Students Informing Students

This post is meant as more of a public service announcement for Plymouth North High School’s News Program and their recent attempt to focus more attention on an ever present problem for our high school students…drug use.  I recently took their news story and incorporated it into my own segment “The Doctor Is In.”  The area surrounding my high school has had three recent heroin overdoses that were quietly reported on…until the Boston Globe and Sun Chronicle decided to do large pieces on the problem we all face as a society.  These pieces reiterated that it is not just a problem in Plymouth or the South Shore, but all of Southeastern Massachusetts.  That is the part I found valuable enough to keep students from saying, “that problem is somewhere else.”

The video and sources for the articles are located below as well as under my heading “The Doctor Is In.

Again, kudos belongs to Plymouth North New (PNN) for their bravery in addressing an issue that is not popular to discuss.  Those students have done their high school, fellow students, and parents proud for their willingness to point out one of the areas that we as a society need to fix.

PNN Video - http://bit.ly/1ixiYGT

Boston Globe Article - http://b.globe.com/1c7DpoJ

Sun Chronicle Article - http://t.co/Qa18YGsaOc

Don’t Just Look Good…Be Good

This past weekend afforded me an opportunity to notice some things at a hotel that, as I thought, can be compared to many educational situations.  It has to do with looking good versus being good.  I also heard someone comment; “She is amazing because she is beautiful from the inside out.”  The proverb “beauty is only skin deep,” (first found in a work by Sir Thomas Overbury, 1613) is normally used in relation to people however, I believe in education we could say “usefulness is only student success deep.”  Success being measured by understanding and ability to demonstrate what are now being called “college and career readiness” standards.

One example:

The hotel I stayed at served wonderful looking scrambled eggs for breakfast.  Unfortunately they contained an overpowering amount of vinegar only detectable upon eating (and then promptly spitting out).  It does a fine job of preserving the look and life of the eggs, but is inedible and therefore, ultimately fails its purpose.

·         How many times have we implemented programs that make our schools look as if they are cutting edge, but in reality fall short of that lasting or significant impact we desire?  Or even better, we buy into new reforms and programs (as they come out in new packaging) without giving enough time or effort  to the “old” ones to prove themselves or enough thought to the effectiveness of the new ones beyond the fancy jargon.

·         Fidelity of implementation when it comes to programs is good or bad depending on the context.

Another example:

The iron that is attached to the ironing board so that it acts as a unit and saves space.  Unfortunately, the cord that attaches the iron to the base is too short to reach the whole board.  This in turn causes the attached base to be in the way.  Not to mention the base was affixed to the wrong end of the board.

·         This issue pertains to budgets and fiscal policies aimed at creating schools that are able to brag about efficiency before success.  How many stories contain the two aspects of success and spending less as if one is no good without the other?  While it is important to be financially responsible there are times when it is not about what it costs, but what you need.

·         I am reminded of the old phrase; “you get what you pay for.”  I am a taxpayer who does not mind saying; “Sure my taxes are a little higher, but have you seen how awesome our school system is?  People move here just for that!”

This hotel I stayed at was beautiful.  It was almost a “Taj Mahal Hotel.”  Does that phrase sound familiar to what we were calling new high schools a few years back?  For the most part, everything on the surface was good, but it was the extras (that would have really made a difference) that were lacking.  Does that also sound all too familiar?  I could go on with multiple little details I noticed, but I believe the point is clear…

Let’s all be sure we are “all in” when planning and implementing researched based programs.  Not so that it looks good, but so that it is good.  By good I mean effective for those who are most in need…our students.  In the end, they are going to care about how prepared they were rather than how good they looked.

We need to stop implementing programs for the sake of implementing programs.

We need to stop cutting budgets for non-essential reasons.

We need to stop adding more initiatives rather than thoroughly completing what is already underway.

We need to stop; take measure of who we are, what we do, and why; follow Lincoln’s advice when he said; “Well done is better than well said.” and realize that being good is much better than looking good when it comes to successful education. 

Resourcefulness in Education

The original framework of this post began to take shape while I was sitting through a budget meeting.  As we went through our various justifications for our requests and then covered the whole proposal line by line, I continually thought about the reality of funding public schools in a day where it seems we have lost the three key components to our ability to succeed in our mission.

Respect, Trust, and Funding

Depending on your perspective, public schools have multiple resources to consider when providing the education necessary for our students to become productive citizens.  What truly matters is our ability to control them.  Doing so is much more complicated due to an inverse relationship.  We can only control these resources by adapting ourselves to meet their needs.  In education, we often call this “coming up with creative solutions” to meet the needs of a student or program that is in need.  Unfortunately, we are applauded for these creative solutions when they work, derided when they do not, and the public in general does not receive a full understanding of what is really occurring.  This, in turn, leads to a basic distrust in not only the ability, but the competence of both schools and the educational process.  While this is sometimes warranted due to a bad experience, it stems mostly from political messages and maneuvering that fly in the face of the transparency they claim to be promoting.  It is because of this that communities retain a low level of respect for what school employees do daily.  This, in turn, leads to a lack of respect for the honest, hard work that many individuals in the school system do on a daily basis.  A recent Harris Poll out January 23, 2014 found after surveying 2,250 adults that the level of respect between parents, students, and teachers is abysmal compared to years past.  Whether it is due to poor memories, changing values, politics, or inconsistent performance; one fact remains:

Public school systems need to find a way to communicate with society that they have four very valuable resources that they also need to be effective.  At the same time, we need to help the community understand just how finite they are.

Time: Authentic education that increases understanding and transferable skills takes time.  There are no overnight fixes to issues around achievement gaps, teacher performance, or programmatic success.  Public schools serve communities with diverse, individual needs.  Their programs must address the needs of local communities rather than “one size fits all,” untested mandates.  That is why a close working relationship between towns and schools is necessary if there is to be an understanding of needs, progress, and success.

Teachers: Currently, there appears to be a negative climate concerning teachers and the work they do.  While many in the public raise their voices about a 6-7 hour work day, three months off during the summer, and a “low pressure” environment with “little or no accountability,” teachers continue to plan classes, correct student work with meaningful feedback, and work on curriculum during their “vacations.”  Unfortunately, there is a disconnect concerning private industry and public schooling furthered by political maneuvering.  This is done in an attempt to assuage feelings of anger by deflecting it from the origin to another group who “has it easier than whoever is upset.”  While the public may not think teachers are overworked and underpaid (which some are and some are not) even with complete factual information, they will at least (hopefully) afford them the respect they deserve.  Honest communication rather than political is the only remedy for this current rift.  Hopefully, it begins at the local level, where communities are more fully invested in the future of their children.

Students: Students are in our systems for 12 years.  Sometimes they are present for a longer or shorter period of time depending on the circumstances.  Each individual student enters our buildings every day with a host of experiences that affect their ability to learn.  As institutions of learning, we must be flexible in our understanding of the basic principles governing students’ ability to take in information, manipulate, and then understand it.  Simply put, are they available to learn.  These same students serve as a valuable resource when accommodating and modifying content, instruction, and assessment.  Given the time and opportunity to work around difficulties students are having acquiring material builds an ever growing bank of strategies for student who have yet to come through our schools.  After all, it is about the students…right?  Unfortunately this becomes incredibly difficult to do when classrooms are too crowded with high needs students; students who just need some lessons in respect and self-determination take the time of those with real learning issues; and districts are not provided the needed resources recommended by their leaders.  If students are truly our future and their future lies in a good education why are we not providing everything necessary to develop the natural resources they provide; the knowledge of how they best understand knowledge and its place in their world?

Taxpayers: These individuals are the lifeblood of any public school system.  It is because of this that they should have all the information available before voicing to their opinion on funding to their government representative.  Unfortunately, that is much easier in theory.  Taxpayers should be concerned with how much money is spent and why.  Therein lies the importance of educational leaders justifying what they put forth as essential for providing a “top notch” education.  If leaders cannot explain what they need in a manner that everyone who is not well versed in education, then they should not receive what they have asked for.  Everyone should understand that it is the government officials’ fiduciary duty to save the taxpayer as much money as possible.  However, it should also be understood that the educational leaders know what they need and should be afforded the respect for which their own education and experience calls.  The fact is that most residents and employees want the best educational system their district can create for their children, businesses, and property values.  Unfortunately, the rift that is a result of poor communication and a lack of trust and respect is hurting prospects for improvement.

Ultimately those who are educated in the business of education should be listened to when explaining what is needed.  After all…if an engineer is who you want building a bridge and a medical doctor is who you want operating on patients…who do you want educating students? Truth be told, until we put the educational process as a whole as a priority, both with money, respect, and trust it will not be…and no amount of creative solutions will make it better.