The push for improved academic
outcomes and increased accountability in primary and secondary education is
intense, to say the least. There are measures to both reward and punish schools
depending upon their performance. Jobs and funding are literally at stake,
which can serve as tremendous motivation to raise scores. There are positives
associated with this push, but there are also two secondary consequences that
are clearly harmful to our children, particularly children from the lower end
of the socioeconomic spectrum and children of color.
In the age of increased
accountability, teaching has become much more prescriptive, particularly in our
low-performing schools, which tend to serve a higher number of poor and
minority children. Attempts to “teacher-proof” education is akin to attempting
to “husband-proof” or “wife-proof” marriage; it simply makes no sense.
Education, at its core, is a relationship between teacher and pupil. The best outcomes
are the result of a dedicated, passionate teacher relentlessly determined to
motivate a student to think and behave in a manner previously believed to be
impossible. Furthermore, this move to a more prescriptive manner of teaching
actually harms the practice. It serves to stifle creativity, as well as retard
the development of the profession. In addition, it does not serve to engage the
various subgroups of our student population currently most in need of deeper
engagement in the educational process.
Second, there is an observed
narrowing of curricular and extracurricular options for students due to the
increased emphasis placed upon performance in certain subjects. Students nearly
everywhere see decreased offerings in physical education, art, music,
vocational education courses, and other areas that are not measured by a
standardized assessment. This is especially pronounced in urban areas and in
schools that serve a disproportionate number of minority students and poor
students. So, in effect, we are reducing curricular and extracurricular learning
opportunities for those with an already diminished set of learning
opportunities outside of school, as compared to their more affluent peers.
Depriving these students of rich and varied possibilities for learning will
have negative effects for both our present and our future. We are likely to see
higher levels of disengagement in our schools and to observe a more restricted
breadth of knowledge in future generations.
The push for increased
accountability and improved academic outcomes is firmly rooted in the desire
for what is best for our children and our nation. However, like so much in
life, there are always hidden, and often unintended, secondary and tertiary
effects for this initiative. There is no harm in desiring a better future for
our children and our country, but I believe we are following a flawed course of
action. Rather than attempt to relegate teachers to a lesser role, or even
attempt to circumvent them in this process, we should embrace the important
role they play and do all within our power to improve the practice,
subsequently attracting a higher caliber of candidates for the profession.
Furthermore, we should increase and vary learning opportunities in an effort to
drive academic outcomes. A logical alternative to what is currently taking
place would be to work harder to clearly illustrate the interconnectedness of
all subjects in an effort to promote a deeper level of engagement. I believe we
can do better.
