Concrete Steps

I recently joined Twitter with the intention of mainly following different people and organizations related to education and education reform so I can continue to stay informed of the discussion and debate that is heating up in our nation regarding this critical topic. It has been interesting and I have definitely come across some informative and thought-provoking blog posts and articles, but at the same time I sometimes get overwhelmed with all the TALK. All the debate. All the analysis and contradicting viewpoints. In the meantime, our schools are staying EXACTLY the same. "Waiting for Superman" was meant to start a conversation but it was also meant to spur some real action. However, even the most compelled among us seem to be at somewhat of a loss as to where to start. The system is so vast, so complicated, so complex...it involves so many millions of people...how can we change such a monster??

I was talking to my dad the other day about the screening and panel at CDM last week and he just bluntly asked, "Well, what do you think would fix the schools? What do you think is the answer?" I have been mulling over that question for quite some time now and trying to come up with some concrete things that I think could make a difference. Not the abstract things like, "Parents need to be more involved" because we can't really do anything about that. But what are some practical, concrete action steps we can take immediately to begin transforming this system??

Here are some key factors that I, in all my expertise (sarcasm, folks, sarcasm), feel that we could begin working on as a district and as a state:

1) Rigorous and demanding teacher preparation programs

Whether a university based or alternative certification program, we need to begin raising our standards for what kind of people can have the privilege of teaching in our classrooms. I was thinking of a medical school analogy. First of all, there are steep requirements for even being accepted into medical school. Then, out of those candidates that are accepted, many are weeded out after the first year of med school. Right now, you only have to have a 2.5 gpa in your undergraduate studies to be accepted into a teacher prep program. There are really no other qualifications, other than not having a criminal background. What if we raised our standards for who can be accepted initially into a teacher prep program, and then raised the standards for what it takes to complete a teacher prep program? What if we weeded out the worst teachers before they even made it to a classroom, just like we weed out people who aren't cut out to be doctors before they ever make it into a hospital?

Then the teacher prep programs themselves need to be more rigorous, hands-on, and meaningful. Although many districts and school have a "mentoring" program for new teachers, it is usually a joke. But if we could develop a meaningful master-teacher/apprentice teacher component as part of teacher preparation, I think we could ensure that even first-year teachers are better equipped to lead and guide students in a demanding curriculum.

If we made becoming a teacher a more challenging process and it became a more elite career, then we could pay teachers more and thus recruit more quality people...and create a whole new cycle.

So what are the concrete steps?? Our State Board of Education and Texas Education Agency need to revamp the laws, standards, and policies that guide the requirements for teacher preparation programs, at both the university level and in alternative certification programs. Right now, alt-cert programs are for-profit organizations...they're more concerned with getting as many candidates enrolled as possible...that's how they stay in business. The quality of the program is secondary. Even as a product and beneficiary of alternative certification, I think it is truly damaging our educational system.

2) Continue investing in early-education programs, especially in low-income areas

The research is abundant: if a child has limited learning experiences, limited literacy experiences, limited exposure to books and high-level conversational vocabulary...they will start school already behind. It is critical that kids arrive on the first day of kindergarten with certain pre-reading skills and a literacy foundation. There has been so much research done on the difference between children in poverty and children from more affluent areas as far as the number of hours being read to, the number of books in the home, the number of words they've heard and the type of words heard, etc. and the impact this has on their future learning. I could go into all of the research on this subject, but bottom line, it is ESSENTIAL. The research of the effectiveness of programs like Head Start is mixed, but this biggest problem is that any progress that was made in Head Start is erased when the students arrive at a sub-par public school in their same low-income neighborhood. If we have quality teachers and quality curriculum and quality resources in place when the kids transition from Head Start to public school, then I believe we would really start to see the impact of having that early education piece in place. It doesn't always have to be Head Start. That is just one program of many that could potentially impact early education. I like the idea at the Harlem Children's Zone of "Baby College". This is a nine week course for expecting parents or parents of small children that trains them on ways to work with their children to build them up and prepare them educationally. The program also addresses other areas such as nutrition, discipline, etc. that have an impact on a child's early years. Most parents love their children and want the best for their children, but many don't come from backgrounds where buying books or going to the library or museums was a priority. They want their children to be successful, but they don't always have the tools or resources to know WHAT to do with their kids, because it wasn't a part of their own upbringing, perhaps. Even for middle and upper class parents, we've got to continue to educate them on the importance of cultivating creative learning experiences and not always relying on television or video games to entertain the kids. If children arrive for their 12 years of public education with a strong foundation for learning, then I believe we could be more effective in those 12 years.

So the concrete steps? Continue to invest in programs that promote early education. Expand programs that provide early education to low-income families and expand programs that work with parents on things they can do at home to help their children. Support programs that provide books and reading materials to neighborhoods and homes where these resources are scarce.

These are just two steps, but now this blog post is getting out of control again, so maybe there will be a part two in a couple of days! Stay tuned as I solve America's education crisis one blog post at a time! :-P