Top Down, Outside In or.....Inside Out?

Tyack and Cuban suggest that reformers should look at change from inside out and not top- down or outside in. Reform should involve teachers before politicians because it will eventually anyway when the classroom doors are closed......It is foolish not to include teachers in policy decisions because they have ultimate control over what and how things are taught. Teachers can simply respond to proposed reform by simply 'waiting it out.' Tyack and Cuban state that reforms should be "hybridized." They believe that changes to instruction should be adapted by educators by collaborating with their peers, communities and students. I also believe that this type of collaboration is of utmost importance and should yield the most successful results. I believe, that as people, we are doing one of 3 things at any given time; and 2 of them are not good. The first thing we can do as a person is to learn and grow. The second thing that we can do is stay the same. I call this being complacent. (Of course I am only voicing my own opinion here but these are the thoughts that came to mind with this text).........I even feel that the reason that I am a part of this program is because of this complacency. I felt as though I was in a rut and doing the same thing over and over; menial tasks that were never really challenging. This rut had become a ditch which over time had become a huge pit; a dark pit void of any purpose or meaning; despair and complacency come to mind and I just wanted to do more with my life; something more fulfilling and I had a desire to make a difference..a need to fill this void by teaching.I needed major reform in my own life. The third thing that we could be doing as people is dying. (like I said....2 of the 3 are not good). I just feel that if we are not learning, we are either staying the same or losing ground. As teachers, I feel one of our most important tasks is to learn. We are life long learners. Fads will come and go. Just as the architectural reform of the classroom that Tyack and Cuban talk about. I am a graduate of York Comprehensive High School. This building was constructed in the 70's and was a part of the "open classroom" design fad. Of course, this design was not conducive to learning or instruction and was modified not too long after so that classrooms could have private instruction again. Walls were built and these rooms with this circular design were separated by permanent sound proof walls. We as students, still had to walk through 2 other classrooms sometimes to get to our own classroom because of this design. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that by including teachers in all types of reform that it will be successful, but I feel that the idea of excluding teachers completely is appalling. Tyack and Cuban state that the main purpose of reform is to improve learning and to provide rich and intellectual and social development for children. I feel that unless teachers are included in defining problems and designing solutions, lasting improvements or change will not occur. Tyack and Cuban also believe that under the hybridizing model of instructional reform, change may vary greatly from one classroom to the next. Also under this model, flexible leadership is important in allowing teachers greater autonomy. Greater efforts must be taken in the teacher recruiting process to obtain effective teachers and weed out the ones who are inadequate. After this is accomplished, reform should begin with asking the teacher what bothers them the most and start there. By assisting teachers to adapt new ideas to their own circumstances and their own students, the opportunity for positive learning experiences is dramatically increased. Thus, reform should not start from top down or outside in, but inside out. This proves the most effective means of change. Teachers might only adapt or fit in part of a new idea into their classroom at first....but true change begins here. Americans are guilty of the "utopian" ideals when it comes to public education and these great expectations have led to the huge gap in what is and what is believed to be ideal. However, public school is essential for a successful democratic society and helps promote the common good for society. Public schooling in America has always been about more than test scores or economic advantage. It was created with the purpose of creating good and moral citizens and promoting religion. It is this tradition of promoting the public good and the good of an ever changing society that Americans continually seek to reform public education.