How many conversations have you been in lately where you talk about teacher compensation? Where you find out that National Board Certification isn’t as great as everyone hopes, where you have conversations about teachers pay and how it’s supposed to be equal and fair. Conversations about how little teachers make, how no-one is qualified to evaluate teachers, how Core 24 is too hard, that early learning is not “really” K-12?
And how many of you are scrounging up research papers, and finding data, and talking facts?
Is it working?
We aren’t dropping the “k” (kids) bomb enough. What are we trying to accomplish? With our rational discussions and our research papers and our facts we are trying to persuade adults that changing the education system is a good thing for them, we want them to ‘want change”. But they don’t. We don’t quite understand it, but for some reason, they just don’t want change right now.
But we have lost the point. We aren’t dropping the “k” bomb enough.
Last night I was in a conversation in a group that included my teachers union, PTA, Stand, and School Board. We were going to try to figure out what we could agree on in the new bills. Everywhere we turned we learned how bad this bill was for teachers. I’ll give you one example, but it will take some explaining, so bear with me.
We were discussing accountability. I believe that the bill states that the state will come in and help struggling schools, that the state will provide more resources, will help mentor leadership and teachers and do its very best to provide a solution to a school that has not been successful for children in generations.
Teachers had a very, very different view. They believed that accountability meant we were going to put in place charter schools. That we were calling the teachers and principal in these schools “bad” that the real problem is the socioeconomics, not the educational system.
We started spinning around the conversation, both “sides” of the issue didn’t feel heard, felt like if they said it louder and faster than the other side would finally hear them. The room was getting tense, no-one could really hear each other, much less understand each other. And then I dropped the “k” bomb. I just sighed, and said “What about the kids?” really, “what about the kids?” The room literally stopped. Everyone went quiet, the “k” bomb had changed the discussion, reminded us what the goal really is.
I call this the “kid” bomb because it stops the conversation in its tracks. It’s hard to argue, it makes people think. It moves the conversation from adults to students, it changes the focus of the conversation.
It will only last for a minute though, but be patient, and drop the “k” bomb again.
We are talking about adult issues 99.9% of the time and the only way we will get improvements in the system is if we talk about kids.
And, we keep our credibility. What do we really know about compensation? What do we really know about accountability? There are experts for this, and it’s not us. We are the experts at keeping the focus of the conversation on kids. We are the experts in making sure that kids stay in the center of the conversation. No-one will blame us, or get mad at us, they will try to listen. We have credibility.
I have made a promise to myself that I will no longer talk about adult issues with anyone, not teachers, not parents, not legislators. From here out I only talk about kids. This is really, really, really hard, because at this point the adults really, really, really want to talk about themselves.
Try it. Make a commitment, in every conversation focus on dropping the “k” bomb.
What about the kids?
You’ve hit the nail on the head! We as parents are the only “union” our kids have. Most of the time we are told we don’t understand what teachers need, though we have a good idea, but we know what our kids need and that begins with an education that will move them to the future.
I just watched the program that Chris Korsmo taped with a rep from the Shoreline teachers’ union and Marguerite Roza about HB 1410. The point was made that this bill is / was mostly about adults. It is true that in order to affect change in kids’ lives, we need to address the changes that need to be made in adults’ ways of being. It is also true, however, that if schools do not serve kids, there is no point.
When I was a teacher, I developed curriculum based on the principles of backwards design– know where you want to end up and develop your lessons to lead to that destination. What would happen if we looked at our kids the same way? What if the institution was made to serve the children rather than the other way around? How would our institutions (and the adults who serve in them) change?
Kelly, you are right on as usual! We should all be trying to do what’s best for the kids, some of groups have lost site of that! Here’s the funny thing; everyone has been talking about our Constitution: “It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders, without distinction or preference on account of race, color, caste, or sex.” Where in that sentence does it talk about teachers? No where! The CHILDREN are our paramount duty! Our CHILDREN!
Corinne: And in a nutshell, that attitude is why you lost this fight. The idea that you can have a conversation about kids and schools without including teachers in the discussion is sad.
Kelly, you are right on as usual! We should all be trying to do what’s best for the kids, some of groups have lost site of that! Here’s the funny thing; everyone has been talking about our Constitution.
Education is about kids. It’s about the state and it’s about the country.
The way we educate, compensate, and certify will change over time. It has to, if it doesn’t, other states and countries will pass us by.
They already have.
We can no longer cripple the next generation of kids because teachers, or taxpayers, or legislators don’t want change. We NEED change, its how we stay competitive, it’s how we grow and learn.
There is a compromise bill on the table, this is the time for everyone to consider change. Teachers, legislators and taxpayers all have to do two things with this legislation, be open to change, and keep the next generation of children as their focus.
Can we please try to not make blanket statements like, “Teachers don’t want school reform”? By the way, most teachers are parents, also. Please know that WEA often does not prioritize the way we would like. Many educators would like to see class size reduction higher on the priority list than increased salaries. (For those who say class size reduction doesn’t make a difference, I say, “Teach a class of 25 kindergarteners for a week; teach a different class of 18 kindergarteners for a week, THEN share your observations of learning!”
If ALL parents would contact their legislators, ask them to fully fund education NOW, and reform education NOW, it would happen. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of our citizens contact their legislators. (Yesterday I even called the Governor’s office and asked her to make education a priority). I hope there is a fantastic turn-out in Olympia this week.