As the semester comes to an end, I, along with fellow colleagues, have been asked to reflect on our learnings about the complexity of school reform, its many faces, and its impact on schools, teachers, and students. It is not an easy undertaking. Educational reform has a long history fraught with issues such as declining student achievement, inconsistent teacher accountability, whose standards, and costs of high stake testing. No one quite agrees on the purpose of education, on what curriculum should be taught, or how to best reach all learners. More importantly, what might work for one locale is not even a reasonable solution for another locale. What is certainly true, is that for many young people, schooling is not effective; we have to make a change, but what does this change look like? Are the answers located in national standards, more high stakes testing, developing and sustaining quality teachers, school choice? There are no easy answers and many voice their perspectives.
What struck us that in the many discussions on educational reform, it was the rare moment when the voice of the classroom teacher spoke or was heard. Larry Cuban, in his book Why is it so hard to get good schools? (2003, New York: Teachers College Press.), is one author who acknowledges how his experiences as a classroom practitioner have shaped his theories and his work. He shares his truths about teaching. The truth that sits with me most is “…the teacher is at the heart of student learning and school improvement by virtue of being the classroom authority and gatekeeper for change (p. 1).” He positions the classroom teacher as a gatekeeper. I envision gatekeepers as individuals that control passage from one place to another. Gatekeepers have the power to constrain information, knowledge, and decision-making, thus locking them out of progress. On the other hand, gatekeepers are in the position to open the gate, opening access and moving the journey forward. In this light, classroom teachers are in a powerful position to make the difference for a child, a school, and a system.
As classroom teachers, do we see ourselves as having power? Do we use our influential power to bring about positive change in teaching, learning, and student achievement? If we are that powerful, and I believe we can be, then where is the classroom teacher's voice in school reform? Why have we not been invited into the dialogue?
In my classroom I do have power because you can build you won class culture. I am a ninth grade advisor so the vice principal comes to me with questions and for advice, so I have power in that way. But if I were to suggest a school-wide change, I don't think I would even be able to get a meeting. I don't even think administrators below the principal have power. We don't even have faculty meetings. So we have no voice. I think we need a voice. How do you build that culture of working together with not staff meetings.
ReplyDelete9th Grade Social Studies Teacher, Urban High School
As a chemistry teacher in an urban high school, I have a decent amount of power in my classroom because I connect with my students and hold them to my expectations, not the school's. I was seen early on as a "good teacher", and so I have more free rein over what I am doing. Within the school, I have almost no power. I am even on some leadership teams, but we know that the processes we do are just for show and ultimately the district will do whatever it wants to do, regardless of our input.
ReplyDeleteI teach in a small, rural town in northern California. I am a Jane of all trades teaching many 7th grade content area subjects. I feel powerful and effective in my classroom, but I have never felt heard in the decision-making process here no matter who the administrators have been.
ReplyDeletePower is relative. Within the confines of my classroom, I have significant power. I can choose how to teach what is needed to be taught. This allows me to customize the learning experiences to meet the needs of the students before me. Within my team, I am often a silent member, choosing to listen, offering an idea when I feel it will be heard and/or accepted. Within the science department, I have had some influence in bringing colleagues together to look at how to teach and how to develop learning experiences that target deep understanding. I feel that I have had less power beyond these situations. In part, this is because of the leadership structure of the school. Those who are in coordinator positions are viewed as leaders and these are the individuals that receive the training. In general, there are some very powerful teachers in the district whose voices are heard. There are also many voices that never do get heard. It all depends where you are in the hierarchy and how outspoken you wish to be.
ReplyDeleteMiddle school science teacher, small school district
I work in a 5-8 KIPP Middle School in a small city in upstate NY. Officially, I am an instructional leader/teacher leader. I feel that in my classroom, I definitely have power. Administration is really good about letting me do what I want. They offer support whenever I need it. I don't have much power within the school. Everything we decide is pretty much run by the kids. Most of its good, but not always. I would like to take on more, but I don't know if there is really a position for that.
ReplyDeleteI am a pre-K teacher in a Quaker school in an urban setting. Everybody has a voice here. Whether it is an equal voice, that's different. But we all do have a voice. So I don't really feel that the administration moves on anything that affects either curriculum or classroom work or even the make-up or our classes like and admissions. None of that happens without teacher reflection and input.
ReplyDeleteI am a teacher in a private school in Chile. I work as a history and social studies high school teacher. I feel that there is a big flaw in terms of the administration in my school. There is no clear leadership that is able to build support for the workers. There is no effort to share criteria among teachers. Spaces of autonomy are poorly understood even by the teachers. Teaching is not the center of discussions, not even in the school's councils. The power of the teacher inside the classroom relies on each person, as there are no guidelines or consistent rules. The teacher has power to the extent that he or she is validated by the students and that he or she is credible. In this sense, the classroom is a place where you can make many decisions that end up having a deep impact on students.
ReplyDeleteHello everyone! Reading Therese’s posting as well as all of your comments, I find the subject of this discussion extremely interesting and appealing…and your inputs have made me wonder how teachers could move one step forward. Embedded in everyday’s urgencies to achieve student’s learning, teachers manage first hand information, and this puts them on a privileged position to promote change; their voices have to, need to be heard!! Change may be promoted without them, but change will happen only with them; the question that lies ahead then is if change needs to start from them...
ReplyDeleteIt is pretty evident that all of you do feel to have power in the classroom, but only some –like Lynn and Mary- have had spaces to step out of the classroom and make their voices heard. Is it then –as Cuban suggested- that teachers, as gatekeepers, are not allowing reform to get in the classroom? Or is it that principals are locking teachers’ voice inside it?
Drawing from Lynn and Mary’s experiences, it seems to me that teachers’ voice needs to be mediated by the principal; maybe this is the person or role aimed to open the classroom door. Or maybe, as in Lynn’s experience with the superintendent, such spaces should start by being opened from the district.
Strikes me also one of Isabella’s comments…some teachers in her district do have the power to make sure their voice is actually heard, but other voices that are never listened. The question then is: how can we open paths? How can we make sure that there’s an ear available for the voice of any teacher that wants to step out of the classroom and speak out his/her urgencies? All voices are important, all voices should be heard, but the most important ones are those who want to start change so that students’ learning may be enhanced.