As I write this, President Obama is proposing some sweeping changes to No Child Left Behind (NCLB), attempting to rewrite the book on school improvement. Although I applaud those in high places who continue to care about kids and the teachers who serve them, I wonder and worry about how changes proposed at the federal level will translate into our everyday lives.
Principals' desks already sag under paperwork required by federal and state governments. What will happen as new models of teacher supervision and principal accountability are put in place? Will the efforts at tabulating student achievement for NCLB be abandoned to make room for new requirements? If new initiatives are merely added to those currently in place, school leaders will have to struggle to allocate resources that are already spread thin to meet new goals.
A Forgotten Ingredient
Something is missing. In all our conversations about scores, school improvement, assessment, and accountability, let's not forget about the flesh-and-blood students in our schools. Our students are in our care from as young as 3 years old and into young adulthood. Each child enters our buildings with an individual story and unique needs. Some are just plain hungry whereas others are overindulged; many live in dire poverty whereas others have a sense of entitlement. Many come from countries whose culture has different ideas about the role of school. Some are victims of the downturned economy. All of these kids need to be well educated.
These real-life kids must dominate our conversations. Whether we "leave no child behind" or "race to the top," our primary concern, always and without exception, must be the children we pledge to serve.
The Principal's Role
Principals, take note. Your leadership—and perhaps only your leadership—can enable all educators in your school to balance compliance to federal, state, and local initiatives with wholehearted commitment to student learning. Let us not be so distracted by forces outside our control that we forget what power we have.
- The relationship between the student and the teacher is the most significant predictor of student learning. A teacher who cares deeply and has high expectations and who is able to convey that care and those expectations will also raise test scores and motivate students to learn.
- Likewise, the relationship between teachers and their principal—also one of high expectations and genuine caring—is crucial to the performance of the school. No system of supervision will substitute for a culture of high expectations coupled with a deep concern for those who are on the front lines in the classrooms.
- Excellence in classroom teaching and leadership is always at the heart of a good school. Expensive programs, infusions of money, or highly technical evaluation systems will never substitute for this.
- Principals, with some creativity, can mediate the onslaught of mandates, special programs, legal requirements, and everyday interruptions. Protecting teachers' time and resources is a tough job, but it can be done. Leaders often define reality. What they say is important becomes important.
- Experiences of the sacred and beautiful enrich children's lives and form their souls. These cannot be counted or measured.
Some Realistic Steps
- Change the language. Educational jargon often becomes meaningless. Let's talk about "what kids are learning" rather than "measurable student achievement," or "finding out what students have learned and still need to know" rather than "formative and summative assessment." Plain language can be refreshing.
- Brainstorm how to provide a range of services for all the different needs that students present—whether or not these students qualify under some arbitrary guidelines. A brainstorming session could make for an engaging faculty meeting that results in some surprisingly creative problem solving.
- Expand the meaning and use of data. Data analysis is effective only if the data are important to kids' welfare and learning. Test scores alone do not provide sufficient information to guide our work. What are we trying to accomplish, and what data do we need in order to assess our success? The answers to those questions go beyond what we can plug into an Excel spreadsheet.
- Recruit kids as a rich source of information. When asked about their school experiences, kids can enlighten and amaze us with their wisdom. They can give the most surprising answers when we simply ask, What are you learning?
For the last decade, the No Child Left Behind mentality has hijacked much of our creativity. We have become conditioned to concentrate on "improvement" (that is, increasing standardized test scores). Examining how we think about kids, their learning, our teaching, and leadership is at the heart of making our schools better places for children.
Numbers have meaning and can give direction. Those numbers, however, should never become the consuming part of our agenda no matter what the political or social realities we work within. The hearts, souls, and minds of children are, have been, and will always be our work. To that we are pledged as education professionals.
