Class Reaction of April 15th

We discussed who makes policy decisions today and who made them in the past. We agreed that the basic type of person makes up the majority of the policy makers at both time periods. I am sure that this type of person includes professionals with decent degrees, appropriate business and work experience, and respect from their peers. We believed that there has probably been an increase in the number of teachers who have been involved in policy making over the years and I think all of us can agree their insite is invaluable. My belief is that those who make decisions regarding educational policy have to open to ideas and opinions from outside of their area of specialty. A teacher has to understand a budget person, a budget person needs to rationalize with an administrator, and all of the above need to work with business people. It would make a lot of sense that some of the ineffectiveness or unwillingness to change of school systems has come that fact that policy makers did not relate to or even try to work with those coming from another background. This could explain gender, race, socioeconomic, regional or any number of demographic divides in policy efforts.
These important decision makers have a task that is incredibly challenging and complex; trying to make broad strokes for school systems that are so different, it has to take a toll on all of them. At least I hope it does, or else I don't think they are trying their best.