I recently posted another video of a Diane Ravitch interview with CNN. There are now several videotaped interviews of Diane Ravitch standing up for education reform on The Educator’s PLN. It was with this last post however, that I realized that aside from Diane Ravitch, I could think of few others who stand out on the National stage in support of Education reform beyond something more than supporting the status quo of additional standardized testing or increasing its influence in education.
It would seem that only leaders chosen by the national media or politicians are leading education reform. The “man on the street” interview also plays a huge roll in what is going in education today. The politicians who control the purse strings of education seem to depend on the businessmen who control the purse strings of politicians for advice on how to improve education. After ten years of increased dependence on standardized testing at a cost of billions of dollars with little improvement in the system, we must wonder why we continue down this path. The four companies benefiting most by these testing policies are: Harcourt Educational Measurement, CTB McGraw-Hill, Riverside Publishing (a Houghton Mifflin company), and NCS Pearson. Suspicious minds might wonder what lobbying efforts these companies have in place to secure testing in national education policies. More on that here: The Testing Industry’s Big Four
Where are the leaders passionate about education and learning? I can’t believe that they don’t exist. We have institutions of Higher Education teaching courses and programs on educational leadership: where are those graduates? Where are the panels of educators discussing not the failure of the system, but rather the failure of standardized testing to make positive changes? More testing does not equate to more learning. Why is this not being articulated with passion to the public?
Who will stand up passionately for a profession targeted as the reason standardized testing has failed for all these years? Who will stand up and say that it is the policy of testing that is the failure?
After ten years of policies that have not worked, I find it hard to believe that there are no education leaders that have not put together a better way to do things differently for a better outcome. Finland has been pointed out as a world leader in education. The question was then posed: How can we compete with Finland? Where are the leaders who should be screaming: What can we learn from Finland? Finland gives NO standardized tests. They do not spend months in test preparation. They teach and their students learn. Where are the American education leaders to lead us to the same policies and outcomes as Finland? We need leaders to learn from Finland and not attempt to beat them in some imaginary competition for world domination in education. Competition is the way of business and politics. Collaboration is the way of education. We need leaders to make that point clear, but few are coming forward.
Ask why standardized testing is not working and fingers are pointed to the teachers, unions, tenure, length of the year, homework, class size, professional development and even the length of the school day as problems preventing positive testing results. How many education leaders have pointed to the tests themselves as being flawed? Certainly many of these issues need to be improved, but even if all of those issues were changed, I would venture an admitted biased opinion that there would still be problems with the standardized tests. I cannot be the only one who thinks this. How do we convince leaders to stand up for educators and education? What do we do to show our support for these people? It seems to me that Diane Ravitch has many supporters, but why are no other education leaders coming forward in a national forum? Where is the collective voice of educators? Of course there is always the possibility that I am the only one who sees it this way. Your comments on this are certainly welcomed.
You are most certainly right to call for more public, articulate leaders for true education reform. The problem is so complex that a band-aid fix (like more standardized testing) is insulting. Our students deserve better, and our teachers deserve better. If *we* could take the profits of corporations (like the test-makers and even the textbook companies) out of the equation and really focus on what works, imagine what kinds of graduates we would have.
Thanks, Tom, for all you do for us. 🙂 sd
Much though I thoroughly enjoy your blogs I find myself unable, in this instance, to totally agree with everything you say here. I think Standardized testing has its place, can work well and, of course like any system, be abused and misused. To totally reject it without a definite alternative would be a dangerous proposition.
More importantly, I think there are dangers in looking at other systems such as in Finland and trying to find reasons for their success at a surface level. I happen to have several friends living and working in Finland and they all tell me the same thing – the system there is NOT working and is increasingly going wrong. The reason for its success in the past, they tell me, is almost entirely because of the cultural setting – and it is this that is slowly being eaten away. Nothing to do with its choice of system.Their prediction is that within a decade Finland will face the same educational issues as America and Britain whatever its system of education.
So whilst I take heed of your warning, I can’t go with you entirely in this direction.
“Competition is the way of business and politics. Collaboration is the way of education. We need leaders to make that point clear, but few are coming forward.”
The less schools operate as separate entities the more we can learn from each other. Collaboration=growth and sharing of best practices.
Don
I think that educational leadership that you speak of is not shown by the media because it is not sensational enough. It is easier (and en vogue) to vilify teachers than it is to roll up the sleeves and work to find a solution. Just my two cents.
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Please read my summary of “The Myths of Standardized Tests” then buy the book. I get no money for this. Here is the link. http://bit.ly/lJLUNR
It contains a research base for why current tests are bad. Douglas W. Green, EdD
Tom, I only really know people as far up as Superintendent and I see them working very hard to address students’ and staffs’ needs within the existing system. I’m trying to help my building prepare for changes in both assessments and evaluations in immediate future. We’re all trying to do important things within our classrooms and communities, but I don’t see anyone really going to the state or national level. I agree with much of what you’ve written. I’d love it if we could design systems to enhance collaboration. There’s something like 940 school districts in Illinois and I’d like to find more ways to learn from others than continue in isolated ways. Thanks.
I think you are right on in your assessment Tom. I also think there are lots of “leaders” out there who would speak up, but they are in the classroom, trying to make a difference, and literally don’t have the time to reach the wider audience. Sometimes I find it hard to even keep up with Edchat due to teaching load. So much to do and say … so little time. Thanks for your post that reminds us that some of us have to start “stepping up”
You have raised the issue that is of major concern, not just in USA, but also in Australia and especially New Zealand, which is where I am. New Zealand is a late entry to the standardized mania, but it’s developing fast. So far we’ve avoided the national testing regimes, although many of us suspect that the current government, if re-elected at the end of November, will institute these in 2013. In the meantime we are fighting a system of ranking children against national standards (similar to common core standards) in literacy and numeracy by using teacher judgement. The end result, however, will still rank children by their achievement/lack of achievement against narrow definitions.
There is growing opposition to the standardization, to the use of school ‘league tables’ to ‘prove’ which schools are best, and if tests are introduced, this will intensify. However, it seems to me that this battle is being fought at a relatively superficial level, and that there is a lack of awareness and understanding of the much more concerning underlying agenda that is driven by corporate interests. Seeing some of our tertiary institutions buying into this is also very concerning. As you’ve highlighted, the efforts seem to be based on fighting tests as the wrong way to bring about school reform, and I read so much from US sources that indicates a major buy in of the concept of needing to improve students’ scores, however assessed, in literacy and numeracy. A similar ideology is spreading here – while most principals, for example, are opposed to standards and tests, they still are accepting the argument that literacy and numeracy achievement needs to be ‘raised.’
The answer is not in ‘school reform’ which only serves as reasons for other political agendas. The issue that is being totally overlooked in this debate, is that of how children learn. This has nothing to do with ‘improved teaching’ or ‘better testing’ or better curriculum programs, or better text books, or any other external input into children. There is an extensive body of information on children’s learning, from Dewey, to Vygotsky, Piaget and so on. Where is this entering the debate? Surely if we want child to ‘achieve’ (a word I am beginning remove from my lexicon) then we need to really enhance their learning environments, opportunities and experiences, in line with accepted research? How does ‘effective teaching’ fit in, when the learning environment itself is developmentally inappropriate?
This comes back to your article – where are the true educationalists leading this battle, in USA, Australia, England, Canada and New Zealand? Most of what I read is fighting on the battlefield dictated by those in power. We need to take the fight back to a battle field of our choosing by putting the needs of children first.
Amongst the many tributes paid to Steve Jobs, one that has come through frequently is his contention that his role was not to do market research to provide better ‘widgets’ but instead his role was to tell people what they needed. The iPad illustrates this perfectly. I’d suggest, then, as educators and leaders, this is also our challenge in the current standardised schooling systems that are being imposed to meet other agendas. We must move beyond the now and in a ‘jobsian’ way, look ahead to the way it needs to be.
Ed Leadership? I am one of those graduates, but you can only lead if you are in a district that encourages teacher input and innovation. The movement for education reform must start with teachers, but who has time? As teachers we are told to follow the program or get out. Plus, once teachers leave the classroom and go into administration, they change, they seem to forget what it is like to be in the classroom. I exercise my Ed Leadership in my classroom with my door closed. Our leaders claim to stand up for education, but I do not see them standing up for educators.
Hey Tom,
I am not sure what level of “leadership” that you are talking about. I assumed at the political level but then you referenced university programs so I am assuming that you have an all-encompassing view of leadership. Although I think there is leadership lacking in some areas, I do not think it does not exist at all. I am hoping that at some point you could point out the “leaders” who do it right and why you think that they do it right. Patrick Larkin and Chris Lehmann are two that come to my mind right off the bat and influence me in the work that I do. There are definitely good examples of “leaders” out there.
I think that is helpful as we move forward. We can’t just say, “this is not working”; we need to say, “Here is what is working and helpful to our schools/kids”. I am all for acknowledging the problem but there has to be some solutions in there as well.
P.S. Your passion for this topic is amazing and highly appreciated.
There are few people in education that I respect more than you or any of the others that you mentioned, as well as your own brother Alec. My problem is with the people who may have the ability to have a national influence. If either of our countries could be swayed by the great things being accomplished on a local level by any of the leaders we both admire this would be a different discussion. We need more people on a national level to counteract the money and influence of big business and those who would eliminate public education for the sake of corporate profit. I agree that there are a great many local leaders doing the right thing, but perception is reality to too many people. The perception of what educators are doing is not the perceived reality. That is why we need a national voice. Leadership to stand up to business people and politicians to say that educators are doing the right things. We need to reassess our assessments.
Two thoughts on this. I think George brings up a good point. We DO have leaders. Why do we need the media to tell us who our leaders are? I personally am not ‘wowed’ by Diane Ravitch and while I think she has an important role, I don’t see her as always speaking for me.
It’s up to us to choose our leaders and then help them be heard over the hum of pop media outlets, joining in at times, of course.
Another thought on standardized testing. I think, as kenthinksaloud says, that completely getting rid of standardized testing is not necessarily the answer–the issue is *high stakes* testing. Testing that puts everything on the line. The other issue is testing that is used to standardized kids. Until we can prove to others that there are other viable options for accountability that work, standardized testing will remain in some form. We need leaders to begin implementing these options and declaring and proving their efficacy and their positive effect on children.
I think Diane Ravitch is visible on the national stage because her authority and respect has been established through publication. Most educational leaders are not writing books and publishing articles. They are working at district or state levels, and are not necessarily interested in being on the national stage. In referencing Chris Lehmann, George points to the work of edubloggers working at a grassroots level to raise the caliber of conversation that teachers and administrators have everyday about what goes on their classrooms. These conversations eventually filter their way up, and over time, we will see changes being made across the board. It won’t be quick but it’ll be sure and steady. It will take more than a generation to create a culture change.
Tom,
Appreciate your comments about collaboration and learning from other countries. I would go farther and say that we need to learn WITH other countries, not from them, and that, in part, the leaders that US education needs to move forward are leaders from other countries, like Japan, Scotland, Australia, Kenya and Uruguay. US education needs the education ministers, administrators, and classroom teachers from Oman, Brazil, and the Netherlands sharing their failures and successes with their US peers.
I think it was Will Richardson that said the other day, “learning is global, networked and mobile — our classrooms should be, too.” Similarly, leadership in education should also be global, networked, and collaborative. The United States simply cannot reform its education system alone.
The United States has not met its national education challenges well for decades. We should be humbled by our child poverty rate, our inability to meet the educational needs of our diverse young people, our high school drop-out rates, the debt burden we give college grads, the cost of higher education, etc. There are other ways to approach teaching and learning. We should seek leadership through partners abroad.
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Why is Diane Ravitch fighting a lonely crusade? You might find the answer by looking into the state of American research and practice in the field of educational leadership:
Growing public demands for higher standards and more public accountability have sown division in the ranks of North American educational administration..
Educational leadership has become a more perilous venture, but much of the research is self-serving, futuristic in orientation, and reflecting short-term memory. Since the early 2000s, the American education bible Education Week and the ADCD’s magazine Educational Leadership have both reflected the reigning confusion over how to respond to ever-increasing demands for public accountability in education.
Craig Jerald’s “Beyond the Rock and a Hard Place” (Educational Leadership, November 2003) recognized the problem and urged aspiring leaders to “stop lamenting the challenges of accountability and start making improvements.” Most educational administrators, on career tracks, safely ignored his early warnings about the dangers inherent in “an unveven hodgepodge of instructional aims,” “a scattershot curriculum,” and “unequal expectations.”
Few of today’s leaders in the public or the private sector are prepared to accept responsibility for the impact of their decisions and actions. What does true leadership accountability look like? American leadership guru, Michael Hyatt, puts it bluntly: ” First and foremost, it means that you accept responsibility for the outcomes expected of you—both good and bad. You don’t blame others. And you don’t blame the external environment. There are always things you could have done—or still can do—to change the outcome. Until you take responsibility, you are a victim….Leaders are active. They take initiative to influence the outcome.” http://michaelhyatt.com/leadership-and-accountability.html
I beg to differ with you, Tom, on the whole matter of what has happened to Diane Ravitch. She is a fine educational historian whom I respect greatly for her work in that field. That is why it pains me to see the price she is paying for becoming a shill for the American teachers unions.
Her 2010 book The Death and Life of the Great American School System is a classic, but then she decided to become a partisan..and lost tremendous credibility. Andrew Rotherham was one of the first to openly express the opinion that she was burning bridges in the education world by shifting from pithy analysis to pure polemics. Her Twitter feed tends to confirm this suspicion.
In the Schools Wars, switching sides can have dire consequences…and ultimately leave you marooned in “no man’s land.” If and when Dr Ravitch awakens to the realization that she is becoming a caricature, it could well come to pass.
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