what if it was a conversation?

Yesterday I commented, "The Race to the Top was actually coined by the Germans, except by race they meant Aryan and by 'the top' they meant global domination." They stare at me awkwardly. It was supposed to be funny, but I guess  Nazi Germany probably isn't the best subject for staff lounge humor.

A teacher saves me with, "It beats No Child Left Behind. At least this one focuses on teachers instead of just schools in general."

"But what if some schools need to close?  It's not popular to say that, but some schools are toxic.  There's a school in my neighborhood that keeps losing enrollment, because no one wants to go there."

This began a dialogue about educational reform.  "Let's be honest, everyone has had bad teachers.  Attaining tenure shouldn't mean a free ride to turn lazy or cruel.  I had a teacher in the fifth grade who used to belittle students and call us names and sit in the back reading novels while we worked. But she remained there until she retired."

Another teacher points out the difficulty of pay by merit,  "I want to be appreciated for hard work, but paying a teacher who loves teaching is a bit like paying a friend who helps you move. When someone does something because they care, paying can feel like an insult."

"What I'd love is if we could earn a living wage and not have to pay almost a thousand bucks a month for insurance," I explain.

"How do you quantify good teaching? That seems to be the problem. It would be about test scores, which is the worst way to judge a teacher."

"Even if there was a good way, I think paying us by performance would kill my love for teaching.  I'd get so goal-oriented that I would miss what matters."

Someone reminds me, "The system will always be broken.  It will never be perfect. It's best to carve out your world in your classroom."

I comment, "The system is broken, because people are broken.  Yet, if people can change, isn't it possible that systems can change, too?"

***

As we discuss the issues, the conversation is messy and meandering and a bit folksy.  No one is quoting data or handing out bulleted points of hawking a book claiming the seven-step solution.  No one is attacking individuals (and I'm left thinking that the Wicked Witch of Washington might not be as evil as she is misguided and that maybe even Tom Horne has a few good motives and maybe we could talk nice if it was over a pint).

It leaves me thinking about the solutions to educational reform.  What if the answers aren't found in one dogmatic "ism" (constructivism, behaviorism, etc.) or one set model, but in a dialogue with the starting questions of "What is best for the students? How do we take care of teachers so they don't burn out?  What does this community need?"

***

Sometimes educational reform gets really loud and noisy and turns into shouting matches, because people are proud and scared and a little insecure. That's only a guess, but it's usually the impetus toward my own anger.

I also think people shout because they know the issues matter and they feel that their voice is ignored. I get the hunch that most people feel that their voice isn't heard, because it's not heard.  No one's voice is heard.  We're all too busy shouting and the options seem to be shout louder or sit quietly in the corner.  

What the conversation in the staff lounge suggests is that people can talk in a way that is honest, humble and civil. It doesn't have to be a shouting match.

photo credit - flickr creative commons