From Beyond Chron, by Mark Naison
Every time I have a conversation with someone who has been successful in business — something that happens more than you might think because of the sports I play, tennis and golf — it strikes me they have no understanding of what motivates a teacher.
As people who have marked their own success in life through the accumulation of income, investments and property, they find it hard to respect people whose personal satisfaction comes largely through non-material rewards. They think it odd that a person as competitive as I am on the court could possibly devote myself to a field which has no chance of making me rich. They often look on most teachers and professors with a bemused contempt that I only get an exemption from because of my sports skills.
This is why it is frightening that business leaders have taken charge of education in the United States. Because the only things they take seriously as motivation are material rewards and fear of losing one’s job or business. They are convinced that schools in the US can only be improved when a business style reward and punishment system is given primacy.
They love the idea of performance evaluation based on hard data (with student test scores being the equivalent of sales figures and profit margins), of merit increments for those who succeed, and removal of those who fail.
However, because they fail to understand how much of a teacher’s job satisfaction comes from relationship building and watching students develop over a lifetime, they create systems of evaluation that totally eliminate such experiences because they cannot be reliably measured.
The result, sad to say, is that measurement trumps real learning.
The inevitable results are massive demoralization of the teaching force (teacher morale is now at the lowest in recorded history), a narrowing of the curriculum to constant test preparation, and a “brain drain” of talented teachers from high poverty schools to those located in more prosperous neighborhoods.
Why we actually allowed people who are successful in one field to be given control of a field in which they have no experience and no track record is a question future historians will need to ponder. But the results, so far, have been near catastrophic.
All across the country, we have more and more teachers who hate their jobs because their job security has been destroyed, and more and more children who hate school because of the constant testing. It’s time to change course.
The Great Recession should have shattered once and for all the idea that the measurement and motivation systems of American business are superior to those in the public sector. (Do we really want the same quality of teacher ratings as Moody’s and Standard & Poors applied to mortgage based derivatives?)
American business needs to clean up its own act, not apply its flawed methods to other fields. If we continue on the path we are on, we may well see the American education system become as corrupt and unstable as the global financial system.
No meaningful change will come without starting from scratch. In reality the school system today serves as free daycare for half of the students (come on you work there). Combine that with a "union" mentality of 'less work for more pay' teacher attitude (no refuting that) and you have a problem that cannot be resolved without starting over. Good luck and remember your approach will offer you a better closing shot if you stop painting the oppositions view of life as a narrow fairway.
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ReplyDeleteThe lack of performance measurements are clearly a problem in schools - perhaps what is before education now to change it may not be the right solution, at least it is a start. Something must be done, when teachers who are completely ineffective cannot be fired. With the recent change from the 97 day to the 196 day probation, more ineffective teachers are being let go. Granted, I see a huge lack of management skills on the part of principals and that is clearly a problem too, but equally ineffective, is the inability to manage fiscal resources. Money is spent without any serious consideration given to determine whether is it truly justifiable. A perfect example of that is at the district level paying a non-degreed individual a 90k annual salary based on the hour, in addition to more than 100K of overtime over a 5 year period. Your "inexperienced business leaders" would NEVER allow that, Chris.
Another instance of a high level administrator who ordered someone to to give her "friend" $2000.00 more annually simply because she "FELT" the employee deserved it. You don' give raises because someone thinks it is warranted. you look at comparison data and other sources to determine if it is a valid consideration. Here we have a problem with an administrator handing out money without regard and because she has the "power." No one would have told this administrator no. Business professionals would put a screeching halt to that practice. there are more instances of this practice all over the district.
It is not difficult wager that probably 75% or more of the workers in the school district would never make it in the private sector - from district administrators to principals, to teachers to clerical staff. If you are told to do something, you don't say where is the extra pay or the classic reply "it ain't my job!" God forbid, you will have the wrath of the union on you for it. (AH! the infamous UNION - we can devote a whole week of debate over its pure lack of usefulness) Nevertheless, while that may seem funny, it is sickening and clearly shows a lack of interest, personal ethic and respect for the place that hired you. So Chris, don't say that business leaders are motivated by money - a huge amount of people in that school district do nothing but look for it. It is a free for all when it comes to money - everybody wants a share of the pot and in that, could care less if there is enough left to run the joint.
The REAL problem we have are educators in charge of the revenue the district takes in from federal, state and local levels.
EDUCATORS SHOULD NEVER HAVE CONTROL OVER MONEY.
It is apparent Business leaders have a have a handle on the problem with system, school districts all over have been reaching out to them frequently for assistance and help. So really Chris, as I see it, the school and district are to blame and someone has to fix it because it is clear the district cannot.
The Board positions need to be appointed, not elected. People vote with their hearts and are subjective - you can never be sure what you get when politics get in the way of making sound judgement calls.
I am an educator. I am unaware that I have any control over money.
DeleteI am an educator. I am unaware that I have any control over money.
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