My Big Picture for Seeing School Reform Policies and Classroom Practice
Historians of education interpret the past. The key word is “interpret” since few historians believe that facts ever speak for themselves. Using frameworks they have built brick-by-brick from their experiences and scholarly work, historians sift facts and create a credible story to answer questions. They have a Big Picture in their heads, one that may change as facts, ideas, and personal experiences accumulate and interact. What is the Big Picture for school reform that I, as a teacher and scholar, have built over the years?
The short version is that political, socioeconomic, and organizational contexts of schooling influence, but not determine, reform-driven policies and classroom practice. Local conditions add further wrinkles. Teachers,