Thoughts on a surprising day in our schools

Today I had the pleasure to work in one of America's highest rated Magnet schools. This school seems to continually win awards for the innovative teaching styles and the success of its students. I woke up this morning excited to go and see this practices first hand.

What I saw though shocked me. I saw a school in chaos. I saw teachers who were some of the most burnt out people I ever met (and working in a church that says a lot!). I saw students who were receiving straight A's (it was report card day so I actually see their report cards, they all seemed excited to show me) yet didn't know the definitions of agriculture, mountain, ethnic, among dozens of other common words. Students who didn't know what 131-110 was. I saw school leaders who didn't know what time classes started or ended, they didn't even have a bell schedule till almost 90mins after school started (it was a special day due to an extended homeroom assignment).

I saw an entire group more focused on keep the image up than on getting the ground work laid. Its just like these houses they build on these reality shows, the house looks good on tv, yet often it is not really finished when they state it is. There will be major things to finish once the cameras leave and sometimes those things are left unfinished.

It really bothered me to see this masquerade to played out with the education of our future leaders. How many other schools are like this? How many parents even know that its this way their students school is?

This evening I was talking to a teacher from a high school not far from this magnet school. This teacher was telling of how the parents of students at his school want to be but can't be involved because of busing (I hear this complaint on a regular basis with teachers).

Here again is the masquerade. This time though its to meet a quota set by the federal government. The problem with all this is these schools are so focused on looking good to others, impressing their supervisors, and adhering to federal quotas that they have lost the focus of educating. Now don't get me wrong these are still A rated schools yet again thats all they are. These students are so trained on how to take the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) that they learn very little else. Now unless these students get jobs as test takers this will not come in very handy in the future.



It just hit me right between the eyes today how screwed up this is and whats truly at stake. I met some potentially bright students who due to a lack of teaching, support, or challenges have already thrown in the towel on the whole system. Our only future is these students and these students don't see a future they can be contribute too, not even after the biggest election in our lifetimes do they see any hope, any change.

That is where we are. I cried when I realized that.

This masquerade must end. Give the schools control, stop these federal quotas, stop this big business style schooling, its not working! It never has, it never will. If we want to save our nation, save our jobs, it wont be through taxes or unions, it will be through sweeping education reform. End this non-sense once and for all! Let's start the grassroots efforts now.

Do you beleive in America enough to save it? Do you believe in our children enough to help them?

This is a great place to start!

Here is an interesting story from TIME that helps put this in perspective

This is what to expect the next few years at least.





There are some good things here but still it uses the huge federal education style, a style that continually fails (and has done so since the day it began!). I like what Obama says but let's take these overpaid, under working education CEO's out! Let's give the power back to those who know what to do with it.