Education deform is dehumanizing

A better rule book with better rule-followers won't make anything better.

A better curriculum with better tests will never make schools better.

Education deform is built around dehumanizing the education system by propping up content-bloated, prefabricated, highly prescribed curriculums that are married to punitive, high stakes standardized tests that are quickly followed by the reinforcements. We are all choking on carrots or sore from sticks - either way, most of us are either too drunk on incentives or scared shitless to stand up and question school deformers.

Those who present a healthy dose of skepticism about what is generally taken on faith as the best way to improve schools (read: prescribed curriculums and standardized tests) are put in their place with the kind of efficiency that would make the likes of Benito Mussolini proud.

I don't have all the answers for authentic education reform, but I do know this: getting all teachers and all students to simply teach and learn the curriculum so that they can achieve high test scores won't improve a damn thing. To think otherwise reminds me of an old saying: "For every problem there is a solution that is simple, elegant and wrong." Good teaching and real learning are far too complex for what a silly, over-simplified solution such as standardization can offer.

A teacher who teaches curriculum well with students who test out proficient can no more call themselves teachers and learners than someone who simply follows a trail can call themselves an outdoorsman.

The sooner we can come to this realization the better because our kids can't wait.

Change? We don't need no stinking change!

While I can admit rules and guidelines have their place, I find rules and guidelines too often are not put in their place.

Here is a story about a science experiment about the nature of rules. I honestly can't remember where I came across this story, so I can't say whether its purely fiction or an actual experiment. Either way, the point is not lost.

Here's the story:

In an effort to study the nature of rules, scientists placed six gorillas in a cage with a set of stairs that led to a basket of bananas. When the first gorilla placed a paw on the first step of the stairs, the entire cage was drenched with water by the scientists' high pressure fire hose.

Despite their discomfort, each gorilla took their turn at the stairs, hoping for a better chance of success; unfortunately for the gorillas their many attempts over the span of 6 hours yielded them a lot of water but no bananas.

After a day of solid water, the gorillas decided collectively to steer clear of the stairs.

The bananas were simply not worth it.

A day later, one gorillas was exchanged for another. Upon entering the cage, the new gorillas spotted the bananas and took for the stairs, but he was immediately stopped by the other three - they were not going to allow him to set one foot on the stairs for fear of being sprayed.

The scientists stood at the ready with their fire hydrant, but there was no need to fire as the five experienced gorillas were successful in dissuading the new gorilla, who gave up his efforts after a brief struggle.

Over the next day, the scientists exchanged more gorillas - leaving the cage with six entirely different gorillas than the original six. The fire hydrant and hose was also removed.

Over the next few days, the gorillas showed no real interest in the steps; however, when one gorilla wandered too close to the steps the other five showed a heightened sense of anxiety and were quick to encourage each other to stay clear of the steps all together.

The bananas remained in their place, and so too did the gorillas know their place.

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There is a time and a place for all kinds of rules, but when we refuse to rethink the reasoning behind them and blindly accept them as given truths, we lose our way. There was a time and a place for those gorillas to stay away from the stairs - being sprayed down with water was less than appealing, but when the water was removed, the gorillas went on assuming that tradition trumped reason.

In education, teachers overwhelmingly tend to perpetuate a culture of compliance. Today's top-down, test and punish accountability movement has scared most teachers into stone-cold compliance.

As if change isn't hard enough, it makes it exponentially more challenging when the more experienced generation acts as agents of compliance and openly discourages any change in course. This is why I hold teachers who have accumulated such a rich cast of experience at least partly responsible for ensuring that the inexperienced are encouraged to seek out creative and progressive initiatives.

When we are too focused on how we've always done things, we damn ourselves to exactly that; focus too much on the 'now' and you'll be sure never to arrive any where else.

Subversion as an act of professionalism

Have you ever been subversive in your line of work?

I'm pretty sure most people would agree that subversive activities would not be overly welcome in any institution.

But what if an organization had some policy or rule that simply didn't allow you to always to the right thing? When does it mean that being a professional means being subversive?

I was reading Pollinate Asheville blog that gave this anecdote:

The mirror in a middle school girls’ restroom is rusted to the point that one can not see her reflection. The Principal recognizes that not being able to primp properly before class is making girls tardy to class and affecting their learning. She asks the janitorial staff to replace the mirror. The district has a policy that mirrors are not replaced unless they are broken. The Principal calls the district to confirm, and promptly breaks the mirror with a hammer in order to solve this problem.

I can readily admit that we need rules and we need policies, but how often do professionals become slaves to those rules and policies?

I'm not sure I can imagine a policy or rule that has ever been created, that if followed to the letter, would always promise the most ethical and moral choice.

'Do no harm' is not a bad moral compass to follow, but 'Do good' may take us to an even more professional destination - and to do so, you might have to subscribe to a form of artistic insubordination.

Sometimes the letter of the law simply can not properly represent its own spirit.