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?