Federal education policy

by desertjim

Here in the high desert of southern New Mexico it is becoming apparent that the coming election will usher in big political change. Change that may approach the level of 1932 when FDR was elected and fostered the New Deal. This trend seems to surpass the desire for change that elected Ronald Reagan and the Republicans to power in 1980.

If this year turns out to bring a major political change to America, we as educators need to be able to articulate how we want the new Congress and administration to approach public education. Clearly NCLB, the last major education policy change, was a disaster. Public schools have been forced to teach to standardized high-stakes tests and shortchange actual education.

What should be the federal government’s role in public education?

I have my own biases. I think federal aid to education should go predominantly toward funding districts which adopt research supported programs. For example, studies clearly show that inquiry science education and early childhood programs like Headstart are effective.

Perhaps you have other priorities. Should the government concentrate on mandates like Title IX or the ADA rules on special education? Should the nation return to programs like the Eisenhower funding that paid for teacher training and adoption of exemplary curricula? Perhaps the National Science Foundation summer workshops for teachers should be reinstated. Would block grants to states be the simplest approach?

I would like to hear other opinions on this issue. What do you think must be done to improve public education using federal dollars? What priorities will you present to your congressional representatives when the education bill comes up for renewal? 

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Although I realize that saying anything even slightly in favor of NCLB is like blasphemy for a teacher, I think that one good thing that has come from NCLB is the necessity for highly qualified teacher status.  I would argue that the certification requirements for teachers should be MORE stringent in order to increase teachers’ “academic capital.” How can we expect our children to succeed when their teachers are below average too?  (As in Chicago Public Schools, in which I am a teacher.) The bigger issue is our racist, classist society that perpetuates the aforementioned problems.  Teaching is viewed as a second-class career, which is part of the reason why many high-achieving people pursue other careers.  Even so, teachers are “middle class” and most of the nation’s teachers are white women (including myself).  Herein lies the second layer of classism (and racism??):  many teachers are unwilling to work in schools and neighborhoods where poverty is rampant.  Often I am asked what it’s like to teach in the “inner city.” (the tone of pity is implied.) Children are children and no matter what, we need to provide opportunities for all children in order for our nation to progress.  Many people are afraid of those who are different from them (economically, culturally, racially...).  We need a national campaign to both increase the rigor in education programs, increase the standards for teachers, and increase the professionalism of the occupation of teaching AND to address the class and race issues that still plague our country.

I certainly agree with your points. I have no problem with requiring higher standards for teacher training but that will certainly require paying more for teachers who acquire that training.

I think the image of teaching as a “second-class career” will not disappear until teachers are paid what they are worth. Our current society seems to define a person’s value with a measuring stick marked off in dollars.

Addressing the race and class issues will, at the very least,require equality in funding. Sadly, I don’t know how we can assure that kind of equality in the current political climate.

I heard a very interesting definition today of the word “professional” from Martin Haberman, one of the best thinkers on urban education in America.  He said “a professional is somebody who knows and does things the general public does not know and do.” The research on best practices is clear.  There is a wealth of content knowledge to be mastered and deeply understood in every discipline.  Unless and until we who profess to be teachers are masters of both bodies of knowledge (pedagogical and content), we will not be a true profession.  Increasing the professionalism of teachers across the board ought to be given the highest priority in our nation’s education agenda.

jladams says “We need a national campaign to both increase the rigor in education programs, increase the standards for teachers, and increase the professionalism of the occupation of teaching.”

Penny says “Increasing the professionalism of teachers across the board ought to be given the highest priority in our nation’s education agenda.”

I cannot disagree with either post. Does this mean an expansion of National Teacher Certification, or does it mean we need a whole new way of looking at the credentialing of teachers? Should federal dollars be directed toward teacher training institutions or toward in-service professional growth?

Good questions, desertjim.

I think some of those dollars ought to be directed at, for example, underwriting teachers pursuing advanced degrees in content areas, deepening their content knowledge.  Another program could move all elementary school teachers toward certification as reading specialists - every teacher ought to have courses in reading (diagnostics and remediating) and early elementary teachers ought to be reading specialists.  If more teachers were skilled teachers of reading, we could eliminate some of our major student achievement problems.

We also need to raise awareness of what a true professional is or does . . . perhaps some research dollars and a campaign to educate both those who work in education and the general public as to the work of the professional teacher . . . it is, or ought to be, highly skilled intellectual work.  And then some dollars to raise salaries and attract the best and brightest of our young people to teaching.  Let’s raise the bar on entry . . . just as medicine has.  All children deserve excellent teachers.

Penny, I love the idea of all elementary and early-childhood teachers as reading specialists. That is one of the best suggestions for improving the quality of teachers (and teaching) that I have seen in a long while.