Tyack and Cuban offer three areas to consider when evaluating reform: “fidelity to the original design; effectiveness in meeting preset outcomes; and longevity.” I would argue that longevity is not necessarily indicative of success – that there have past reforms which have encountered short-term success and some of the longer standing reforms have become obsolete. As the demographics of the American public evolves, it is essential for policy makers to not rest on their laurels, but rather to address and adapt to the needs of society. We in the MAT program are even taught now to address the needs of the “digital learner” by incorporating technology into our lessons.
The most essential criterion for reform is its effectiveness. Schools are not and cannot be one-size-fits-all institutions because the American public is widely diverse in its culture, socioeconomic status, religious beliefs, lifestyles and learning abilities. Therefore, reforms may have success when implemented in one demographic, yet be completely ineffective in another. As T&C state, students need to be taught according to their needs “adapting education to children rather than children to schooling.” (p.66) Given this statement, it seems as though teachers would be the most effective at assessing and addressing the needs of their students. Teachers are able to observe first-hand the varied needs of their students, which can change year to year or even class to class. They are aware of what works and what does not. Policy makers, politicians, and those outside of the classroom are not privy to the critical information that teachers possess.
Reform is an absolute necessity in public schooling today and everyone seems to have their own opinions and ideas about how it should be implemented. It is unfortunate that those who have the most insight into the matter, such as teachers, often have to take a backseat to the more bombastic politicians, whose visits to the classroom are often less than frequent.
2 comments:
Your sentiments echo what Strike and Soltis address in their final chapter. There is a case study concerning a teacher who refuses to teach fractions to second graders because they are not ready, but administration attempts to discipline her because there is a set curriculum. You are right, often teacher voices are not heard amidst politicians, administrators, parents, and the nagging voice of the standardized tests. I think teachers are authority when it comes to their individual class- learning styles, demographics, etc. If teachers are to promote effective learning and mastery in their classroom, there should be support from higher powers. Reforms are necessary on many different levels if we want to achieve a working democratic education.
I agree, with both Lizzy and Nicole, that teachers know their students better than anyone else in the educational system. Often teachers opinions and suggestions are ignored and their input is not valued. It would seem logical that district administrators who have been classroom teachers would be sensitive to teachers and their concerns. However, it seems that once a teacher leaves the classroom on his/her climb up the educational ladder, he/she forgets those classroom experiences and the everyday needs of the teachers and their students.
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