerns on those civil rights organizations that are focused on fairness and equity in education.  It is clear going back to "Brown vs Board of education" that the lack of fairness is an issue and must always be monitored.  To go back to a day when education was thrown out for students to catch in a bushel basket does a dis service to those who need us the most.  Look what it is doing to voters rights.  It is unimaginable to take education back to that era. However, the question becomes, does the test really determine achievement?  Dr. Angela Dye digs deeply into this when she states "traditional school outcomes as level "B" achievement can occur in the absence of learning how to work and learn independently; {A-level learning includes} learning how to synthesize, transfer and apply knowledge to the world beyond the classroom;  learning how to value self as subjects and not as objects; and learning how to engage in and share power in democratic spaces". 

Therein lies the crux of the argument.  And here is how both are right in the best interest of students. Whole child assessment may soon be allowed to drive the curriculum as the rewrite of ESEA includes the Collins - Sanders amendment.  That amendment allows innovative assessment away from the test that gives a more accurate picture of what children are learning and how useful it can be to their future beyond the classroom.  The definitions around this amendment can be read at  www.wholechildreform.com

This is not a "be all and end all" for education but it is a big step forward.  Although assessment must be local, over sight will be at the state and federal level assuring all students are treated fairly.  Thus satisfying the needs of both communities and more importantly the needs of children.We still have to take an individualized approach to assessment and education.  Children still learn at different rates and their genius will unfold at different times, not on a common core schedule.  But the beginning of an educational revolution is at hand.  A revolution that puts the agenda of children in the forefront. 

And what if Illinois was one of the 5 states that was allowed to implement that model; and what if Dyett School would be the model for that amendment; and what if Duane Turner were to be the principal?  Just sayin'

Empower parents, empower students teachers take back your profession

Or New Orleans?  or Detroit?

Public Education, change or perish!

There are those among us that feel that simply going back to the old days of public education is just fine.  I am not among those.  I have been in education since the late 60's and it is clear that we were not serving all children successfully.  Merely stating, as did Carol Burris,  that public ed existed before NCLB is not sufficient and is detrimental to the kids we serve.

I recall being an assistant principal at an urban high school in 1990.  Their were 400 freshmen in that class.  I went back to their graduation and their were approximately 170 graduates.  Now my math might be a little shaky and there were some variables but that is not a sign of a good school.  Another high school in the same city had approximately 650 freshmen of which 250 were failed second year freshmen.  In a school where the enrollment was listed as 1400, I counted 200 students in the cafeteria during lunch.  This is not ok!

As an administer at one of the high schools, I was struggling to support a student who was having difficulty.  A teacher approached me and stated that he was 16 years old.  I didn't understand the significance of that.  The teacher responded, "don't you understand? , He's 16, he'll drop out soon. We don't have to worry about him.  That was also the prevailing attitude of that day toward this difficult black young man.  I didn't buy that but the teachers wishes came true.  He disappeared.

Not only were expectations low  especially for black males, but their was a minimal effort to teach in the way kids learn the best.  Before NCLB there was a chapter test mentality and, by design, an approach that demonized black youth.  There was an all white honor role and the senior classes were primarily white as most black students left before the end of the year.  Freshmen classes had 35 to 40 students in the class while mostly white senior class had very small class sizes.

No, the good old days were not the good old days with students passing through with a D- just to make the data look good.  The school was said to have 1400 students had a graduation of slightly over 100.  And one of those students had attended my middle school.  She had special needs and attended the high school for three years before dropping out.  I was surprised when I attended that graduation and saw her walk across the stage with a full diploma.

So to say things were ok back then is a blatant lie.

And then came No Child Left Behind and things went from bad to worse.  Those who did well on the test, who had no obstacles in front of them were allowed to have the arts and do innovative classroom activities.  Those who were damaged by obstacles that were devastating often did not do well on the test.  As the test drives the curriculum, and those kids needed to do well on the test, the scope was narrowed.  The arts were eliminated as well as home ec, shop and innovative activities in the classroom and kids were forced to learn to the test, learn in the way they had the most difficulty learning before they were allowed to learn in the way they learn the best, often with hands on activities.  This whole child learning is innovation that has the teacher finding the best way for individual children to learn.

The setup is children are forced to learn in an outdated manner, not in the way they do best.  This is not only unethical, it is immoral.

So, should we accept the NCLB way of learning?  Of course not.  Fight it with every fiber of our being.  Should we accept the public school of old?  Of course not, improve it with the skills and abilities public teachers have.  Public school teachers are the best at innovation, allow us to do that.  The Collins amendment may open the door a crack.Are  public school teachers ready to jump through that door and make it happen?  Or will we sit on our asses and whine about the good old days.  

How the test is destroying America

There has been much discussion about the significance of the high stakes standardized test and how it is used in the current system of education.  It is time to take a closer look at the overall effect of the testing mentality and how it drives the very fiber of this country?

Let us compare simplistic, test taking conversations with those that allow for critical thinking.  The most obvious that comes to mind is politics.  As I prepare to cut off my cable until the next election I decided to look for examples of how commercial politics works.

Bubble test thinking:  There is snow in the winter so of course their is no climate change

Critical thinking:  Look deeply into the affects of climate change and you will understand that it affects weather in many different ways.  Global warming is an average of temperatures around the globe.  Does anyone understand what global is.  Not Washington DC warming, not Three Oaks Michigan warming, not warming outside your house, global means the whole world!  Duh

Bubble test thinking:  When the media hypes one dramatic case of an immigrant that commits a horrible crime, then we better be afraid of immigrants.

Critical thinking: Does that mean that one person is representative of the other 10,899,999 undocumented immigrants?

Bubble test thinking: A young black man gets shot and killed by police for committing a minor crime.  He shouldn't have committed a crime.

Critical thinking: Is the punishment for a minor crime death?  What was the approach to the young man in the first place?  Did it humanize or dehumanize?

Bubble test thinking:  When Sen Rubio says that Amazon has no stores it means he is young and understands that this is a problem.

Critical thinking:  Does the Senator try to convey the idea that people my age (72) don't understand this?  That is an insult to older people. Anyone knows about Amazon and others, but maybe we have actual solutions.

Bubble test thinking:  When Donald Trump says he will build a wall along the Mexican border, this will certainly stop immigration.

Critical thinking: The Mexican border is close to 2000 miles long and they know how to dig tunnels. Is this practical?  What is the root of the problem?  And watch out for those Canadians.  Do we need a wall there also?

Bubble test thinking: Presidential candidate Jeb Bush said that we have had the slowest recovery in history.

Critical thinking: This bids the question, recovery from what? Was it recovery from the deepest recession in history?  And there are many more questions that aren't addressed.

Bubble test thinking: Scott Walker said if he could stand up to the unions he could stand up to ISIS.

Critical thinking:  Specifically what skills and knowledge base makes those two issues similar.  None!

Bubble test thinking:  An agreement with Iran is based on trusting Iran

Critical thinking:  An agreement with Iran is because we don’t trust Iran. If we trusted them we wouldn’t need an agreement.  The deep thinking questions that should be asked are what are the specific issues in the agreement that  makes it better or worse than what now exists.  If we don't trust Iran, can we trust them with no agreement? Nothing to hold them accountable.

Bubble test thinking:  looking backward, if we punish the people more, they will bring on democracy

Critical thinking:  Looking forward, win the hearts and minds of the people, they will prevail when the Castro's are gone

Of course issues go much deeper than these, but this is the beginning of critical thinking.  My parents told me "Don't believe anything you hear and only half of what you see."  And that was before we had a television.  I believe the testing mentality has led the people  away from critical thinking to find a simple yes or no, or multiple choice answer in things that we are told through the media. 

In the words of that famous Irish philosopher George Carlin, “They don’t want well informed, well educated people capable of critical thinking.  That’s against their interest.  They want obedient workers, people who are just smart enough to run the machines and do the paperwork and just dumb enough to passively accept it”

The reality is that tabloid news programs  (and that is all of them) would lose their viewers and no one would listen to politicians if we taught critical thinking.  What a novel thought! Our whole political system is built on the hope that “we the people” will not use critical thinking.  And corporations not only own the politicians but they also own the media.  Is it no wonder that those same politician insist on the simplistic thinking of the standardized test. 

This is not only unethical, it is immoral!

Brainstorming Choice

There have been many arguments for and against parental choice. It really comes down to one issue. It is the artificial belief that when your child is in a school where the students have low test scores, your child will make smaller gains in academics.  When your child is in a school with students who have higher test scores, your child will be more likely to make greater gains.

Let us take a deeper look at this issue:

First, test scores are not a sole indicator of academic achievement. They are, at best, 2nd class achievement.  Whole child learning, where a child demonstrates what they are able to do, is 1st class achievement. However, the problem is the mandated test drives the curriculum of the school. And teach to the test becomes the curriculum leaving the perception that kids in higher scoring schools end up being taught to the test better than those with kids in lower scoring schools based on those results. This may or may not be the case but perceptions are real to those who have them. The reality is that the segregation of class and in many cases, race are in full force.

Second, with every child having the same singular standard it seems essential as parents to seek out the school that will enhance your child's education, whether the standards are 1st or 2nd class, there is still a rush to find the school that will support you child the most. There is no notice of what progress a child is really making. It is hidden by the false assumption that everyone should be the same.

Most schools make every effort to see that your child will achieve at the highest level. The reality is the current system of education forces "artificial choice" to become an issue. The current system is based on a poorly designed race that takes kids who are successful in the narrow scope of testing to college and those who aren't to struggle for survival.  And the lack of survival puts kids on the streets.

What if we had an individual pathway to success for every child, an action plan to support learning for all? Then schools could be assessed based on the real success of each individual student, and your child would clearly be seen as being able to advance based on his or her merit.  And the perception that  a student is held back by slower students would disappear. All students would progress at their own best rate. And parents would no longer judge based on average test scores, but based on the quality of education.

No more shifting schools based on an artificial belief that schools that screen for the higher scoring kids, are the best schools. No more shifting schools based on unproven perceptions. Schools would now be on an even playing field and those who serve the kids that need us the most will get their just due.

What if the system and philosophy of a school system was allowed to innovate away from the test if they could develop a plan that is driven by 1st class achievement. That is the only way to put all schools on an even playing field and to allow your child to progress no matter how other kids are doing. And it will allow all kids to progress to their fullest potential without catastrophic failure to the streets.

This is the ONLY way to save public education as well as all education. Of course this would be an extremely difficult plan to implement, but worth it. It would take smaller class size coupled with more planning time, but of more significance, it would take systemic change. What would it accomplish? Children would be empowered to follow their pathway to success; Parents would be empowered to be full partners in the process; and teachers would be empowered to take back their profession.

We have followed the 18th century system of education for hundreds of years and it has failed to serve all kids. Isn't it time to try something new?

For more details go to my website and click the links  www.wholechildreform.com

A school without representation? A true story

While mentoring a first year, special education teacher, in Milwaukee’s Guadalupe middle school an incident happened that I will never forget.  The facts caught on video were told to me as follows. 

A teacher is walking down the hall and his leg thrusts backward and hits a female student.  The teacher turns around and laughs a little and moves on.  The video was picture only so they no one could hear what was said.

As told to me by the teacher, the girl complained to her mother that a teacher kicked her.  The mother complained to the principal and the teacher was brought into the office.  As there were no unions allowed in this charter school, he had no representation.  He was confronted with the video and told his side of the story.  He was told he was lying and that he could either resign or be fired.  He chose to resign.

Now his side of the story:  He was walking down the hall when he felt something stick on the bottom of his foot.  He lifted his leg backward to see what it was and inadvertently kicked the girl.  There was nothing in the video to discount what he said but he was asked to resign anyway.

And now the rest of the story:  The young man was Chinese and was born with a withered hand.  As his hand could not hold his foot if he lifted it forward, he lifted it backward instead thus inadvertently kicking the girl.  But why did he laugh?  There was no previous animosity between the teacher and the girl and she was not one of his students.  Well here is a quote from the Handbook of Cultural Psychiatry by Wen-Shing Tseng  2001 Academic Press  San Diego California  

  

“Nervous laughing…is one kind of coping mechanism commonly used by some Asian people.  When a person is nervous, particularly in an embarrassing situation, instead of manifesting feelings and gestures of nervousness or embarrassment he may laugh nervously.  By bursting into laughter a person could save himself the embarrassment by concealing his feelings of nervousness.  This culturally shaped behavior may look awkward to outsiders, who are not familiar with it, and might interpret it as odd, while actually it is a culturally shaped defense mechanism.”

In conclusion, of course the girl did not lie.  It was her perception that she was kicked intentionally.  But that’s where the adults must look at the total picture.   The bottom line is the teacher had no representation, no one to seek out the whole story.  And he was a quiet, kind person and a perfect gentleman.  He took his medicine and left the school.  

The rhetoric of "poverty isn't destiny" in a test crazed system

The rhetoric of “poverty isn’t destiny” in a test crazed system

Listening to the rhetoric of “poverty isn’t destiny” makes me wonder which “poverty” is being talked about.  Poverty is a big umbrella and it is easy to point out cases of student success as well as cases of failure under that umbrella.

Are we to say that when poverty leads to childhood stress that it does not affect learning?  There is clear evidence, according to Paul Tough, that indicates childhood stress slows the brain.  Can the daily stress of a poverty driven dysfunctional family lead to low test scores and slower achievement?  Of course it can!  In the current, test crazed system of education this clearly leads to students dropping out and poverty becomes destiny.

When poverty leads to chaos in a poor neighborhood, would anyone be able to think straight while living in a war zone?   Consider the lack of proper nutrition on a daily basis and its effect on learning.  Clearly the slowing of learning under the current test crazed system leads to destiny.  And there are those who suggest that the pressure of a standardized test actually leads to ADHD.  Yes, this includes high stakes chapter tests. 

However, “poverty” is a broad umbrella.  Consider the poor family that has a strong role model and a less intrusive level of poverty who can overcome that effect. Of course those students have the ability to achieve at a normal rate and are less affected by poverty.  The question becomes which students are we talking about when we say poverty is or is not destiny?

Those who serve the elite of the poverty students are quick to note that their students all graduated and went to college.  And under the current system, even those students, on the fringe of poverty, will “succeed” if the school prepares them well for the test.  But does this lead to a generalized statement that poverty isn’t destiny?  Of course not!  Does this allow an educator to say my kids are all from single parent families and graduated therefore my school is great.  That is simply the school taking credit for what that strong single parent does.  Does this allow an educator to say my kids are all poor black kids and we made them successful?  The question again becomes which poor black kids are being talked about.  To assume that all poor black kids are troubled and your school saved them is not only wrong, but is playing on the racist belief that all poor black kids are the same.

The secret to success of a school under today’s outdated, test driven system of education is to find as many poor black kids unaffected by poverty and bring them into your school while pushing the others away.  The current system does not reward individual student success in schools who serve those that need us the most.

Of course the solution is to eliminate poverty and every effort should be made to do that.  However, we can’t wait for that to happen.  The time for action is now!  We must recognize the fundamental problem at the bottom is an outdated system of education that was never designed to serve all kids, a system that Thomas Jefferson stated as its purpose “raking a few geniuses from the rubbish”. 

When we recognize that kids are different and progress at different rates and learn in different ways, then and only then will we stop trying to rake those so called geniuses, determined by test scores, and begin to understand that there is real genius in everyone just waiting to come out.  When we stop viewing education as a race where all students must be at the same place at the same time under an outdated, test crazed system, we will begin to succeed with all students.  It is time to realize the fundamental purpose of education is not to win, but to learn.  To assure that poverty is no longer destiny, we must, in the words of Dr. Angela Dye, “re imagine achievement” as real learning, not just testing.

Ferguson

Ferguson, New York, George Floyd and others, Solutions

An educator's comments on approaching people

Updated 4/22/21 

Educators throughout the years have been prepared for any possible situation that may arise.  When I was lead administrator at Craig Alternative School, a Milwaukee Public Alternative School serving students with severe emotional problems, as well as psychiatric issues, the severest of problems occurred on a regular basis.  We, as a school staff, became adept at handling them in a professional manner.  We were fortunate enough to have a consulting psychiatrist five therapists and the support of the Crises Prevention Institute. www.crisesprevention.com

CPI training taught us not only how to approach out of control students but we were able to pass this information on to the students so they could better handle crises situations.

This relates directly to the incident in Ferguson Mo as well as many other incidents.If you can approach young people out of control, you certainly can approach a young man simply walking in the street.  I am especially saddened at the loss of this young man because it could have been avoided.  I have attended way too many funerals of young people and it is way past time to do everything in our power to stop this epidemic.

To begin we must focus on the initial approach to a person whose actions are perceived as problematic.  At the time of approach by the officer, the known “crime” was walking in the street.  Not exactly punishable by death.  So how do we approach this situation without allowing it to escalate?  Was the situation so minor that he had to be approached at all?

Following the guidelines of nonviolent crises intervention, the first step is to be supportive.  In order to give the perception as well as the reality of being supportive it is important to be connected with the community as well as the people in that community.  Without that connection, the chances of escalation increase.  An officer, connected to the community has a much better chance of deescalating the situation simply by talking it through.  If the officer bypasses step 1 and goes directly to step 2, being directive, a confrontation is more likely. 

An example of what works is to approach the person of concern in a non threatening manner.  CPI teaches how, as well as where to stand to achieve this end.  And the conversation must also be aimed at deescalating a potential crises.  An example: " Hey guys how are you doing? Where are you from?  Oh I know that neighborhood" (site a reference point to show you have a connection)  After confidence is gained one might say "We need you to move off the street, ok?"  Be patient and then walk the person to the sidewalk.  

There are those who see this approach is weak, however, I see it as humanizing. When we look past the outer shell into the inner soul we see a human being.  And in many cases this will be effective. However, if at any time it isn't working proceed to step 2, directive. That is when you take charge of the situation and call for backup. Anything to avoid handling the situation alone is good.  First you have an additional set of eyes, and second the other officer can step in to mediate if necessary.  Through CPI we were taught that if a conflict occurs between the first respondent, that respondent steps back and the additional respondent takes over.  Often this will deescalate the situation.  If not, there is more than one person to become forceful.  Even if the incident was shoplifting, and I'm not sure that it was, this approach will not leave anyone dead and will come to an eventual solution.

The second responder is of utmost importance when it comes to stage 3, the restraint. Restraint should only be used when absolutely necessary like breaking up a fight, a physically aggresive person, and only when every other option has been tried.  We were taught never to restrain someone alone.  It is not safe.  We were taught how to control someone physically with out hurting them or us.  And never, ever would we put hands on or even near the throat, the head, the back or the chest.  

Restraint to the ground must be avoided in schools but might be applicable in extreme cases in the community with adults.  Once someone was on the ground they would be held with 3 or 4 people, one hand on their shoulder another on their outstretched arm for those near the front.  Near the feet, each person would hold one foot.  Never ever would we put any weight on their chest, neck, head or back.  First there would be dead silence, and then one person would quietly ask if the person is ready to cooperate.

This incident, however, is indicative of the increase in racism throughout the country. With voter suppression openly targeted at urban neighborhoods to four years of a Presidents language, to the shooting of so many black and brown youmg people, every effort is being made to revive the high level of racism of the past. Institutional racism is the main culprit and must be addressed.  It goes well beyond Ferguson and has taken decades and even centuries to eradicate. We must stay the course.

In many ways this is like a last gasp effort to give credence to the ways that are slowly working their way into the past.  Today there are way too many people who can see through the rhetoric denying racism and that number is growing.  When it raises it's ugly head, it must be addressed in no uncertain terms.

To continue the process toward fairness we offer several thoughts and hopes:

1. This incident must inspire all people, especially minorities, in a community to provide minority candidates who are representative of their constituents to run for all political offices.  

2.  All Americans across the country must vote in every election, no matter how small to assure equal representation.  Black and Latino votes can turn the tide in the fight against racism especially when there are Black and Latino candidates. 

3.  A campaign to end racism throughout the country must focus on sending a message to those politicians including radio and television talking heads who profit from subtle, or not so subtle racism.  

4.  Police departments, no matter how small or large must implement community policing including officers on bicycles or walking the beat.

5.  All police departments must hire officers that are representative of the community as well as representative of those who visit the community.  

6.  All officers be trained in non violent crises intervention in a manner similar to that presented by CPI.

7.  Schools become more involved in teaching character development including preparing students with the skills to avoid crises situations.  Although this would not appear on a standardized test, it would be helpful as situations may arise with other students as well as police officers.

These are only thoughts to ponder.  Those in the communities must draw from these or other sources to develop a plan of their own.  The time for action, nation wide, is now! 

www.wholechildreform.com