Last week I shared the information that Texas pretty much dictates what goes in K-12 textbooks—scary thought.
But change is in the wind—an amazing change that’s been a long time coming.
Math and English instruction in the United States moved a step closer to uniform – and more rigorous – standards Wednesday as draft new national guidelines were released.
The effort is expected to lead to standardization of textbooks and testing and make learning easier for students who move from state to state.
The support includes the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers so it may actually happen.
Unlike typical efforts that are diluted by politics and ideology, the new standards are fact savvy.
According to Chris Minnich, director of standards and assessment for the Council of Chief State School Officers, the foundation of the standards is hard research, instead of negotiation.
Unlike most efforts to revise standards at a state level, this document was not built on consensus, “We really used evidence in an unprecedented fashion.”
48 states are participating; three guesses which states opted out and the first two don’t count.
Right, Texas and Alaska. (Why am I not surprised?)
“Texas has chosen to preserve its sovereign authority to determine what is appropriate for Texas children to learn in its public schools,” Scott wrote in a letter to U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. “It is clear that the first step toward nationalization of our schools has been put into place.”
Happily, this should break Texas’ de facto control of textbook content as well as those dreams of taking control of the government via a brainwashed next generation.
These standards were created with an eye to having kids ready for work or college, which is very different than just having them graduate.
The draft report also addresses the debate over how much should be expected from immigrants who are just learning English. An introduction to the standards explains that English language learners should be held to the same standards but should be given more time and instructional support to meet the requirements.
Students with disabilities should also be challenged to master as many of the standards as they can, the document argues.
It’s also different because Federal funding is involved, not just an edict.
“The philosophy of the classroom in one generation will be the philosophy of the government in the next.” –Cynthia Dunbar, another Christian activist on the Texas board of education.
I have nothing against Christians or Texans; as the saying goes, some of my best friends are Christian and a few are Texans.
But I have a lot against the idea that tomorrow’s K-12 textbooks will be written to conform with the desires of the Texas educational system and the 7 Christian activists who have decided that the time is right to try to reshape the history that children in public schools study—in their version Robert Kennedy is not a “significant American,” but Newt Gingrich is.
The state’s $22 billion education fund is among the largest educational endowments in the country. Texas uses some of that money to buy or distribute a staggering 48 million textbooks annually — which rather strongly inclines educational publishers to tailor their products to fit the standards dictated by the Lone Star State.
This could go a long way to homogenizing thought and reducing international respect still further, not to mention encouraging hate, bigotry and ignorance.
But what else should I expect from a place where Republican Rep. Betty Brown suggested in testimony that “Asian-descent voters should adopt names that are “easier for Americans to deal with,”” and Brown’s spokesman insisted that the comment had nothing to do with race.
Nuff said; rant over; thanks for listening.
March 18: I couldn’t resist adding a link to this great Mike Luckovich cartoon that sums my rant up so nicely.
Last week I wrote about early-college high school and KIPP—both programs buck the trend exemplified by the Dallas Independent School District in lowering standards.
Dozens of public high schools in eight states will introduce a program next year allowing 10th graders who pass a battery of tests to get a diploma two years early… The new system of high school coursework with the accompanying board examinations is modeled largely on systems in high-performing nations including Denmark, England, Finland, France and Singapore. … Students who pass but aspire to attend a selective college may continue with college preparatory courses in their junior and senior years…
The program is organized by the nonprofit National Center on Education and the Economy.
“We’ve looked at schools all over the world, and if you walk into a high school in the countries that use these board exams, you’ll see kids working hard, whether they want to be a carpenter or a brain surgeon.” –Marc S. Tucker, NCEE President
Education reform has often been hung up by teachers unions; that seems to be changing, but the time and cost to fire an incompetent teacher is still disheartening.
Toughening standards, increasing challenge and meaningful rewards work in the adult space, so there is no reason they won’t work in schools.
There seems to be a lot of good stuff going on to provide us with hope for developing thinking, questioning innovative next generation, but, before you get too excited, please join me next Tuesday to see what is happening on the dark side.
Ask any employee at any level what motivates them the most
easy work
low performance standards
no consequences
or
challenging work
higher achievement
accountability
and 9 out of 10 will choose the second list.
So why do school boards do the opposite?
Many school districts follow the lead of the Dallas Independent School District, which follows the first list with slavish devotion.
What happens when the second list is followed instead?
One program is called early-college high school and it mixes college level courses with the normal courses taught in junior and senior years and is offered to at-risk kids, not the over-achieving elite.
“Last year, half our early-college high schools had zero dropouts, and that’s just unprecedented for North Carolina, where only 62 percent of our high school students graduate after four years,” said Tony Habit, president of the North Carolina New Schools Project, the nonprofit group spearheading the state’s high school reform.
In addition, North Carolina’s early-college high school students are getting slightly better grades in their college courses than their older classmates.
Started in 1994 as an experiment with 50 fifth graders in Houston’s inner city, KIPP has blossomed into the biggest U.S. charter school operator, with 82 schools for poor and minority children in 19 states.
KIPP now has an 85% college matriculation rate, compared with 40% for low-income students nationwide, according to a 2008 report card KIPP prepared and posted on its Web site. About 90% of KIPP’s 20,000 students are black or Hispanic; 80% qualify for subsidized meals.
The difference between the two lists can be summed up in one work—expectations.
The foundation of expectations is a belief that whatever it is can be accomplished.
We humans tend to strive to meet the expectations of those around us, be they bosses, friends, parents, teachers or school administrators.
Actions more than words tell us what is expected.
List 1 = low expectations and kids live up to them.
List 2 = high expectations and the kids live up to them.
Several years ago I read an article discussing what Gen Y wanted in their workplace. I found it somewhat amusing since the “unique” traits they wanted from work and management weren’t very original; I found the same thing earlier this year and they are the same traits I’ve heard from candidates for better than 30 years—long before Gen Y was thought of, let alone born.
While the capable of us have taken on the roles of Gen Xers and Boomers, we’ve likely done it without a raise, or at best, a minimal one. Put simply, this infuriates us. Gen Y was given constant positive reinforcement. We had piggy banks full of allowance earned just for making our bed or cleaning our own room. The worst player on the team was awarded a “Most Improved” trophy. When the economy changes for the better, we expect to be compensated, handsomely, for our efforts. Or we’ll leave.
How’s that for a sense of entitlement?
I know comments such as this are like waving a red flag in front of a bull, so I sent the link to Jim Gordon.
Jim graduated last June and is in his first job; he draws the Sunday comic mY generation and I often bounce stuff off him to be sure I’m not wildly out in left field.
After thinking it over for a few days, here is Jim’s response.
Alright, after picking through that article, I find it easy to sympathize with the author.
It’s very difficult for me to have any semblance of trust in my employer when I, and everyone around me, is being contracted.
It’s not that turnover is high either, but instead I have this air of uncertainty every day when I walk into work – will today be my last? Every month or two, I have a new neighbor, though my position has a bit more staying power.
I find it very hard to say I “deserve” something, though.
I feel the author of the article insinuates that he/she deserves much better. While I agree that often the scale from which our pay is currently derived is, well, off to say the least, I don’t think somehow the definition of “fair play” reflects the same way on society today.
I don’t mean to sound like an underachiever, but really the way one views the economic crisis depends upon how that person was raised.
I don’t agonize over short-term losses (4-5 years), but instead plan for the long-term (10-15). Build thick skin, know what it’s like to lose, accept denial, appreciate acceptance, and move on in a self-centered direction.
Vanity is one attribute I will defend, which is seen as a flaw of Gen Y. Assuming we learn from our mistakes, we know what it is like for a market to polarize. Why? That’s ALL some of us know.
We were living the life in the 1990’s, but “not much compares to a recession like this.” That last bit was quoted from, well, everyone. People who have experienced deep recessions say this, people who haven’t—everyone goes back to the point that this is really one of the worst recessions on record.
You know what, though? I’m going to survive it and use it as a tool to build a road to where I want to be. I’m not going to expect 5-star treatment afterward.
I may find another job, but that’s because, like many who have done so before, I want to find something that adds more value to me and my life.
That means I wasn’t taught that the world is an oyster—I was taught that life is tough, and (to quote The Rolling Stones) you can’t always get what you want…
Read the final paragraph in the Talentbrew post to learn what it will take to hire Gen Y in the future.
The only cosmic justice I see here comes from knowing that it is Gen Y’s parents who will be hiring and managing the attitude they raised.
Hovering parents, who strive to make everything right for their child, are the global bane of education.
But it doesn’t seem to end when their child graduates.
I receive at least a call a month from managers who have no idea of a polite way to deal with what can only be called workplace hovering.
In every case the parental call was either to
tell the manager how stupid she was not to hire their kid;
find out why their kid’s review wasn’t stuffed with glowing references; or
ask who the hell the manager thought he was to promote someone else.
Managers say that in many cases the parent was screaming and the language used to describe the manager is best not quotable in a business blog.
What in the world is going on?
Many of the parents calling are managers in their own right; I wonder how they handle similar calls.
I could write another 500 words on the subject and not do nearly as good a job putting the point across as does the following (in spite of it being a hoax)—perhaps a modified version could be designed for companies.
Monday I wrote that so-called leadership skills are actually the skills everyone needs to live a satisfying life and to that end they are well worth developing.
I also said I would share the most important trait of leadership—and life.
It’s Initiative.
Initiative is the number one key leadership ingredient.
More so than vision or influence, it’s initiative that puts you in the forefront of any action, large of small.
Initiative is what
separates the doers from the observers;
stokes creativity and innovation;
drives entrepreneurial activity at all levels; and
makes the world a better place.
Initiative isn’t about schooling, although education can enhance it; it’s not about birth or clothes or cool. It’s not about networking or connections or followers on Twitter.
It’s about awareness; about noticing what needs to be done and doing it whether or not anybody is around to notice; doing it whether or not there is credit and kudos.
Initiative doesn’t wait for someone else to lead the way, nor does it play Monday morning quarterback to initiative taken by others, instead it actively contributes to that initiative.
Initiative doesn’t wait to occupy a certain position before becoming active, preferring to constantly seek ways in which it can contribute.
I believe that initiative is latent in every person, but it’s up to each individual to make it active.
If you have ever had to hire for any position whatsoever you know it’s imperative to consider exactly what the requirements are before you start interviewing and even better to write them down. Additionally, writing them down keeps them from being too fluid and forces you to consider what you actually need when faced with a candidate you really like who doesn’t have them.
The better you are at analyzing and understanding your team’s weaknesses and future needs the better you become at hiring the right person at the right time and for the right reasons.
There are many managers who can’t be bothered to expend the time and energy required to do this and that goes a long way to ensuring the candidate’s (and the manager’s) success.
These managers often shoot for the stars, but quickly roll over, drop the standards and settle for the first warm body that passes by.
Doing so damages the team, imperils whatever projects are being done and even jeopardizes the company’s future by reducing quality and shipping shoddy goods.
Our nation’s schools are responsible for manufacturing the future workforce.
Much of the executive management are choosing the road of least resistance and dropping standards in an effort to raise production numbers.
The result is the same—reduced quality and shoddy goods.
The difference is that there is no alternative supply. Eventually, as the economy improves, you will have no choice but to buy those goods.
The solution for investors is to force management to improve quality, not lower the metrics to look good.
Image credit: Design and Technology Student on flickr
I think if I read one more op-ed piece saying the path to improving US education is paved with better teachers I’ll scream.
I’m not saying that good teachers aren’t important, but I don’t believe that teachers are the root of the problems.
Before I start with examples, let me ask you this: how well would you perform if you were
terminated for insisting that projects not only be done, but done on time;
poorly compensated in comparison to most people with similar education and experience, but in other industries;
subject to pressure, tirades, insults and having people constantly go over your head to change your decisions; and
shown little respect by your direct reports, indirect reports and management.
Does that sound like an environment that would encourage you to do your utmost? I actually find it surprising that there are as many good, dedicated teachers as there are.
Staying with the current analogy, direct reports = students, indirect reports = parents and management = administrators.
Teaching is like any other form of work—it thrives in a good culture, sags, wilts and gives up in a bad one.
The Dallas Independent School System is a good example of what is happening. DISD is where the teacher was fired at the instigation of parents for being too tough and giving homework—the fact that the kids scored well on tests didn’t count.
It’s DISD that hired new teachers in 2007 with no way to pay them leading to a $64,000,000 budget shortfall that grew to about $84,000,000 in 2008. Their solution was to layoff the teachers—no damage to the administration idiots—maybe they all took math from teachers who passed them rather than lose their jobs.
Her rise in DISD in a span of three years has been frowned upon by some observers. She was making $87,000 as a division manager in 2006 and ended her career grossing around $140,000.
Some DISD trustees had questioned an organizational chart change that left her husband overseeing the department that she worked in. Her boss was reporting to her husband.
Ya think?
And then there is the saga of Taylor Pugh, AKA Tater Tot, who was growing his hair so he could donate it to a charity that makes wigs for cancer patients—but his suburban Dallas school saw it as reason for in-school suspension for violating the district dress code.
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Back to our analogy. How engaged, productive and innovative would you be working for a company where management performed similarly?
Dallas isn’t alone; it has plenty of company across the country.
So before ranting and blaming the dismal state of US education on teachers, check out your district and state administrations—and then look in the mirror.
Entrepreneurs face difficulties that are hard for most people to imagine, let alone understand. You can find anonymous help and connections that do understand at 7 cups of tea.
Crises never end.
$10 really does make a difference and you’ll never miss it,
Last week I shared the information that Texas pretty much dictates what goes in K-12 textbooks—scary thought.
“The philosophy of the classroom in one generation will be the philosophy of the government in the next.” –Cynthia Dunbar, another Christian activist on the Texas board of education.
Last week 
So why do school boards do the opposite?
Several years ago I read an article discussing what Gen Y wanted in their workplace. I found it somewhat amusing since the “unique” 
Is there someone in your world who you consider your leader?
Monday I wrote that so-called leadership skills are actually the 
If you have ever had to hire for any position whatsoever you know it’s imperative to consider exactly what the requirements are before you start interviewing and even better to write them down. Additionally, writing them down keeps them from being too fluid and forces you to consider what you actually need when faced with a candidate you really like who doesn’t have them.
