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?
