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Five overlooked truths about education

Monday, September 3 at 12:00 AM

By Erik Palmer, Aurora

It’s back to school time. And naturally, there have been several articles, columns and letters to the editor about schools, school problems, and how to fix them.

Generally, they rehash the same arguments, but I think there are five truths that are always missed.

No teacher ever got into the teaching business for money. No, not one. It is not a profession populated by people who put money first.

I have to mention this because our conservative media have done an excellent job of portraying teachers and their associations as greedy money-grubbers out only for themselves.

In fact, few professions have members who are less committed to money. If someone tells you that teachers are only worried about their compensation, they are wrong.

Any teacher with five years’ experience knows more about children and teaching than all the radio talk show hosts, newspaper columnists and letter writers put together.

Teachers don’t resist ideas that benefit children. When good ideas come along, they embrace them. If the teachers don’t embrace an idea, it is almost certainly because the idea will not benefit children, and they are experts in teaching children.

It is not the case that extremely qualified teachers are lined up waiting for the dead weight to go away. It is not true that failing schools will miraculously turn around if we can fire all the bad teachers there and bring in the incredible replacements just jumping at the chance to go in. Rather, it is a miracle that anyone is willing to teach in some schools.

After decades of teacher-bashing, few of our best and brightest college students are seeking careers in education. The percentage of males in education is at a 40-year low, for example.
For those who do go into teaching, the dropout rate is staggering. Fifty percent leave the profession in the first five years.

And here is a corollary to truth three: It is not true that anyone can step in and be a great teacher. Having a math degree will not mean you can successfully teach math; having a degree in engineering does not mean you will be successful at motivating science students.

There is no simple solution. It would be easy to host a radio talk show and spew the party line of vouchers and privatization. It is difficult, however, to manage a school of diverse students in a public school that takes all kids.

My district spends millions on children with severe handicaps — special busing, an aide for each student, special facilities, and so on. A private school could reject these kids and use the voucher money on the elite children, leaving the public schools with all the rejected kids.
In the world of private enterprise, if a supplier sends defective materials to the factory, the factory rejects those materials and finds another supplier. Should schools reject all but the highest quality materials? Private schools do.

Since there are no mentally retarded or autistic or behavior-disordered or emotionally disturbed or special-education kids at them, should exclusive schools get public money? Do you really believe private enterprise has some magic solution to get the autistic child to pass calculus?
Schools aren’t able to do as much as you think. Schools function in an atmosphere that limits the schools’ effectiveness. The average child spends 13 percent of his or her waking life in school. It is not the case that a school has the power to overcome all that goes on in the other 87 percent of a child’s life.

Schools cannot trump parenting or culture or economics.

For example, year after year we look at CSAP data that shows a near perfect correlation between school performance and income level (high income equals high performance). At best, a school can tweak some things to mitigate that problem.

I am not saying nothing can be done to improve schools. I am saying that expecting schools to solve all the issues responsible for subpar student performance is unrealistic.

We have work to do to continue to produce quality education for all children. Looking for simple answers and scapegoats will not help us in that work.

Erik Palmer is a middle school teacher with 22 years’ experience. He is a resident of Aurora.

READER COMMENTS

AMEN!

Posted by Can I get an AMEN! on September 6, 2007 02:04 PM

"Schools cannot trump parenting or culture or economics."

Actually education is nuetral to such concerns.

So much for Abe Lincoln learning by candle light in a log cabin, he must have been too extra-ordinary, he must have been "gifted" right? Wrong, thousands were doing it...

The requirement of Social, economic and cultural "allowances" are myths perpetrated by inflating the importance of these "mystical, human concerns".

I've home schooled my two oldest,38 and 35. They returned to public schools in their junior year of "High School". They loved it. They'd come home saying how easy it was because they had already learned it from dad.

I've taught "slow learning" sixth graders. They weren't slow learning, they weren't being taught by their teachers. They were up to "snuff" in math and reading within 7-8 weeks. I did this for 4 years.

So I"ve got the tea shirt..I've taught my own children and they've graduated from college and own their own business.

I taught my oldest children basic economics and wealth building rules to follow. Now sometimes they follow the rules sometimes they don't, but at least they are making a knowledgable choice of self determination.

This should be basic education for our youth, yet it is completely missing in a liberal education courses at Harvard. It should be taught beginning in middle school. It should be taught as basic core requirement of any degree from a University. We live in a capitalist society, but we completely ignore the skills to become a success financially IF WE WISH.

Isn't that strengthening what our founders saw in a free society. Have this country be made of people with self reliance and self determination and forever fight against the intrusion of government. Now we have a Romanoff in the state house callling for year round schooling.

In the 50's we had arguably the best public school system in the world. Now we're number 19.

We were number 1 without "new math". We were number 1 without year round schooling, and we were number 1 without 28 days off a year for "teachers days"....

If only we had this, if only we had that...

I'm not buying it any more. The story is the same for 40 years and we have a whole set of parents thinking this is new stuff coming from the teachers and their apologists.

They aren't doing their jobs..they're a union. Unions used to stand for employee rights, now they only seem to want employee "benefits".

The money they "get" is fine for working 8 months of the year. Many make money during the summer to suppliment. They travel, they have off if they can financially and plenty of them do. I have several teachers in my neighborhood....

So what's the problem? We have the foxes watching the hen house. A legislature that is bought and paid for by the teachers union...

Year round schooling?

My crystal ball says, "Next up will be salaries in proper ratio to what they should be earning".

We would not want them to work 3 more months and not give them a raise, right? Ah, another Ref C in our future...I can see it now...hat in hand.. but we must "for the children"...

Will our children be taught any better?

bwahahahaahahahaahahahahahah

Somebody give me an Amen!

May God Bless,
Father O'Malley

Posted by Father OMalley on September 5, 2007 10:48 PM

the op might as well have done it this way....

You Vill submit to our indoctrination You Vill be qviet und give us more money and NO QUESTIONS! Dumbkopf!.

Ve know what is best for your child und ve vill not be told otherwise.... Ve are not accountable!

ummm, no thanks Adolph.

Who makes the decisions where your child goes to the doctor? who makes the decisions on your child's bedtime? Now, who makes the decisions about your child' education? Scary, isn't it.

The OP makes the statement that your children should be forced to go to a failing school, cuz it's not fair if your child gets out and others have to stay....wow... What's next, you must drive a Pious, so your farts won't stink?

How about this? Your child is worth X dollars in public funding. You get to take that to whatever school you want. You can take the child to whatever school makes you happy. You have the choice. If the school is more expensive than X dollars, you get to come up with it. If you have to sacrifice some Starbucks coffee for your child, then so be it. You may even be required to help at the school occasionally.

If you want to leave your child in the public school as it fits your needs, you may. If you want to go to a Montessori school, a Catholic school, a Muslim school, a military academy, you may make that decision with your child in mind.

The NEA hates this idea. They lose control, cash and power.... You can see why they would hate it.

So, rather than forcing a kid who has a chance into a public school indoctrination, let the parents make that choice. The Special needs kids are worth more money per student. There will be schools that crop up to deal with them... and they will be accountable.

I watch the progress of a Montessori school in Boulder. They produce students who can think, who are going to be functioning members of society and they do it for far less than the public schools.

Why must we accept failures of public schools? Why must we be stuck with teachers who cannot count to 11 without taking off their shoes? Why does the NEA protect failing teachers?

Teachers at the Montessori school are truly there for the experience. They earn a fair salary and actually care about the students. These are the teachers who are truly good at their jobs. They don't need the NEA to protect them. they let their products speak for themselves.

Even if it is fairly liberal hehe.....but, that is the choice of the parents....

Posted by Dravur on September 5, 2007 03:22 PM

so, tell me again how begging for more money all the time helps your argument? Oh yeah, Teachers are not concerned about money, so, why do we need to give them more?

Posted by Dravur on September 5, 2007 02:53 PM

More teacher pay/requirements/etc. doesn't change the fact that the public school system is supposed to educate all children. As Mr. Palmer mentioned, all children includes those with LD/ED difficulties and more. Mainstreaming those children makes the job even more complicated. I think the teachers would appreciate a district springing for teacher's aides (para) in every classroom as well as smaller class sizes that afford the possiblity of more personalized instruction even with the addition of children with more "problems."

Posted by Stella on September 5, 2007 01:48 PM

Mr. Palmer,

You do bring up some valid points. But here are others for you:

1) If the school boards and some of the admins took pay cuts reflecting a more realistic salary.

2) The state increased funding to the public schools to pay the teachers more.

3) the tenured system was done away with.

4) the teachers were required to get 80% on their own subject assesments to keep their jobs.

5) the school stopped worring about the CSAPs, and political correctness and started teaching their assigned or elected subject areas

Then perhaps we could:

1) fill the teacher vacancy.

2) with qualified teachers

3) and our kids would actually learn.

I've learned from my first two and my second two are starting out at a charter school, Rocky Mountain Academy of Evergreen. Look up their school rankings. Perhaps, public schools should learn from them.

Posted by Harry on September 5, 2007 11:40 AM

MER, The one GT school is full and has a waiting list a mile long.

Their is also Stargate School which is a charter school for geniuses,funded with public money.

I don't think she is a genius but to get her into Stargate I would have to pay $400 to have her tested through one of their Physciatrist's. I don't have that kind of money.

I think if the school can come up with tutors and a program to help students who are behind then they can come up with a plan to keep students that are ahead challenged.

There is also a new charter opening in our area next year. I have looked into them ,because they have other school in other states.
They teach a core knowledge curriculum and proven math programs like saxon math.

They will test her and put her in the grade she tests at. I'm hoping that will work out for next year.

Posted by Can I get an AMEN! on September 5, 2007 07:28 AM

Amen, are there any gifted/talented programs or schools in your area?

Posted by MER on September 4, 2007 04:19 PM

MER, After two years of fighting with the school she is finally going to recieve an Advanced Learning Plan.

If you had to deal with a school system like the one my children go to,you would be fighting to get your child educated.

That is all I have been asking since she walked into kindergarten.

My problem with the plan is it will bring her up to her level which is 3rd -5th grade level depending on the subject.

They won't skip her to a grade she is ready for ,but they are passing children every year not prepared for that level.

Is it any wonder we have a 30% proficiency rate in 10th grade reading?

Posted by Can I get an AMEN! on September 4, 2007 02:23 PM

This is a good way to engender sympathy in an educational debate: compare school children to defective factory materials. That illustrates the mindset of the public education establishment.

They assume their job is to mold and create something out of the unrefined mess parents leave at the school house door.

At the same time, teachers complain that they don't get enough help from home. Hmm, no disconnect there ... unless what they really mean is that parents aren't parroting, er, reinforcing what happens in the classroom.

Mr. Palmer also asserts private schools are more inclined to reject "defective materials." There is a public school in California that has made it clear it only wants to deal with "the highest quality materials." An 8-year-old child with a form of epilepsy that led to absense seizures -- momentary periods of "checking out" followed by confusion as she reoriented herself to what was happening in the room -- could be so much of a challenge that she was sent to the office during assemblies. She was even held out of a silly classroom Christmas activity. It was suggested that transferring to a private school might be best for all. So much for the ability "to manage a school of diverse students in a public school that takes all kids."

Meanwhile, a private high school in Parker does a marvelous job with "defective materials," with all manner of issues, physical and otherwise.

Oh, that sound you hear is, no doubt, teachers applauding Mr. Palmer's missive. More's the pity.

Posted by prima facie on September 4, 2007 12:01 PM

The author of this article, and its readers, may be well served by reading _Education Myths_ by Jay P. Greene. More information on the book is available here: http://www.manhattan-institute.org/educationmyths/reviews.html

Posted by on September 4, 2007 09:13 AM

Amen, there you go again, bragging about your children ad nauseam. Why don't you just move? Why don't you just home school your kids?

My daughter attends a JeffCo school and is also above grade level. She has ALPs (advanced learning plan). She helped a student who is autistic, blah, blah, blah.

I think the schools she has/does attend are doing a good job in recognizing her strengths and placing her in situations where she can excel. I am not saying that all JeffCo schools are doing a great job.

I don't know about the school your children attend, but JeffCo schools have teams and it's decided which team would best fit each child.

I've seen some of your previous comments about putting "dumb" children in with the smart ones, namely, yours. Please get over yourself and your kids.

Posted by MER on September 4, 2007 08:41 AM

I know my limitations as a writer.However that will not stop me from trying to get my point across.

I usually write what I am thinking and don't worry about the errors I am making.I am not perfect.

My children are in District 12.

Another pet peeve I have with their school district is grades.

My child brought home her 1st report card in 1st grade. She had already passed the 1st grade reading scale before starting the year.

Her report card had alot of 2's ,which are subgrades within a subject.

Getting a 2 means working towards the standard. When I asked her teacher why all the 2's when she had already been assessed past these grades,her teacher told me, she can only give my daughter 2's because the rest of the class had not been taught that material.So know I have a school district that tries to dumb down my kids and grades them on what the class doesn't know.

Does this make sense? To be graded on what the rest of the class doesn't know?

Posted by Can I get an AMEN! on September 4, 2007 07:53 AM

"...How come a no degree ,prechool teacher can teach every student I have ever had to read before going into kindergarten and the teachers can't teach them after years of trying?" says AMEN.

Well, it might have something to do with a 1-to-1 teacher-to-student ratio in the scenario you describe. A kindergarten teacher is dealing with 25-30 students at a time.

And I'm sorry you experienced the frustrations you did, AMEN, but this is not typical. In the public school where I teach (and have taught for 17 years), if a student falls behind or gets ahead, there are MANY accommodations to make sure that student is given the extra help or the advanced curriculum he/she needs. THIS is much more typical of today's public schools. I know this. I work there.

But such boring accommodation doesn't make a great headline or talking point for a political candidate's campaign or a talk show host's ratings, so we don't hear about it.

And it's hard to take you seriously as an educator when there are literally dozens of compositional errors in your letter. I got tired to counting them.

Please support your local public schools in their efforts!

Posted by Tom on September 4, 2007 06:17 AM

Amen do your kids go to district 50 by any chance? Your story sounds like many I have heard and/or experienced in this district.

Posted by on September 3, 2007 09:20 PM

That's a pretty silly response, Grog. If CIGAA had agreed with the letter-writer/editorialist, would you hold that against her too?

I would point out that, in terms of educational issues, teachers' opinions span the entire spectrum. Are non-teachers allow to weigh their various arguments, or are we intellectually obligated to side with the NEA?

Posted by Brew on September 3, 2007 07:48 PM

Mr. Palmer, you note accurately the correlation between parent's income level and student test scores. That means that teachers do not make a difference. It may be that teachers are prevented by the system from making a difference. I tend to agree. Which is why I didn't send my children to public schools. (Two of them were legally truants for a while but nobody said anything to me.)

Nevertheless, the education system seems to be broken beyond repair. Not only are test scores unacceptable, but 20%-45% of the children do not seem to be in the schools at all. If we tested all of the children, the test scores would be even worse.

I don't have answers. But I know that we have to set our goals low and be willing to say to some children that the system doesn't have a way to help them. It wasn't of help to my children.

The education system reminds me of the health care system. A large percentage of the population lives outside of it.

By the way, one of the truants mentioned above just got a 1410 on his GREs.

Posted by Yaakov Watkins on September 3, 2007 07:42 PM

"I found your statement ," any teacher with five years' knows more about teaching children than all the radio talk show hosts,newspaper columnists and letter writers put together, " is in my opinion a myth."

Hilarious.

I have to ask, did it even cross your mind that when he wrote "letter writers" he might (MIGHT) have been thinking of people like you?

AMEN's response seems to validate that particular point nicely...

Posted by Grog on September 3, 2007 07:19 PM

I found your statement ," any teacher with five years' knows more about teaching children than all the radio talk show hosts,newspaper columnists and letter writers put together, " is in my opinion a myth.

I have had teachers that have sent home letters not to correct spelling in the stories your children bring home. They did this when my daughter was in 1st,2nd,and 3rd,grade.
I thought they knew what they were doing so I let it go. Now I have a 5th grader who can't spell.

After much complaining and showing how correction can make children better spellers, they have changed the policy.

My now 2nd grader can spell better than my 5th grader.

I tought preschool for 13 years. I had my own preschool business.
I taught every child how to read before entering kindergarten.

I taught a little boy I was a nanny for to read before kindergarten.I didn't get a chance to teach his younger brother because I stopped being a nanny when I started my own family.
She did call me and ask me how to get her younger one to read better,because he was having trouble in 1st grade. They children went to a private school that costs $8,500 per child , per year.

I taught both of my children to read before kindergarten. My first daughter went to kindergarten and her teacher recognized immediately that she was ahead in reading and gave her more challenging books to read and she now is in 5th grade working at a 7th grade level.

My second child went into kindergarten reading a late 1st grade early 2nd grade level. When I asked her teacher to give her more challenging books , I was told, "no" she wanted to keep all the students on the same level.At that time my kindergartener was doing 1st grade 100,problem time tests for addition and subtraction and had already mastered the 1st , 2nd and 3rd grade word lists. I had to go to the school board because my daughters' kindergarten teacher told me it was abusive to let my daughter read above kindergarten level.

She retaliated against my daughter and I.She tormented her the rest of the year.

Now my daughter is in 2nd grade working at a 5th grade level in reading and a 3rd-4th grade level in other subjects. they won't skip her ,but they will pass students to the next grade no where near that grade level.

I'd like to ask you Mr. Palmer, How come a no degree ,prechool teacher can teach every student I have ever had to read before going into kindergarten and the teachers can't teach them after years of trying?

I volunteered in my oldest daughter's class when she was in 3rd grade. I was reading with kids reading kindergarten books,in 3rd grade!

The public school system is set up for failure if you don't have parents at home making sure your children are being taught on their level,not the level the school wants to dumb them down to.

If you have parents that are involved in their childrens education they only want the parents that sit down and shut up and do whatever they say,because they know what is right for your child. Challenge them and you will be in a battle every year with them.

This is how our modern day public school system works.

If a student is behind they get a watered down curriculum and passed on. If they are a mediocre ,stay within the lines learner they are somehow rewarded,because the teacher has taught them the out of the box education well. If you are ahead of your teacher's curriculum they try whatever they can to keep you from achieving your highest potential,because it is not in their box.

That is what the school system is today.

I complain alot about the school system,because it is failing the bright children,it is failing the behind children,it is failing everyone.

I complain ,but I also make sure my children are getting the education on their level not the watered down version.I will fight every year if I have too. I will not let a school system tell me they are right when I know they are wrong.

I will make sure my kids and others get the education they deserve. I am fighting for all children.I am not going to give up.

Parents out there fight for your children. The school system is not always right when it comes to knowing whats best for your child.

Posted by Can I get an AMEN! on September 3, 2007 09:44 AM