Passing the Buck on Educational Reform

Yesterday (September 23, 2010) Bill Kerr posted a blog on Michelle Rhee, her pitfalls in reforming Washington D.C. urban schools and the continued debate on fixing America’s schools (Superwoman Crashes).  I felt the need to comment on this post as it fits perfectly with my career focus as well as my studies in Instructional Design.

Interestingly complaints about Michelle Rhee’s flawed tactics focused on by Diane Ravitch(Why Michelle Rhee and Adrian Fenty Lost) hover around the same factors other educational reformists believe will be the turnaround for American schools as cited in 5 Ideas to fix America’s Schools by Heather Horn.  These educational reform ideas are:

• ·         Better Teacher Training

• ·         Better Teacher Hiring

• ·         Better Discipline

• ·         Deal with Decentralization

• ·         Listen to the Parents

According to Kerr, Ravitch, and the media Rhee failed most in the area of “Listen(ing) to the Parents” which led to the subsequent loss of the black vote and the loss of the Mayor election for Fenty, Rhee’s strongest backer.   The debate in educational reform has been and continues to be so politically based that it seems we lose sight that it is those who are not yet able to vote that are suffering the most, the students.  Every teacher does not need additional training to be superior.  There are great difficulties in hiring good teachers when there is a dwindling pool of new teachers to choose from for schools.  Student discipline and respect of school/teachers should be foundational at home yet schools are not allowed how to tell parents how to discipline their children.  Decentralization brings further disconnect of a school from its community and thus its students and families, how does anyone just deal with it?  Lastly, is it possible to listen to the parents who are not present and or have nothing to say in regards to their student’s education?  What if none of the solutions presented are a fix all or fix any?  

Shouldn’t the point be that we realize that we are failing our schools and that there is not going to be one clear solution?  This week’s discussion for my Master’s program in Instructional Design (Walden University Online) ended with an agreed conclusion that there has to be a balance between extremes to find a solution that comes closer to solving the overall problem (Bill Kerr contributing Blog; Karl Kapp contributing Blog).  In regards to this conclusion we must also realize that not one group (teachers, parents, students, administration, etc.) will be able to solve the problem alone.  There must be responsibility, leadership, compassion and action from every group on all levels.  

Yes it sounds very idealistic but as a teacher, a parent of students, and active voter I understand my different roles and responsibilities.  Yet I cannot focus on taking action on my part if I am continually focused on what others are not doing or are doing outside of level of my own understanding.  We need to all stop passing the buck on educational reform and prepare to take action in our role(s) alone.

Educational reform is a very complex issue that will not be solved anytime soon and as a result our students move lower and lower on the list of top students in the world.  Who is really suffering?  Who will really have to deal with the consequences of it all?  Who is responsible?  Who will change?