The big 5: A teacher's translation guide for policymakers
This was written by Roxanna Elden, the author of See Me After Class: Advice for Teachers by Teachers. She teaches high-school English in Miami and is a National Board Certified Teacher. This first appeared on Rick Hess’s blog, Straight Up, on the Education Week website. By Roxanna Elden It often seems that edu-decision makers and teachers have trouble communicating. Maybe it’s because sometimes we really do speak different languages. At the very least, there are a few phrases in the policymaker-reformer-researcher dialect whose meanings change when filtered through everyday teaching reality. Those hoping for educator buy-in on the next big idea should first consult the translation guide below, which explains some catchphrases and buzzwords that set off warning bells for teachers.
Framing education as a business
The public education system is a civic institution, the most important in the United States, but that sort of thinking isn't popular today among school reformers. Buzzwords in education have for some time been "innovation," "effectiveness," "value-added," etc., but expect them to be overtaken by "return on investment" and, of course, the tried but true "bloated bureaucracy." If you have any doubt that business thinking has taken over the education policy debate, take a look at these invitations from two nonprofit organizations in Washington D.C., the CATO Institute and the Center for American Progress.
