Hope Springs!

Let me start by thanking each and every one of you for your insight and your perserverance.  Your comments have inspired , encouraged and made me think about what a tough job we have.  Like you, I have spent the last 2 days in our inservice and I am amazed that we are still standing!  What a 2 days it has been.  We went from a noisy group entering the auditorium on Monday, to a weary looking bunch at the end of the day today.  And, this is day 2!  Each day we have been told what is expected of us, howe we will be evaluated, what "new" documents we are to provide to demonstrate that our students are learning. . .and the list goes on.  We have had little time to collaborate with our colleagues and more importantly, get into our classrooms and have time to take a breath, and consider the students who will be before us on Tuesday.  Yet, each and everyone of you, will be ready on Tuesday to greet our students and talk about the great year of learning they can expect.   How do you do it?

I tried to get Thomas Friedman to join our blog;  sadly he never did.  I wanted him to read the insightful comments you made about what actually goes on in our classrooms.  As depressing as this book was to read at times, I was heartened by all of you--you represent all that is good in public education.  Thanks again for your contributions.

I plan to keep the blog open so you can "catch up" should you need to do so.

Mary Ellen

Shockingly, I am posting late on the last day possible. . .

The one idea that always fills me both with hope and dread is that “of all the variables under a school’s control, the single most decisive factor in student achievement is excellent teaching.” This quote, which I’ve seen before, is in the section on teachers and principals. I believe this quote to be true, and yet when I see our PSSA scores jump and crash as they do, when most of us are teaching the same classes but to different students, I have my doubts. How can what I do work so well one year and then fail so miserably they next? I know I am tweaking things each year, but not so much as to contribute to such fluctuations. Yes, the students are different each time, but that is the way the game is played and I’ll have to learn to play it better, especially with more and more emphasis being placed on test results.

The good news is that with each new school year we do get the chance to start again. I know of few jobs that have the “do over” aspect that a new school year has for teachers. Sport is the only other thing that comes to mind. If you or your team has a bad year you can rededicate yourself to the cause, try to identify your weaknesses and, if possible, eliminate them. You start the next season 0-0, with a clean batting average, and just as much a chance to win as anybody. That optimism, the hope that fans and players alike share in the pre-season of each year, is the same I feel at this time of year. Some of you have been doing this longer than I have and many of you are more secure in what you do. I’ve always known that I have real room for improvement - just look how this is being completed in the last hours of the last day for submission. Unfortunately for me, that’s typical.

So now we are here at the start – the chance to make it better, to make it perfect, to raise the good to the great, to squash the comfort of “average” and to make the difference in our kids lives. We will do it by what we help them know and by what we make them feel.

This quote reminded me of one of my favorite quotes that I had taped to my desk in the first school that I taught and always try to remember.

“I've come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It's my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child's life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or de-humanized.”

Dr. Haim Ginott

This quote helps me keep things in perspective. I know on any given day the most important thing we can teach may have nothing to do with English. It may just boost someone’s confidence to make them feel better about school or learning in general – to decide to give a bit more effort or to relax just a bit when they are unraveling under stress.

Here’s to a year where the students want to learn, the teachers are inspired and our country finds itself closer to realizing its potential.

Creative Creators or Routine Servers

As we get closer to having the students return I am thinking of the theme of this book more as it relates to them and less to the US in general. I often think how well the skills I teach in my classroom prepare students for next year, for college and for life outside of education.

One part that I find interesting, important and concerning is the section when the authors talk about the future of jobs. In short it seems they see jobs in the future becoming secure for those who add value and unstable for those who can be replaced due to technology, globalization or downward economic trends. In the years my brothers and I spent working in retail (late 60’s to mid 2000’s) I saw this happening all the time. If you worked in a union supermarket in this area full time you could easily make forty to forty-five thousand dollars a year as a general clerk (cashier, stocking shelves, etc.) with full health benefits for you and your family. They gave you an extra thousand dollars to attend college. No real skills were needed, just be reasonably friendly and work reasonably hard. The companies at this time had solid profits and for about 20 or 30 years things were pretty good. People started out in the lower socioeconomic levels and moved into middle class. I know hundreds of kids who went to college on supermarket salaries. Looking back from today’s point of view it seems almost ridiculous. How could shareholders allow a company to pay that much more than they had to? They eventually wised up.

As time went on I saw many changes that allowed much more work to be done by fewer and fewer people. The one most easily recognized is the replacing of cashiers with the kiosks where customers check out their own groceries. I worked in stores that had these for about 5 years and they never really caught on. They were confusing, they were prone to malfunctioning and they allowed for easy shoplifting. I don’t think the companies saw the return they were expecting and now I know that some stores are replacing these machines with human cashiers. A happy ending? Not quite. These cashiers have nothing like the salary or benefits their predecessors had. Today you start at a lower rate, top out at a lower rate and pay for whatever benefits you want. Almost evry new hire is part time to help company flexibility. No hours are guaranteed. If business falls off, you get hours cut back, sometimes to 8 hours a week. Nobody is sending his or her kids to college on a “new” supermarket salary.

They discuss this polarization between those at the top and the rest of us in part II section 4 on creators and servers. If anyone has heard the NPR interviews with Bartett and Steele, the investigative reporters who used to write for the Inquirer, whose book I hope to read soon, they paint a very scary story in which the US middle class isn’t just shrinking, it’s being purposely destroyed by those who no longer see a need for it. In 1914 Henry Ford doubled the salary of his workers to 5 dollars a day, which went a long way in securing an American middle class. He stopped the turnover in his company and he enabled his own employees to be able to purchase his products. It was a win-win.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t happen today. The creators, those near the top with a seat on the board, no longer need a strong American middle class to buy their products. The middle classes in China, India and Brazil are a much more tempting and lucrative market. The potential profits in these countries far surpass that of our own. We are all servers who will mind the machine and be replaced by others who will work cheaper and expect less. As long as we have working class people who obsessively think that lower taxes are the key to their prosperity, those at the top will win.

So, do I try to get my students to be creative creators and not be merely routine servers or do I try to get them to rise up and overthrow the system? I think I know what choice the school board wants me to choose, and I doubt sticking it to the man will help us raise our PSSA scores. So, how to get them to be more innovative, more entrepreneurial, to add value to whatever they do, even if they do end up being a server? To be honest, I’m not sure, but I think there will be opportunities, in their research papers, our class discussions and the literature we analyze. Perhaps all that will be needed is for me to recognize the opportunities as they present themselves, and then to impress upon the students how critical this is to their future.

Final thoughts

After reading the book and many of my colleague posts, I have optimism that the challenges presented can be tackled.  The issues of globalism, deficits, energy/climate and IT are serious and they are invading my life on almost a daily basis.  Whether it is making the uncomfortable call to a call center across the world for help, feeling the heat from global warming, or counting the number of people you know that are unemployed or underemployed, we have many reminders of what is going wrong.  The authors and our posts don't sugarcoat the issues.

Despite that, Friedman and Mandelbaum and many of us were able to still see the potential for change.  Even at H-H, changes such as the grad project class, have shown me that we can educate the creative creators that will lead us.  I hope that the coming school year gives me the opportunity to spark these students and maybe convince other students that "average is over". 

Is there a strong 3rd candidate?

In reading the last few chapters of the book, it was obvious that the authors believe that a strong third party/Presidential candidate could provide the spark for tackling the 4 major issues.  In 1992, I was in college and Ross Perot made an impression on me as a businessman that was really concerned with financial issues.  After the last 8-12 years of fiscal problems, a forward-thinking business man could really bring some sense to the government spending decisions and try to understand the need to keep government programs for those that are in need.

I looked at a CNBC site to see which companies still offered retirement benefits.  Some of the companies are gas/oil companies, some are health care companies and others are technology companies.  The name that stood out to me was Microsoft.  What Bill Gates did with his company and continues to do with his charitable endeavors and innovation lead me to think that he is the type of person the United States needs to run for President.  If Bill Gates does not have the magnetic personality, there has to be someone that is within his inner circle that can lead this candidacy.  Maybe it is Melinda.

No matter who the person is, I am in agreement with the authors that a strong third party will help return the U.S. to a more balanced political situation.  Too bad it won't happen in 2012.

Is this what America needs?

I received an e-mail from my former college's President this morning and I wasn't sure how I felt about it.

Subject: A message from Duke President Richard H. Brodhead - Duke Kunshan University

Forward to a friend | Online version

Dear Duke Alumni, I am pleased to announce that we have received preliminary approval from China’s Ministry of Education for the creation of Duke Kunshan University (DKU), a new and important step in extending Duke’s global presence. A collaboration among Duke, Wuhan University and the city of Kunshan, DKU will be a center for innovative teaching and research, based on the principles and values that have made American research universities the model for the world. We expect DKU to begin operations during the 2013-2014 academic year.

On the one hand, American universities have been accepting international students for many years, and the relationship has benefited the universities and students.  However, if American universities create campuses in places like China, do both parties still benefit?  Will American students apply to Duke Kushan University or UNC Bangalore?  More importantly, will American students be accepted to these universities?  If not, have we lost our creative advantage?

The other part of me feels a sense of pride.  For years, international students have been willing to move to learn in American colleges.  If Duke and other schools open campuses internationally, is there an opportunity for American students to spend a semester/year of their college experience at an international branch of their college.  Studay abroad is touted as a great social learning experience.  But, will an undergrad at Duke go to Duke Kushan for a year and create connections and learn what the "flat" world is really all about?  If that happens, this can only help that student be more marketable in the global economy.

As I said, I am not sure how I feel about this but I think the old ways of thinking about education are being challenged and some entities are willing to take risks.  Time will tell which risks pay off.

Can't we all just get along?

Of all the pieces of information I've gained from reading That Use To be Us, this is the most frustrating: we are a divided nation.  If our elected officials remain divided, how can we ever hope for reasonable solutions that will get us back to where we use to be. Friedman and Mandelbaum say that "political polarization--even hostility--between the country's two major political parties is not new. But the American political system is not only more polarized... it is paralyzed." It is time to put aside differences in political ideology, and fight for the greater good.

What a surprise is was when members of both sides came together this year to save the oil refineries in Philadelphia and Delaware county.  This article was published in the Philly Inquirer back in July, and now hundreds of refinery workers are back to work.  The quote below detailed how both sides of the political spectrum came together because saving jobs and keeping oil prices down were important goals for everyone: 

The Hail Mary marriage of Sunoco and Carlyle Group owes much of its success to the unusual cooperation among the Democratic White House, Republican Gov. Corbett, Democrat Mayor Nutter, and Brady, one of the most liberal members of Congress. They were joined by Sunoco, Carlyle and the United Steelworkers, which represents refinery workers.

"This is a rare example of federal, state and local officials, business and labor, Republicans and Democrats, all coming together for one common purpose," said Marchick, Carlyle's chief lobbyist.

The players pledged to keep the process confidential, with the understanding that it would become public if successful. There was an unspoken prohibition on grandstanding.

"You never saw me at a press conference," Brady said. "You never saw me in the newspaper."

Corbett, in an interview, said he understood that rivals would get to share the credit if the deal went through. From his perspective, keeping the refinery operating was a winner – saving jobs and advancing his vision of Pennsylvania as the nation's "energy capital."

"Obviously, if you take it from a political perspective, this is important to the White House. They're going to be able to count this in an election year. . . . Working together and getting this done was a lot better than seeing this facility shut down."

 

Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20120704_Deal_to_save_Sunoco_refinery_took_hard_work_behind_the_scenes.html#ixzz24U6ivdp6 Watch sports videos you won't find anywhere else

 

It just goes to show that what we learned in Kindergarten applies to politics--Play nicely! If we expected more cooperation from our elected officials we should also expect greater and far reaching change.  We might actually have the chance to live and act sustainably, rather than acting situationally, which as the writers point out, that impulsive instant gratification behavior is what got us in this mess in the first place.

The War on Math

As a math teacher, this chapter's title caught my attention.  In reading the section, it was really talking about the math of keeping the US budget balanced (or lack there of).  I was intrigued to read about the economic policies of Reagan,  Bush (#41) and Clinton.  Each of them seemed to understand the slippery slope that we were headed down in terms of spending more than we were earning as a country.  Each of those Presidents tried in their own way to close the gap or at least put the country in a position to return to a more balanced budget. 

However, one of the most damning statements in this book was written by Alan Binder in Dec. 2010 when he wrote, "The nation took leave of its fiscal senses, and simply stopped paying for anything during President Bush 43's eight years."  As a young adult during that time, I can remember buying my first house during this time and my wife and I were astonished at how much some banks were willing to lend us to buy a house.  Thankfully, we did not push our spending as far as the banks would have allowed.  However, we know people our age that did and took 5/1 ARM mortgages that simply became too expensive for them to afford.  This small example makes me think that this is what happened on all levels of spending in the US from 2000-2008.

I do not know if Pres. Obama has helped this situation at all in the last four years but I am sure that information will be presented in the next 3 months.  After reading this book, I believe that fiscal responsibility will become a large factor in who I vote for in the upcoming election.

Colorado's system of evaluation

In the section that referred to Colorado, Here We Come, the authors laud the changes taking place in the educational evaluation system in Colorado that was framed by the Great Teacher and Leaders Act or 2010.  I found a 177 page report about the recommendations http://legisweb.state.wy.us/InterimCommittee/2012/SCEEReports.pdf and while I did not read it all, it seems that Colorado is implementing a system that is promoting the most effective teachers.  At the same time, the evaluation is only in its pilot stage this year and complete implementation isn't happening until 2013-2014.  They seem to be taking their time to get "buy-in" from all of the impacted parties.

If Gov. Corbett and PA legislators are determined to alter evaluation for teachers and principals, maybe they should be partnering with teachers' unions and principal representatives rather than making decisions without their support.  If change is going to occur, collaboration and communication should be steering the decisions rather than relying on test scores and student surveys.

How do we support three C's

When I read the section entitled The Three C's, I was taken back to my year as a facilitator for our graduation project class.  In that course, many of the activities are designed to engage students in critical thinking, oral and written communication, and collaboration.  Some students in the class don't see the relevance of the activities to "real life" when they are swinging across the low ropes course or working with two others to climb the Giants Ladder on the climbing wall.  However, as an observer/evaluator, I was able to see students that had a real grasp of the three C's who were successful at these activities.  Other students who may have been more athletic but lacked the communication, creativity or collaboration struggled.

If the State does eliminate the requirement of a graduation/culminating project, we would be short-sighted in eliminating these types of activities taking place at Hatboro-Horsham.  If we really want to prepare our students for the 21st century, we should be looking for more opportunities to emphasize the three C's in all of our courses.

The Worldview of our Students

With the first day of school quickly approaching (Noooooooo!) It is a great opportunity to remind ourselves of our goals are as 21st century educators: "For us to grow, we have to educate people to do jobs that don't yet exist, which means we have to invent them and train people to do them at the same time. That is hard and it is why we need everyone to aspire to be a creative creator or a creative server."

I love telling people about my job, "Oh, I'm only preparing my students for jobs that don't exist yet."

In order for us to foster the creative-creator or creative-server within our students, we better have an understanding of what  their worldview is, because it is a lot different than ours.  I wanted to share the annual Beloit College Mindset List--a gentle reminder for college professors that first year students see the world differently.  

"This year’s entering college class of 2016 was born into cyberspace and they have therefore measured their output in the fundamental particles of life: bits, bytes, and bauds. They have come to political consciousness during a time of increasing doubts about America’s future, and are entering college bombarded by questions about jobs and the value of a college degree. They have never needed an actual airline “ticket,” a set of bound encyclopedias, or Romper Room. Members of this year’s freshman class, most of them born in 1994, are probably the most tribal generation in history and they despise being separated from contact with friends. They prefer to watch television everywhere except on a television, have seen a woman lead the U.S. State Department for most of their lives, and can carry school books--those that are not on their e-Readers--in backpacks that roll."

I find it incredibly insightful that these students--who I had in my classroom two years ago, are facing their future with doubts. Wasn't college suppose to be a time of blissful optimism? It makes me wonder if I should be sending the message to my students that college degrees are paramount.  Should I instead be telling them that creating the job you love is paramount, the degree (and debt) can wait.

Here are some of my favorites on the list....

#63 The Twilight Zone involves vampires, not Rod Serling.
#60 History has always had its own channel.
#27 Outdated icons with images of floppy discs for “save,” a telephone for “phone,” and a snail mail envelope for “mail” have oddly decorated their tablets and smart phone screens. 
#28 Star Wars has always been just a film, not a defense strategy.
#11 The paradox "too big to fail" has been, for their generation, what "we had to destroy the village in order to save it" was for their grandparents'.

It's All Politics

As I read through this and looked at all problems in getting us back to being what we used to be, as cliché as it may be, it keeps coming back to politics. And that ain’t good. 

Looking back, a couple of characters keep coming back to me with reasons for optimism and pessimism. One person is firmer South Carolina state representative Bob Inglis.  I’m glad I got to know a bit about him from the book; he was the representative who had the discussion about Medicare with one of his constituents. The constituent wanted the government to keep their hands off “his” Medicare. Inglis pointed out the unpleasant but true fact that just about all of us use up more than we put into programs like Medicare and that we are not the self made success stories we often tell ourselves we are.  It seemed along the same lines as Obama saying that we all got where we are with the help of others. We need the social/governmental programs to enjoy the lives that we have. It might be Medicare for some, education for others, but we have to get comfortable with giving money to the government when the direct benefit to ourselves isn’t obvious. Inglis’ willingness to confront the man with the unwelcome truth, setting him straight at a town hall meeting even though to me it seemed to be political suicide, was admirable.  Soon after this meeting he lost in his reelection bid big time (71%-29%) to a Tea Party sponsored candidate.

Inglis, who according to his Wikipedia page had a 93.5% rating from the American Conservative Union, wasn’t conservative enough due to his occasional votes outside the strict party lines. He tried to find a middle road or at least open a dialogue on such issues as climate change, the stimulus, the troop surge in Iraq, etc. and we see what the result was. There’s no place for reasoned discussion any more.

I know South Carolina may not be a fair example; it’s extreme. But with the political parties demanding stricter adherence to the platform positions, I see this happening all over the country. PA had its own example in Arlen Specter, who, regardless of what you thought of him, was very comfortable with crossing party lines. Today you’re labeled a R.I.N.O. if you do that and are sent packing. 

Ready to Kick Some Butt

I am ready for the new school year. I will feel differently when my alarm goes off THAT EARLY on day two, but as of right now while I sit feeling refreshed, I'm ready. I've just read Dennis's email about the high school not making AYP...and our numbers are much lower from last year. That makes me mad. We all work hard and there will be no clear understanding as to why our numbers were higher last year than this. Considering the work and modifications (referencing Hogan's final post) we put in, it makes me angry that we dropped. After reading the early chapters in this book about Americans resting and not competiting and getting into a funk where we just assumed we would stay on top opened my eyes to this happening in my own classroom. And it drives me crazy. For example, students who do not work very hard on an assignment, but still expect to get an A. That just can't be. I've looked at the names in my roster and I'm dreaming up all kinds of things for them! Papers every week--with researched evidence. And, yes, the Works Cited paged must be present...and correct. Discourse and speeches every week, if not quick ones every day. And, no, you cannot have your hands in your pockets. That's right, fellow teachers, I'm ready to kick some butt. Though I'll still smile and be nice, my incoming 9th grade students are in for a super great treat!

Inspiration

I appreciate the authors' honest opinions that their solution to our country's political distress is a third party candidate--one who would not be elected. Instead, this candidate would be the one questioning the other candidates and bringing up issues and points that Americans are otherwise not experiencing. It is interesting to think that the third party candidate, with no shot of winning, would actually create the shock therapy we need as citizens--to hear the policies that will move us ahead--to give us inspiration in America--and to force the other prominent candidates into more advantageous competition and thought. Agreeing with Kristina's last post, I do not personally believe Roseanne Barr is the woman for this job. I am now looking at this situation differently for the 2016 election. Is it too optimistic for me to think that at that point we might have more of our campaigning nonsense under control, so that a third party voice coud be heard even without billions of campaigning money? Probably.

Don't hate me because I'm a woman!

Don't hate me because am a woman... or because I am pro-choice... or because I think every woman should have access to affordable gynecological care and birth control. And Rush Limbaugh, this doesn't make me, or anyone else who has an opinion about women's health, a slut.

It's bad enough that Americans have to suffer the election campaign circus, but why has the fair sex been bullied, slandered, and insulted by the politicians who also seek our votes? I will be amazed if any female Missouri voters cast a ballot in favor of Republican Representative Todd Akin.   When he finds himself losing the Senate seat, maybe he can enroll in a human sexuality class and get his facts straight. Or maybe ask his wife if she has been blessed with the superpower to "shut that whole thing down."

Just when I thought the Republican party was out to get me and my reproductive organs, I found a glimmer of hope in That Use To Be Us.  Friedman and Mandelbaum ask us to recall Bush Senior, an avid supporter of women's reproductive health: "In George H.W. Bush's two terms as a Republican congressman from Texas, he was such an enthusiastic proponent of Planned Parenthood, and organization in disfavor among most Republicans today, that he earned the nickname 'Rubbers.'"

Did you read that? Rubbers! They weren't even talking about Bill Clinton!

With this bit of information, those ornery, curmudgeons who make the Republicans look sexist should be reminded that one of their own knew well enough to win the female vote by supporting reproductive health care.

The other glimmer of hope I read simply reaffirmed what I already know to be true about Americans, and also validates why I, a Democrat, can have pleasant table conversation with my Republican parents... "While the political views of Republicans and Democratic activists have pulled apart, those of Americans in general have not changed much, and that the public's views skew closer to the center of the political spectrum than the beliefs and preferences of the officials they elect." In other words, the population is relatively moderate, despite the fact that the politicians we elect are extreme in their views. My parents and I can actually AGREE on social issues because, hey, this affects everyone, not just Democrats or Republicans.  The drawback to having a population of moderates is that "The political system does no offer [us] moderate choices." So we are forced to vote for the less crazy of the extremist.

I can hear the backlash already... "Don't hate me just because I'm a politician!" 

Will the US face a food shortage?

Is it possible for the US to face a food shortage crisis? It is hard not to project this doom and gloom scenario onto our own lives, having witnessed this recently during the Arab Spring. Friedman and Mandelbaum discuss the inner loop that occurs when food prices become too high: “In December 2010, the FAO Food Price Index hit its highest level...those rising food prices were one factor, perhaps the last straw, that sparked the political uprising in Tunisia, which quickly spread to Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, Syria, Yemen and aross the Arab world.” These political uprisings resulted in surging fuel prices, that lead to further increases in food prices. Friedman and Mandelbaum write, "The higher the food prices rise, the more political uprisings there will be. The more uprisings, the higher the fuel prices will rise."

Food prices have been a burden on working class Americans throughout the recession. I can't buy 14 oz of canned tomatoes for less than a dollar anymore... unless it's expired or dented--hello botulism. I don't believe the prices will decrease, because "This inner loop is being reinforced by another loop of steadily rising world population, plus steadily rising standards of living, plus steady rising climate change." I know that the scarcity of food and water in the US is hard to imagine—look at our nation's obesity and diabetes rates! But recent stories coming out of the American heartlands leads me to wonder if we are about to join the political uprisings we witnessed this year with the Arab Spring as a result of a shortage of affordable food.

Consider the following from the NY Times...
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/26/business/food-prices-to-rise-in-wake-of-severe-drought.html

• The government said it expected the record-breaking weather to drive up the price for groceries next year, including milk, beef, chicken and pork. The drought is now affecting 88 percent of the corn crop, a staple of processed foods and animal feed as well as the nation’s leading farm export.
  
• Cattle farmers in several states have already started selling off or culling cattle because the drought has ruined grass for grazing and the price for corn for feed has skyrocketed.
  
• Countries that import [from the US] substantial amounts of animal feed made from corn and soybeans will feel the impact the most.

In addition to this, the might Mississippi is suffering as well:
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-08-20/news/sns-rt-us-usa-drought-bargesbre87j0wo-20120820_1_vessels-river-traffic-freight-rates

• The U.S. Coast Guard said on Monday that 97 vessels were stranded by low water on the Mississippi River near Greenville, Mississippi... The worst U.S. drought in 56 years has left the river there at its lowest point since 1988, a year when a similarly dire drought also stalled commercial traffic on the major shipping waterway.
  
• The upcoming Midwest corn and soybean harvest could propel freight costs higher if river traffic remains severely restricted.

So much of our economic stability relies on an unpredictable and unstable factor: climate. This is just another reason to take climate change seriously, before we find ourselves caught up in the inner loop.

The two party system - a must?

I found the ending chapter's discussion of America's two party system and the analogy of an American's political party to his/her baseball team to be interesting.

"Although political parties are not mentioned in the constitution, the belief that there should be two and only two of them has achieved quasi-constitutional status - that is, an arrangement with which it is unwise to tamper - in the eyes of many voters" (p. 335). I find this a fascinating idea and one to be true. I even had to admit to myself that my initial thought of a "new" party or less known party being thrown into our election process was that of it replacing one of the two currently playing the game, not being in addition to.

I was shocked at how difficult it is for a third party candidate to get onto the ballot in most states. Where is democracy? Why is it not the same process for all parties?

Being in the age of television and the Internet, a third party candidate needs to utilize the media in order to gain popularity. And honestly, I think it could be done if a third party candidate had enough fame to gain attention.

However, the most famous of our current third party presidential candidates, Roseanne Barr, is not exactly what I think Friedman and Mandelbaum have in mind!

In Ross I Trusted...Kinda

FYI: Due to technical difficulty, Posts 1-5 are listed as comments under Ed Doran's June 30th Post: The System is Broke and Broken.

And so MM and TF take the circuitous route to 3rd Party town.

I have to agree with Joel Evans - it's not much of a pay off. On one hand, I certainly agree that the current "political system is stuck under the sway of special interests" and the "two parties are so sharply polarized that they are incapable of arriving at the deep, ideologically painful compromises that major initiatives...will require." In fact, recent political headlines do not focus on "Rediscovering America" and tackling cutting edge issues. Instead, the political machine is discussing derivations of the same old stories: Anti-Abortion, No Rape Exemption, Separation of Church and State. No matter your political affiliation, these topics constitute old business. They are the hackneyed issues that reverberate during every election season. Maybe the flavors vary a bit, but the meal is the same. And quite frankly, I'm full. Maybe even a little nauseous. Wouldn't it be nice if politicians "thought big" instead of rehashing the status quo in an effort to get elected or re-elected?

Nonetheless, there are aspects of the 3rd Party suggestion that may bear fruit. For example, TF and MM  reminds us that a "third party succeeds not by winning elections, but by affecting the agenda of the party that does win." This was further reinforced by their mention of the 1992 presidential election where Ross Perot won "18.9% of the popular vote." Supposedly, this lead to Clinton's deficit reduction policy that resulted in "a budget surplus for the first time in several decades." If I take TF and MM at their word, then this certainly bodes well for the 3rd Party theory.

And I'll be honest: I voted for Ross Perot. Was it his southern twang? His short cropped hair? His laugh? In short, to quote Forrest Gump, "He had a way of explaining things so I could understand them." Ten bonus points to you if you read that with a "Gumpian" accent. Anyway, not only did he come equipped with charts and graphs, but he was not afraid to reveal some of the narrow-minded truths of the Washington machine. Unfortunately, his running mate, Admiral James Stockdale frequently looked like he'd just been struck by lightning and was prone to absent-minded outbursts or cadaverous silences.

TF and MM reference an October 2010 poll which states: "more voters identified themselves as independents (37 percent) than as Democrats (31 percent) or Republicans (29 percent)." A compelling statistic, which certainly validates their overall assertion that a 3rd Party could help bring America back to "exceptional" or at the very least commendable.

However, when they close out the book with an empty patriotic call to American History, I think it's a cop out. "The history books we need to read are our own." Really? The founding fathers had a common enemy while surging towards INDEPENDENCE. Today's politicians manifest new "enemies" every week. Terrorists. Wall Street. Illegal immigrants. Police officers. Fire Fighters. Teachers. Until that stops, we go nowhere.

Not a debate for younger people

On page 203, Senator Lindsey Graham is quoted as saying, "I have been to enough college campuses to know if you are thirty or younger this climate issue is not a debate. It's a value. These young people grew up with recycling and a sensitivity to the environment - and the world will be better off for it."

This struck home to me because I find there are a lot of political hot button issues (for example, gay marriage), which are (for the most part) not debates. It makes me wonder how many political debates will be solved merely with the passing of time. However, I know many issues cannot wait for the next generation to be solved.

No incentives to use cleaner energy

After reading about China surpassing America as the world's largest builder of clean energy such as wind energy, I realized Americans need to be given an incentive to consume cleaner energy forms. I recently switched my electric provider and was surprised to find that I could choose to have all or a percentage of my energy provided by a clean energy source. However, if I chose to use a clean energy provider, it was more expensive. In this hard economic times, I believe that few Americans would chose to raise their electric bill willingly. If the government provided incentives for Americans to choose clean energy (such as a deduction perhaps during income tax time), then maybe more Americans would be willing to purchase clean energy and therefore more clean energy plants would be in demand and be built.

Global warming: No wonder we continue this debate

No wonder Americans are confused! The media's discussion of global warming is so conflicting. In That Used to Be Us, global warming is stated to be indusputable, as something we MUST tackle. Yet, just a few weeks ago this editorial was published in The Wall Street Journal: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204301404577171531838421366.html

How can anyone make an educated opinion with such conflicting information out there?

Going Forward

After reading the book, I am not sure if I am totally convinced that a third party candidate would solve the problems that we are facing. The book does present a lot of interesting information and ideas about how our country has fallen behind and how it is imperative that we make changes in order to "come back". However, when I reached the end of the book, I was not sure if all (or any) of these issues could be fixed by supporting a third party candidate. It appears that as a country, we have a lot of work ahead of us, and maybe there is not going to be just one simple fix. Although I finish the book without an idea of how our country can be changed for the better overall, I do feel that I have a better sense of what I can do as a teacher to make some little changes happen on a small scale. For me, I plan to approach the new year with the idea that "average is over" and encourage more collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking in my classroom. Setting higher expectations and encouraging a different way of thinking may be a minor change, but I hope it can have a positive impact on my students.

New Reality TV Show: President Wars

With the presidential election being three months away, I am already sick of the nasty political bashing commercials and all the phone calls. I have dissed President Obama about 30 times in the past week by simply hanging up. Even though I am frustrated and tend to change the channel during these commercials, I know becoming more educated and reviewing all of the options is important. I realize this. But, the amount of money wasted on pre-election nonsense makes me angry. Similar to my post on top down changes with education, I post the same thought: our American society needs to stop accepting our current party advocating process as the way it should be. We should demand changes to this in order to save money and in order to understand the reality of what our candidates have to offer. Perhaps a better solution would be to have a new reality TV show...President Wars. Similar to Cupcake Wars or Dance Moms or Kardashian or other garbage (sorry, I'm not into reality TV), the candidates could have their time to sit in front of the camera and speak candidly. Then, they could live together and we could get a big hoot out of the whole deal. Obviously, I'm being quite facetious.

Global Weirding

Let's call an end to the politicized debates regarding climate change.  It is astounding that this should even be an issue with differing sides and conflicting opinions. It's science, and now is the time to address it before it is too late. Friedman and Mandelbaum write, "To call the whole phenomenon a hoax, to imply that we face no problem at all--that scientific evidence for its existence is bogus--is to deny the laws of physics."  What I'd like to see is a debate on different solutions to remedying the consequences of climate change.

I really like this term "Global Weirding" the writers use because it "is a more accurate way to describe the climate system into which the world is moving... Global warming... it sounds so cuddly. It will be anything but that."

Critics of climate change might cite the recent snowfall in South Africa earlier this month as proof (evidence even!) that global warming isn't happening. South Africa Snowfall Stuns Johannesburg "If it's suppose to be global  warming, how come it's snowing in Africa."   But that's the point, it's not suppose to snow South Africa. It's weird. And weirder still is that this isn't scaring enough people into demanding changes in how we use our planet.

Investing in the Future and Urban Planning

In order for the 5 Pillars of the American Formula to work, Friedman and Mandelbaum say that "it involves one generation investing on behalf of another. So when we opt for deferring maintenance on the formula rather than making farsighted investments in it, we are denying the next generation the tools it will need to maintain the American dream." 

In no place is this lack of investment more obvious than the poor urban planning decisions made by Philadelphia leadership all those years ago when the potential for prime waterfront real estate was paved over by I-95 and the Schuylkill Expressway.  When elected leadership fails to recognize the potential for long term development, we end up with poorly executed fixes for immediate needs. Today, the city is paying for those hasty decision because there wasn't a visionary speaking on behalf of the next generation of Philadelphians. We can never calculate the loss of business opportunities, residential development, or cultural renaissance as a result of these highways.

While this is just one example of "deferring maintenance on the formula" (and arguably not as important as other issues like global warming and economic failure) it is glaringly obvious when comparing Philadelphia to other cities who supported urban planning visionaries. 

In July, I traveled with my husband to San Antonio, Texas, and felt what I can only describe as waterfront envy. Running through the heart of the city is the San Antonio river, which has been fully incorporated into the urban planning and design. The Riverwalk is a beautiful oasis for tourist and locals looking to escape the Texas heat.  The skyscrapers line the river's edge with water level retail and restaurant space that welcome pedestrians. On street level there is an additional opportunity for retail and restaurant space for each of the buildings, which ensures a thriving retail  and tourist economy.  This project did not happen overnight, it came about in 1929 as a way to prevent frequent flooding.  It was a vision that depended on the next generation to continue the project.  Today, the city has something valuable because someone decided to invest in something important for the next generation.

While we can't go back an rip up the highways that choke the waterways of Philly, we should invite visionaries to collaborate on projects that serve as an investment in the future economic success of the next generation.

I Don't Want to Be "Nice"

     Like a few of you who have stated as much before, I was concerned with the data about our test scores when compare internationally. I had bought into the idea that Bill Daggett (I think it was Daggett) had proposed that we really weren’t that behind because we were comparing all of our students to countries that only test those on tract for competitive colleges. That used to make me feel better. But after reading this and other books like it, I find myself more than just a little concerned. 

These worries are for both our nationally education system, how we do things at H-H and how my wife and I handle education issues in our home. On the national and even neighborhood level, I think most of us are content with what the authors call “nice” schools. “These schools have decent facilities, adequate class size, a good number of teachers who like their job and/or like kids. . .” I think that we have so many totally dysfunctional schools in our country. where horror stories about education are only a quick newspaper or google search away, that we become content with schools that are “nice”. These nice schools aren’t set up to produce the kind of entrepreneurs and innovators that we need to continually rank first in the world. How do I know the schools my sons attend are pushing them enough? I don't. I know I can't go by their level of complaining because if that were the test they would have been pushed so far that they would have graduated already. They are in second and sixth grade. (Does it show that we spent a good deal of time today "discussing" summer reading?)

The point that we need to be the innovators, because the rest of the world will be the manufacturers, is made multiple times. If this is indeed the case then we need to demand more from ourselves, our schools, students and communities. I am not sure what could get me to be the best teacher I can be. I don’t think I am there yet, yet the way to improve, isn’t clear, especially when I am not even sure what areas need the most improvement. I imagine I will have areas spelt out for me when we become evaluated more closely and when there are more consequences to our evaluations, but I’m so jaded that I doubt focusing on whatever evaluation system is put in place will positively impact my students' learning. I hope I’m wrong. I'm often wrong, so in this that's a good thing. . . right?

More on the 5 Pillars

Back in June, Ed wrote about the 5 Pillars mentioned in Part I section 3. As I complete the book I find this is one of the areas that I find both the most sensible AND the most hopeless. 

The first pillar has to do with education – an issue whose importance few would be able to reject. Yet even on this first pillar we are at an impasse. Charter school, public schools, teacher accountability, standardized tests, right to strike/contract negotiations, standards, the list of hot button issues goes on and on. I imagine there are plenty of these issues that our reading group would have a difficult time agreeing on, what hope do we have with reaching a consensus with a national audience. I don’t think we have any chance at all.

The second pillar, dealing with the building/maintaining of infrastructure, seems to make sense, especially when the jobs are so critically needed, but I don’t see how that will happen with our current political climate. To spend money with the deficit that we have without raising taxes is crazy and yet, who could be elected with the pledge to raise taxes? This is true despite the fact that the average American is currently taxed (federal, state and local) at a rate lower than at any time since the Eisenhower administration. (http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/taxes/2011-05-05-tax-cut-record-low_n.htm)

Yet the conventional wisdom is thinking that we are overtaxed. Who ever wants to be the person in the group that speaks up and says we’re not taxed enough?

The third pillar concerns the proper balance on immigration – borders that are not too tight but not too lax either. I know this is a major issue for most of the country but I have to admit I don’t spend too much time thinking about it. Perhaps it’s because of where we live. Of the issues involved in the 5 pillars, I have to think this would be one of the easiest to fix. We would need the political will to do so, so perhaps that makes a solution as far fetched as anything else.

Pillar four is government support for research and development. Again, not being a person overly concerned with my tax bill as long as I don’t think it’s being totally pocketed by unscrupulous people, I like the idea of government seeding research, even if it mean mistakes such as Solyndra, which, I have become more comfortable with as I learned more about it. I wish that things worked out better with the company, but I haven’t been convinced of anything happening other than a crashing silicon market and the risk involved in any leading edge company.

Pillar five is again a political litmus test. From where I see things, I’m all for more regulation on private economic activity. Perhaps this is because I have no private economic activity. I can’t help thinking if we had had more accountability on those who were responsible for the sub-prime scandals and similar financial dealings, we might have avoided this economic downturn or at least made it much shorter. I know that there are those on the other side that say the quickest way to get us out of the situation we are in now is to cut, not strengthen, regulations.

As I said, many of these issues and what to do about them seem simple at first blush but each is tied to a core fundamental belief in the role of government in a nation’s prosperity. I don’t know is a book like this changes anyone’s belief. I think it allows you to find enough to support any belief you want to hold on to.

The End

After reading this book over the summer, I am honestly ready to begin the school year.  Many items in this book were disturbing, but it was a bit of a wake up call for me.  Some of what I learned made me angry, some made me a bit sad, and others made me aware of my role in all of this.  While it is small, I have the ability to influence some changes.  Not only do I have classes to teach, but I also have a student teacher for the first semester.  I think some of these ideas/concerns/issues are important to share with my classes and an aspiring educator.  As others have asked or mentioned, I will be reading some excerpts to my classes and possibly posting some quotes (like the ones from my last post!) on the board for students to analyze and comment on.  Maybe they will be inspired, maybe they will try harder, maybe they will want to change the stats, or maybe they will see that they should take their education seriously because others don't think that they are.  Either way, one quote that will be in the back of my mind for the new school year is on page 118:  "Teaching is a hard job."

The Countdown

I found many new pieces of information in this book shocking.  These are my top 3:

#3 - More money goes to prisons than to schools (232).  The scary thing about this is that there are probably more adults in jail than there are children in schools.  This is a backwards approach to me.  If more money goes to schools, then kids would have the knowledge and skills to stay out of jail and then less money would have to be pumped into the prison system.

#2 -"69% of US public school students in the fifth through eighth grade are taught mathematics by a teacher without a degree or certificate in mathematics" (232).  How is this possible or legal?  I wouldn't think that a school would hire an unqualified person, but apparently I am wrong.

#1 - "75% of young Americans, between the ages of 17 and 24, are unable to enlist in the military today because they have failed to graduate high school, have a criminal record, or are physically unfit" (221).  This quote covers three major issues and I don't know which one is more disturbing:  our education system, our crime rate, or our overall health situation.

They Just Didn't Get the Word

I enjoyed reading "America's All-Girl Navy" section.  It resonates with what America stands for.  Diversity.  The Navy crew on the Chosin were all races and religions but they were drawn together for a common cause.  It was a shock to me that the Iraqi soldiers thought all Americans were white.  I never really thought about that before.  The Iraqi soldiers later told Friedman, "it's amazing how you guys can be so many religions, ethnic groups, and still make this thing work and be the best in the world.  And here we are fighting north and south, and we are all cousins and brothers" (303).  They don't understand how "different" people can live together or work together.  While I agree with Friedman that we often take this freedom and might for granted, it does make us "different."

Bad Teacher

Has anyone seen this movie?  It is hysterical.

I have had teachers that I thought were "bad" when I was in high school.  Teachers that gave difficult tests covering material that I swear we never learned or a grading system that I thought was too harsh, or nuns that would embarrass you if your shirt wasn't tucked in just right.  But my main goal was to get good grades and not let anything sway my focus.  So I worked harder, found study buddies, and made sure my uniform was always in place.  Usually when I thought I had a "bad teacher," I ended up doing better in the class because I worked harder and pushed myself.

Colorado State Senator Mike Johnston says that teachers are the "single most important variable determining the success of any student" (113).  Teachers are only ONE important variable in the education equation.  We all take our job very seriously.  We revise lesson plans to meet the students' needs, we participate in professional development, we collaborate with co-workers, and we take grad classes....all to make us more effective teachers.  But where do the students factor into all of this?  They are yet another important factor in the equation.  We can take our jobs seriously and revise and collaborate and learn all we want, but if a student is not invested in his/her education, then our job becomes ten times more difficult.

I think students label teachers as "bad" when they don't do well on a test or aren't given a certain break that they are looking for with an assignment.  The students don't consider the amount of time or effort that THEY put in to studying or working on an assignment.  I think for the most part students need to accept constructive criticism as a positive thing and not expect to always be praised for work that may be mediocre or done at the last minute.

Should we be afraid of China?

For the past several years we have all heard about how we need to worry about China replacing America as the world's next superpower.  The authors also mention this.  They also mention that one of the barriers to this happening is the rampant corruption in China.  While the Chinese government is such that it could clean up corruption quicker than some other countries, what then?  Their government is also a big cause of the corruption in the first place.  Without a free market (or at least a regulated market), corruption will continue because there is no incentive to stop.  I guess my biggest question is who will act first?  Will America unite and wake up and address the issues presented by the authors? Or will China clean up its act and adjust its form of government which will allow them to become the world's next superpower?

A Nation of Indian Chiefs?

I found that as I read the book, I could nod in agreement with ideas that seemed to make sense.  Then, upon reflection, I had to question them.  Just how is this going to work if we become a nation of Indian chiefs, each one inventing a new business, a new product, a new technology?  When I invent the better mousetrap, will I have to commission folks in China to manufacture it because there will be no one left in America who isn’t in his garage inventing an even better mousetrap?  When I think of the range of students I have, and that is already an elite group, I don’t see many of them having the interest to become an entrepreneur.  Some of that is just nature.  A friend of mine’s daughter turned down the job of head waitress vs. regular waitress because it would have been too much responsibility for her.  She’s a college graduate, but she is really very comfortable just being a good waitress.  (a creative server?)  Another friend of mine is in a creative business and is talented.  He could work on his own, but what he likes to do is the creative part, not the finding clients and dealing with them part.  It’s his nature.   

Six Things

Even though I am finished reading, I keep thinking back to a section of the book in chapter six, “Homework x 2 = The American Dream”.  In this part of the book, the authors say that there are six things needed to improve education: “better teachers and principals; parents who are more involved in and demanding of their children’s education; politicians who push to raise educational standards; neighbors who are ready to invest in schools even though their children do not attend them; business leaders committed to raising educational standards in their communities; and students who come to school prepared to learn, not to text” (p. 109).

Today in education, it seems that teachers are often the first to be blamed when anything goes wrong. As we hear more and more about teacher accountability and what changes are coming down the road, I keep thinking back to the other five pieces of the equation. While most of the country is willing to admit that changes need to occur and improvements should be made, I agree with the authors when they say, "Our education challenge is too demanding for the burden to be borne by teachers and principals alone" (p.109). Although teachers and principals are often scrutinized, I just wonder how different education might be if everyone involved was truly dedicated to doing their part.

Misplaced Optimism

I read most of the book with a growing sense of pessimism.  Then the authors offered comfort that America could and would be great again, would handle the crises that face us.  We will do the big things and we will work collectively to solve our country’s problems.  I wish I shared their optimism.  By their own account, the political parties are polarized.  I can see this polarization and the results of it by my own observation of the past fifteen years or so.  It’s a point that they articulate well, and then they seem to forget it.  I understand the point they make about a third-party candidate, but I don’t agree that such a candidate can have the effect they expect. 

TGIF in Beijing???

This line really caught my attention and is the kind of sound bite that could wake our young people up.
I think the line we've all heard; "You want fries with that?" perhaps needs to be translated and put on a bulletin board.  The one factor I always knew I could change and control was education in my life. My Dad went through undergrad in night school and worked hard as a reservist to get through school.  He instilled a belief in me that through education all things are possible. But are they?  Does that still apply today?

The notion that negative adds on both sides could destroy the category of politics in this section could closely parallel the idea that the debate among politicians and educators could be destroying the category of education.  Look at the attitudes we are finding more and more in our students that this doesn't matter... that regardless of how well they score it doesn't change their stripes. (painting with broad strokes here...stay with me) Is this the attitude of the next generation?  Will an online education be as good or better than one in the classroom? Debate over private or public. All these notions combined seem to distract students from the belief earlier generations held that hard work and education really do pay off.

If we could hit a restart on everyone and get our nation to unite under the umbrella of an education for your FUTURE we could start a wave to break some of this bureaucracy.  We need to get them young and keep them.

Anyone in favor of reading sections or parts of this book to our classes this fall...?

A bit of optimism

Since I posted awhile back on how depressing the book seemed, I wanted to also comment on the more positive ending section.  I enjoyed reading about "those who did not get the message."  Stories like that are truly inspirational, and it was refreshing to read about people who have been able to accomplish such feats in the world we're living in today.  I think our students need to hear about people like this, people with motivation to make positive changes in our world.   They need to understand that our world is quickly evolving and that more and more will be expected from them in the future if they want to keep up; yet they (like me) also need the optimism that comes from learning about those who are actually taking action towards change. 

As for the third-party candidate idea, I will echo the sentiment of some others who have posted that this would probably only lead to very gradual, if any, noticeable change.  However, the logic, in my opinion, is valid, and I appreciated the fact that the authors offer some sort of solution after spending chapters and chapters dissecting the problems.  As someone who is sick and tired of political crap (for lack of a better word), I would actually enjoy seeing a third-party candidate who could possibly get both major parties to move their views a bit more towards the middle.  The point we keep coming back to is the speed at which our world is changing.  If everything else is changing, maybe it's time for some change in our political system too.  I won't hold my breath though. 

Rules of Life

I know many of you have seen what is posited as Bill Gates’ 11 Rules for High School Students.  It is actually from a book, Dumbing Down Our Kids, by Charles Sykes.  So, it is really Charles Sykes’ 11 Rules for Life.  In discussing education, the authors say, “American young people have got to understand from an early age that the world pays off on results, not on effort.”  Our parents and schools have not been delivering that message.  That said, I don’t think that either parents or schools are onboard with this concept yet.  Parents want their children to be nurtured; they want them to feel successful and valued.  Schools want the parents to be happy and not knocking on the door complaining about low grades and too much homework.  Teachers who hold the line are fighting on too many fronts, and when they look behind them, they don’t see many other folks in the parade line.

I am going to post this in my room this year and keep my pointer close by, so I can easily  Indicate the applicable rule as needed.

Rule 1:

Life is not fair;  get used to it.

Rule 2:

The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3:

You will not make 40 thousand dollars a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4:

If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss. He doesn't have tenure.

Rule 5:

Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping; they called it opportunity.

Rule 6:

If you screw up, it's not your parents' fault so don't whine about your mistakes. Learn from them.

Rule 7:

Before you were born your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way paying bills, cleaning your room, and listening to you tell them how idealistic you are.  So before you save the rain forest from the blood-sucking parasites of your parents' generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8:

Your school may have done away with winners and losers but life has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades, they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer.  This, of course, bears not the slightest resemblance to anything in real life.

Rule 9:

Life is not divided into semesters.  You don't get summers off, and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself.  Do that on your own time.

Rule 10:

Television is not real life.  In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11:

Be nice to nerds.  Chances are you'll end up working for one...

Selective Abandonment

If there are finite resources, and there are, then both the government and the subset of schools need to practice selective abandonment. If we are going to support universal health care, what will we give up to have the funds to do so?  This is a question that has not been asked, and it speaks, in part, to why we have the national debt that we have.  I think this is the “guns or butter” concept in economics; every choice has an opportunity cost. As a nation, we have been behaving as though this is not the case.  We have funded expanded services and entitlement programs while also waging wars and lowering taxes.  We need to decide what our bottom line is and then selectively abandon the expenditures we can’t afford.  I know this is a simplistic explanation, but forcing choices is necessary—and will also help define what we value.  I’ll bet it won’t be wars in far-off countries.

The concept also applies to schools.  Unfortunately, many of the choices are taken from schools in the form of mandates.  Special education costs rise, and there is no option except to fund them. I wouldn’t argue against funding special education, but there are many other mandates that place an unfair burden on districts.  For instance, the federal law says that all spaces in a building need to have a flashing light smoke detector so that hearing impaired people will be warned in the event of a fire.  (Not sure if we are in compliance with this.)  That means that closets and storage rooms need this device, even if no hearing impaired employees or students are ever in that area.  Schools—at least theoretically—have no choice but to comply, and there is no option to meet the need in a different way.  Having to pay to comply often means cutting something that is more discretionary but may not be in the best interest of providing the needed programming.  The state and federal governments are constantly adding unfunded mandates. (Of course, if the state or federal government is footing the bill, we are still ultimately paying it!)  There is room for selective abandonment in schools, but an equal emphasis should be put on reviewing and eliminating many of the mandates.

Can We Fix It?

Many of the points made by Friedman and Mandelbaum offer specific direction on how to get where we need to get:  cut entitlement programs, reduce the national debt, raise taxes, etc. I’m guessing that the legislators find these requirements daunting, even if we weren’t suffering from political gridlock.   But I’m really not sure how we get to the educational piece.  We need creative creators and creative servers.  We need to produce critical thinkers and collaborators.  We need to improve the schools students attend.  We need to raise the levels of black and Hispanic young people.  The authors suggest that we can get there by having better teachers and principals, parents who are more involved and demanding, politicians who raise educational standards, neighbors who support schools, business leaders who raise educational standards and students who come prepared to learn.  First of all, please spare me the politicians who raise educational standards.  After that, I would say that Hatboro-Horsham does not represent the majority of schools/districts in the US.  We have a good level of the required supports, but so many areas of the country do not.  How do we get from zero to 60?

A friend of mine spent the end of his business career heading a non-profit organization that works with businesses and the Philadelphia public schools to provide school-to-work opportunities for Philadelphia students.  He was in a position where he could afford to do something he really believed in and was passionate about. When he retired, we spoke about his time with this organization, and his ultimate conclusion was that the Philadelphia schools are irretrievably broken.  Of course, there are notable exceptions to this dismal picture, but overall, in his view, Philadelphia lacks all of the requirements to do the work it needs to do.  Unfortunately, Philadelphia is not alone in this predicament.    Where do we start? How do we start? We can’t legislate involvement, readiness for learning, and community and business support in the same way we can legislate increases in taxes and reductions in spending.  Oh, wait a minute.  The legislators did legislate achievement levels.  They just weren’t possible for districts such as Philadelphia to attain at this time.  It would be a Herculean task to create a school system in Philadelphia—or many other places in America-- that has all of the requirements that Friedman and Mandelbaum state, but we can’t afford not to.  If you look at the requirements, they don’t involve more money, just more of an investment from parents, students, neighbors and businesses.  That’s actually a bigger task.