The Problem with “Fixing” Education

I met a woman while I was volunteering at an Animal Shelter here in Colorado and I realized that we cannot fix our educational system without parents. This woman is able to raise 7 kids that are doing great in school and it all has to do with how they are raised by their parents. Really part of our problem today is thinking that we can send out kids to school and they will get everything they need in life. We are expecting our teachers to accept roles that we are meant to fill as parents. The woman I met had seven children ranging from 15 to 21 and all of them are on the honor roll, attend school everyday, win academic awards and are in college or college bound. I think to myself how is it that this woman is able to raise children who are able to achieve so much while others are floundering in the system?

Admittedly a lot has to do with the socioeconomic status of the family. This family is well off and she is able to stay home and not work.Now this makes it easier but no matter your socioeconomic status raising well rounded kids is hard and most are not willing to put in the work anymore.  Now I’m not saying that they have it easy, the opposite in fact. They have  to do without new clothes, new cars, new gaming systems but they are fortunate enough to be able to have a parent stay at home. I still believe that others could accomplish the feat of raising children without money. Many single mothers do. I guess what I am trying to say is that we have to fix the way we look at children and their upbringing. It is not a politically correct thing to say but some parents suck as parents and in reality the generation that is currently molding out future is a selfish one. They look to make things easier for themselves not necessarily what is best for their kids. Hell, we don’t even do that in the education system today, but that is a topic for another day 🙂 If you need any other evidence of our selfishness as a culture look at our divorce rate! Selfish people are not willing to put in the effort for the long haul. How this translates into the educational system is that we expect our teachers to be parents, teachers, coaches, motivators, caregivers and everything to our kids. This is a very unrealistic idea even for the most dedicated and passionate teacher.

In the elementary schools you will have anywhere from 25-40 kids in a class. This number jumps to 100+ in a secondary environment   Now these teachers have these kids everyday for maybe 5-6 hours straight. This is great contact time for them but the problem is that in our homes we might have 1-3 kids that we are responsible for. These teachers are responsible for so many more! Now we are not only expecting them to teach our kids things we could not but also raise them! This is the unrealistic expectation  Add the idea that when a teacher does end up calling home they are blamed for the students reaction and are to blame for the achievement of the individual student and you have a horrible situation. The new legislation passed by President Obama likes the idea of basing a teachers salary on how well their students perform on shotty standardized tests…anyone see the problem in that. Now this is not only an idea from the President and our government but there are quite a few districts in the United States are already do this!  How do you take into account bad parenting and the lack of student motivation? Not all student motivation can be corrected by the teacher! The reality is that this legislation will not cure our education system. If anything, it will make is worse…what quality of teacher do you think a low income school will truly be able to attract and retain?

Now I love to teach, don’t get me wrong,  but I cannot raise someone else’s kid. I am only one person and when I see upwards of 120 kids a day there is no logical way that I can possibly raise all of them. When I was teaching I spent countless hours on lesson plans researching new ways to use technology or ways to approach topics. Then I would spend countless more grading papers and essays. On top of the lesson planning, grading and creating materials I would also be expected to attend meetings for students with parents, special education, professional development and Professional Learning Committees. Now how I ask is a person able to accomplish all of these things as well as raise 120+ kids a year? Honestly it is a unfair expectation to place on our teachers. Again this is not the politically correct thing to say, if our system is failing our students it has to be the teacher, right?  There are so many veteran teachers that are not counting the years to retirement because of the unrealistic expectations we are placing on teachers. Ask any veteran teacher what schools were like when they started teaching to get a real view on how our system has changed. It is not the educational system that we need to focus on right now, it’s the daily lives of our kids.

I see in the news how some new piece of legislation or bill will help the educational system improve… I cannot help but be disgusted by this lack of knowledge of how the educational system really works. Most teachers would feel the same way but most are unable to say anything because it is not politically correct. You risk putting your voice out there because it would put your job in jeopardy and make it difficult to find a job. I believe that the only way we are going to fix our educational system is by fixing how we  look at parenting today. Like anything worth fixing you have to start from the inside and begin the painful process of trying to change. Change is hard and it hurts but if we truly want what is best for our next generation we have to look within.

I send my congratulations to all parents who sacrifice for their kids so they can do better in school, teachers who spend most of their days trying to attempt the impossible and students who look within to make themselves better.

Another week of Standardized Testing in Colorado

So schools around here are completing the final days of TCAP testing. It truly is amazing the amount of time we spend on tests that are assessments of what students do not know rather than what they do. Most students can be conditioned to perform well on multiple choice tests, which is typical for current state assessments. Heck, if I were to take a test without any background knowledge of the content I would stand a very good chance of passing the assessment. Most of what students perfect is how to pass a test. Anyway, I stumbled across this picture on facebook and typical with the internet it is difficult to find the original source. I do however agree with the message whether faked or real.

Sad but True assessment of what happens during state testing.

What we need to be teaching in schools!

I received a Masters Degree in Computer Technology and I truly believe that technology is what is missing in our schools. I am a social studies teacher by trade and the hardest question for me to answer is why do I have to remember this. In the past I would say that the things we learn in here will teach you about the human condition and prepare you for experiences in your life you have yet to imagine. The people we study in history have achieved and accomplished so many different challenges that there is so much we can take from their experiences. The stories behind the memorizeable events are what we need to be studying in schools. I mean, let’s be honest…Google will tell them anything they need to know about history quicker than I could explain it. It cannot be about the facts, it has to be about the experience of the people involved and your journey to know them. Technology should enrich the lives of our students instead of holding them back. Schools are ages behind the technology curve. Yes we have computers, yes some schools have ipads but really none of these are used correctly in a classroom. The reason behind this is because we as teachers, parents and lawmakers are scared of technology. How do we know when they are learning, how do you measure it, and how do you control a class. Now, I have to admit that I have days that I am terrified of what students will do with technology in my room…it is a natural reaction. The students that I currently have, that are driving me crazy, WILL BE better at some things than I am. This is what is scary. Giving up control and allowing students to expand their own horizons. Did you know that there are students who can program private rooms into XBox games online for their friends that Xbox tries to find and fix? Did you know that there are students who are programming their own apps for their phones, we probably even buy some of them!? Did you know that some of our students are able to hack into any computer at school? Now how is a traditional textbook and paper education going to challenge these students if we do not value their abilities? With the standardization of school curriculum we are crippling students, teachers and the education system. Using the word fun in education is such a no no any more. I can’t help but think that is part of the problem.

I saw this video the other day and could not help but agree with how true it is! The best jobs in the country and world right now deal with computers but we handicap our kids by taking them away.