Stepping Under the Scaffolding

The wind was swaying the scaffolding at the state capital today when I made my way across the wide plaza after school. There were a number of people milling on the plaza to the south of the capital: a small school group, various business-suited types hurrying to and fro, and a construction worker or two leaning against the barriers in front of the steps. My directions said to step under the scaffolding and into the building to get to my destination. I often feel that I metaphorically have to duck and cover to speak about education with people that have very different points of view than I do on the subject matter, so why not do it literally as well.
 I have decided to be more vocal in sharing what I see in my school and what I believe will help support my students and colleagues on a daily basis. When I read the Daily Oklahoman article that quoted Representatives Mike Turner and Jason Murphy's comments on educators and parents who plan to rally at the capital on March 31 and the related blog responses, I knew I had to get started on using my voice. So I emailed Rep. Turner first and was surprised to get a reply. (I've emailed other representatives and senators in the past and not heard back from them...) He agreed to meet with me so I could share my observations in school, encourage him to support greater school funding, and discuss the high stakes testing my students must take.
I was hoping for an actual discussion about his strong point of view and the consequences of saying teachers are "participating in this gross abuse of your hard-earned money." Rep. Turner was willing to work with  my schedule and meet me after I left school. He was also willing to speak for as long as I wanted to. He was friendly and welcoming to his office. However, it was clear that he did not have concrete evidence to support generalities he made in the email he sent: "Let each school board sink or swim on their own merit; failed ones should be punished and good ones learned from." I pressed him for examples of "failed school boards" but never received a satisfactory answer. He did talk about hearing from other legislators and some school board members that there may be superintendents in some rural districts in our state that could be earning 300,000 dollars or more. I asked him to let me know which districts were paying that much. Looking at the state's report on superintendents' salaries, I didn't see anyone paid quite that much, and certainly not in rural areas.
We spoke about his view that schools should not be canceled for the rally. He proposed having an entire week in which only the amount of teachers that could be covered by subs came to lobby at the capital instead of canceling school. I reminded him that teachers are paid by day and would be making up that day at a later date, but any rebuttals I offered for why teachers should come to the capital (the legislature is unavailable during summer break, teachers are desperate to increase funding and decrease high stakes testing) did not seem to sway his stance.

As an allegedly bossy first born child, I would prefer to be able to say what should happen with education funding and then just have it done. And when that doesn't happen, I have to remember that it doesn't mean the discussion was worthless. While I did not walk away with a new convert to my views on education, I did not end up ducking and covering in my conversation with the representative.
It's actually sparked a desire to find more representatives and senators to talk to. I don't know what all I will be able to accomplish, but I am encouraged by the simple act of trying.

Meaningful Discussions

Seconds before the bell rang last Thursday for second hour, I was pouring over my copy of The Count of Monte Cristo, somewhat oblivious to the students coming in. I had just picked up the book to remind myself of what the students should have read for homework then night before. But it was only minutes before I found myself totally engrossed in how the Count's friend Maximilian was sneaking away to rendevous with his future fiance. A student seemed shocked to see me reading so furiously at school. He said, "I thought you just pretended to be that excited about reading  - I didn't realize you actually liked to read that much."
It took a minute for me to disentangle myself from the drama Maximilian had found himself in and then another minute for me to address what my student had said. I quickly assured him I was obsessed with reading and actually had a book at home (The Luminaries) that I was working on reading too.
I relished the chance to share my reading experiences and let the students see my genuine excitement. All readers should have the chance to do just that. I'd love to have an informal book club that catered to reluctant readers. We could start with a book, maybe Divergent, then move on to a graphic novel next. If I could build enough pre-excitement, maybe I could talk some students into reading Catcher in the Rye, because I know our school has a lot of those books and none of the teachers are currently teaching them.
We could meet in the library during lunches to distribute books, then again two or three weeks later to discuss.
This sounds like the perfect idea at 10:25 on a school night...I'm crossing my fingers it will still sound like a great idea tomorrow.

Tsunami of Change

I sat down to grade this morning and have done exactly what I ask my students not to do: gotten on Facebook at the same time. In an effort to get the distraction out of my system, I'm going to write a blog post about one of the articles I saw in my Facebook newsfeed. And then it's right back to grading!
Linda Murphy, via The Okie Blaze, describes the man recently** confirmed as our state's new Secretary of Education. Dr. Robert Sommers, who has spent the majority of his professional career in Ohio, has come to Oklahoma to presumably "fix" our schools with the implementation of "school performance transparency, teacher evaluation, school choice, digital education options and failing school transformation." The Daily Oklahoman's bio of him can be found here.
After you have looked at his credentials according to the newspaper, read Ms. Murphy's editorial here. She encourages people to consider his background and statements and then contact their state senator about his upcoming conformation.
I do not believe he should be our state's Secretary of Education. You can see how effective my opinions are when you look at our governor and State Superintendent of Education, though. Nevertheless, I have just sent an email to my state senator to share my views about this matter.
What I was struck by, and what is now cutting into my grading time, was the phrase: "tsunami of change." I believe Dr. Sommers pictures thousands of automatrons sitting in orderly rows in a cinderblock factory watching a large screen of a robot lecturing about subject verb agreement. (There may be some hyperbole in that line.)

I certainly hope that there is a tsunami of change.

But I hope that the tsunami comes from teachers, parents, and students who are standing up against high stakes testing and the micromanaging of classroom instruction.

I hope that the tsunami brings a new outlook on teachers as competent professionals with the ability to make important decisions in how students are educated.

I hope that the tsunami washes out politicians who seem to have lost the ability to talk like human beings about what should and can happen in our schools.


**I've found out since publishing this blog that Dr. Sommers was actually confirmed by the state senate this past week.