Thompson: It's Not Just Teachers Who Need to Make Their Peace with Politics
by Frederick M. Hess • Jun 10, 2014 at 8:01 am
Cross-posted from Education Week
Cross-posted from Education Week
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I was struck by some of the feedback to last Thursday's post on the whole "why can't pols get out of schooling?" question. "Eduwonk" Andy Rotherham pithily noted I was just explaining "life in a liberal democracy." He was right. I also found it intriguing that much of the response didn't really map onto the usual "reformer" v. "anti-corporate" divide. (I take the whole thing a promising sing for The Cage-Busting Teacher.) Meanwhile, reform skeptic John Thompson continued our occasional, engaging, correspondence, penning a thoughtful missive that took the blog to heart while arguing that reformers ought be equally willing to make their peace with the ways of liberal democracy. His take is constructive and applies the insights usefully (though you'll note parts that I obviously don't buy), and I agreed to run it as a follow-up:
Although we don't necessarily like hearing it from the sharp-penned Rick Hess, his "Why Can't Politicians Get Out of Schooling?" is right on both of its points. "Public schools spend public dollars and hire public employees to serve the public's children," so "for better or worse, they're going to be governed by public officials." Secondly, talented educators have plenty of gripes about "dumb accountability systems, teacher evaluation schemes, and such."
That is why teachers must explain how our educational civil war is rooted in high-stakes standardized testing. Were it not for that issue, we would have plenty to argue over, but none of our differences would be worth such a vicious fight.
Numerous reformers have confided with me about their growing concerns over bubble-in accountability. They know that testing has spun out of control. Often, they voice fears about conceding victory to teachers and unions. Equally often, I get a sincere request - what are the alternatives to attaching consequences to tests?
Test-driven reforms are like chemotherapy. They might produce some benefits but, kept up too long, they become poisonous. I urge vigilance regarding the inherent dangers of punitive policies. Even if "win-win" Thompson: It's Not Just Teachers Who Need to Make Their Peace with Politics :: Frederick M. Hess:
It's been a tough stretch for the Common Core. South Carolina and Oklahoma have followed Indiana in abandoning the enterprise. North Carolina may be about to join them. Education Week's Catherine Gewertz reports that, as things stand, just 42% of K-12...
