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3.5 Lies of School Reform

Lies.  That's a heavy word.  But I mean to get your attention - after reading, I invite you to decide if they're lies or if you've just been mislead...by the billions of tax-payer dollars.

I recall reform-based 2 hour meetings and 300+ hours of Learning Observation Instruments (LOI's).  Never you mind the looks of terror on my colleagues' faces when they forgot to enter them; neigh dear reader...the looks of horror on my staffs' faces when they came in for the post-observation final score.  They wanted to know one thing, "How did I do?".

I had just wrapped up my 9 yr. old daughter's parent-teacher conference.  15 minutes of "here's how she's doing" followed by "thanks, see you soon."  In my son's words, lame sauce compared to what they could be.

Anyhow, I ventured home, and massaged a sweet headache. I kept thinking about what they said about the red folder.  The red folder.  Not about concepts or projects, or inquiry.  The red folder.

That got me thinking...about what's trending in our public halls of education.  
  • I linked a ground-breaking study by The New Teacher Project - read it.  Their blog follows up that study with some striking news.
  • During an interview I was thrown a bucket of ice cold reality when they told me that the job for which I was applying is essentially ineffective in practice.
  • The general public really has very little idea what's going on in schools, as evidenced by what is trending around kids returning to school, or not.
Folks, I'm here to tell you.  When it comes to school reform, pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.  Here's why;
  1. Federally mandated school reform doesn't work - you heard me correctly.  A 15 year study of Title I/No Child Left Behind/ESEA reforms points to just 6% of schools receiving those funds actually demonstrated sustained improvement.  Six percent.  In other words, the schools that were doing well, still do well.  Those that don't, with rare exception, still don't.  That's what I was told in my interview (which I'm embarrassed to say was my worst one on record).  It's also what I know having worked in inner-city schools for 17 years.
  2. Teacher evaluation reform doesn't work - ouch.  It has little to do with the teachers. I happen to know that, with rare exception, most teachers are professionals who make incredible things happen.  The trouble is, as TNTP points out, we're expecting them to learn a system that doesn't necessarily improve quality, it improves compliance.  They're focused on their own red folder.
  3. Charter schools need more oversight - nothing could be further from the truth.  They are here to stay.  They have it figured out, and they have the advocacy/resources to multiply like the Borg - minus the creepy costumes.
   3.5 Things will work out - not for district schools, they won't.  Not unless leadership are                           willing to unequivocally admit that they need to;
  • get out of the way, or
  • replicate success, and
  • stop focusing on the red folders (compliance over quality).
By writing this piece, I've indicted some of my own claims to professional success as fallible. Truth is, despite incredible results, they only lasted a short time.  I've also indicted people I love and respect.  Good leaders, who are watchful of their own red folder rules change so they can keep up with compliance, and frankly keep their jobs.  I repeat, it doesn't work.

With all that is going on, change happening at the speed of life, doing what has always been done WILL NOT WORK.

Onward!

Dr. J

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