EDUC 790 Peace, Justice, and Education Reform

Signature Assignment
Roland Pendleton












WHAT IS THE CHANGE
Throughout recent decades, many people have tried to reform education in America.
Good (2012) states, the role of federal involvement in education has, in recent years, become
more and more prevalent. Such an involvement was not part of the historical origins of education
at virtually any level. Federal intrusion towards education certainly reached its highest peak over
the last decade.
Many government reforms have been created in hopes to improve education. Although
these reforms were created by the noblest of intentions, these reforms had a devastating impact
on Americas public schools. The reformers believed that testing students and making schools
accountable for their students academic failures would improve education. However, they were
wrong. The academic reforms that rely on tests and punish schools did not benefit education, but
impeded its progress. According to famed educator Diane Ravitch (2010), the reformers were
looking for a fast and easy way to improve education. However, as everyone knows, success
does not always come fast or easy. Today many educators are realizing what practices are and
are not successful. As more facts become known about the flaws of radical government
intervention, a new strategy in dealing with education is gaining momentum.
The change that many educators today argue is for less government intervention and not
more. This strategy supports the claim that sometimes less is more. After years of having the
government tell educators how to do their job, this new idea may come as a shock to many
people. However, if educators spend time looking at the results, educators can see that the facts
dont lie. When educators look objectively, they can see that government control over education
is not the answer to success. Unlike government officials, many educators clearly understand that
education reform cannot be immediate; it needs to occur gradually over time. If education reform
is rushed, grave consequences can occur.

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF THE NEEDED CHANGE
This section will discuss why this need for a change in strategy occurred. Two different
examples in which the government intervened and hurt our schools will be discussed. The first
example is The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the second is Bersin, Alvarado, and
Mayor Bloombergs education reforms. The NCLB Act is very controversial because even
though it was created with the noblest of intentions, it produced less than stellar results. When
George W. Bush was first elected President, he had a plan that would revolutionize education.
He promised a new era of high standards, testing, and accountability in which not a single child
would be overlooked (Ravitch, 2010, p. 93). Even though the goals for NCLB were set high, the
results fell well short of its goal.
During the creation of the act, many corporate executives and high ranking politicians
wanted measurable results; they wanted to know that the tax dollars invested in public
education were getting a good return. (Ravitch, 2010, p. 149). Due to interest in education, laws
were passed so that students would take tests in order to better monitor their progress. Even
though these laws were created with noble intentions, they were horribly implemented.
The idea behind the act was that sanctions would be created that would scare schools into
performing well. This however proved ineffective. The problem with NCLB is that it assumed
that good test scores were the same as good education. The gains in test scores at the state level
were typically the result of teaching students test-taking skills and strategies, rather than
broadening and deepening their knowledge of the world and their ability to understand what they
have learned (Ravitch, 2010, p. 110).
Ravitch (2010) believed that the problem with NCLB was not the tests, but the way
people treated and viewed the tests. According to Ravitch, there was too much attention focused
on tests. The problem was the misuse of testing for high-stakes purposes, the belief that tests
could identify with certainty which students should be held back, which teachers and principals
should be fired or rewarded, and which schools should be closed-and the idea that these changes
would inevitably produce better education (Ravitch, 2010, p. 150).
Evaluation of schools should involve more than just test scores. Racitchs book explains
that tests are necessary and helpful. But tests must be supplemented by human judgment
(Ravitch, 2010, p. 167). Test experts frequently remind school officials that standardized test
scores should be used not in isolation to make consequential decisions about students, but only in
conjunction with other measures of student performance, such as grades, class participation,
homework, and teachers recommendations (Ravitch, 2010, p. 152).
Results of NCLB have been very disappointing. According to Ravitch (2010), not only
did NCLB take away from deepening students knowledge, but it did not even improve test
scores that it worked so hard towards. What hoped to quickly close the achievement gap, actually
did the opposite. According to Ravitch, the achievement gap between black and white students
narrowed more before the implementation of NCLB than in the years afterward (Ravitch, 2010,
p. 110).
The second example that can observed is from the reforms of Bersin, Alverado, and
Mayor Bloomberg. At one time, Bersin and Alvarado made it their goal to close the achievement
gap. Even though it may have been a very good and noble goal, it was executed in a very
tyrannical way. To approach their goal, many requirements were forced on educators. During
this time, Bersin and Alvarado mandated a uniform way of teaching reading. All principals and
teachers were required to participate in professional development training to learn the techniques
of Balanced Literacy. Every elementary teacher was required to teach reading for three hours
every morning, using only Balanced Literacy methods. Principals were expected to be
instructional leaders and required to spend at least two hours each day visiting classrooms,
observing teachers, and making sure they used the Balanced Literacy method - and nothing else
(Ravitch, 2010, p. 49). Many educators did not approve of these education reforms. Linda
Darling-Hammond, a writer and educator, described this type of teaching as moving
students along a conveyer belt from teacher to teacher, grade to grade (Hammond, 2010, 63).
Although the policies of Bersin and Alvarado were unpopular, much of the anger was
caused not by the reforms, but by the way the reforms were implemented. According to Ravitch
(2010), many teachers were angry because they were told what do instead of being asked what to
do. During the reformation process, many reforms were forced upon educators and the educators
who refused were fired. During the Bersin years, 90 percent of the districts principals were
replaced (Ravitch, 2010, p. 53), and more than a third of the districts teachers left between
1998 and 2005 (Ravitch, 2010, p. 25). The instability caused by this amount of turnover in our
schools did not help at all in improving education.
Many of the lessons learned from the actions of Bersin and Alvarado can also be learned
from the actions of Mayor Bloomberg. At one time, Bloomberg tried to incorporate a major
education reform in order to help New York Citys schools become successful. However, the
results of his actions were not as successful as he would have liked. The reforms unintentionally
led to be less about educating students, and more about teaching students how to beat the tests.
As the city concentrated intently on raising test scores in reading and mathematics, the other
essential ingredients of a good education were missing (Ravitch, 2010, p. 90). The great
disappointment from these reforms is that this type of teaching resulted in education for these
students to become less rounded.

WHAT PROCESSES WOULD YOU NEED TO MAKE THE CHANGE; AND WHAT
PERSONNEL WOULD BE INVOLVED
In order to make the change, teachers need to be willing to make a stand. Teachers need
to make their presence known and let their voices be heard. Government officials may not be
willing to listen to the voice of a single person; however they would be willing listen to the
voices of many. Teachers need to be more willing to stand up and speak up against the overly
aggressive reforms that are plaguing schools. Teachers need to let politicians and voters know
that reforms need to keep the educators in mind. Nobody knows education better than teachers;
therefore teachers should be consulted when creating reforms. Teachers want to be asked and not
forced into making changes (Ravitch, 2010). Teachers cannot succeed if they are neither
respected nor put in the position to succeed. In countries like South Korea, teachers are paid well
and are given the same amount of respect as doctors and lawyers (Hammond, 2010, 173). Instead
of reformers telling teachers what to do, reformers should work with teachers and strive towards
getting their cooperation.
Famous educators John Dewey and Amost Bronson Alcott had remarkable ideas on
education. Instead of implementing large government reforms, they believed that simple
incremental changes in strategy would do more to benefit students. A few of Deweys teaching
philosophies can be very beneficial to students. A belief of Deweys that educators admire is the
belief that learning should not be limited to the classroom (Hytten, 2000). For Dewey, the best
thing to teach students is to teach them that learning can occur at any time and at any place.
Dewey believed that this idea of teaching through common day events would make learning
seem more practical. Dewey advocated for teachers to help students make connections between
what they are learning in class and what they do at home. By doing this, education for students
would seem more familiar and easier to understand. Common hands on activities such as
cooking and cleaning benefit students math and science skills much more than any standardized
test ever could.
Many educators also admire Deweys belief that teachers need to be open and willing to
trying new things. To Dewey, there was more than one right way to do things. Hytten (2000)
explained that Dewey believed that a teacher should not just tell students information, but should
also act as a facilitator and a guide in their students education. Famous educator Parker Palmer
agrees with Deweys view. Palmer said that there are many teachers who are not properly
educating their students. Palmer (2007, p. 118) explained that forces within these teachers
revolve around the belief that teachers need to do little more than deliver conclusions to students.
Forces such as these assume that the teacher has all the knowledge and the students have little
or none, that the teacher must give and the students must take, that the teachers set all the
standards and the students must measure up (Palmer, 2007, p. 118). Palmer believes that instead
of covering the field, teachers need to practice the field with their students.
Amost Bronson Alcott was also a great visionary when it came to education. In the heart
of Alcotts belief was the importance of the childs inner spiritual core. Kessler, an author and
educator stated that a soulful education embraces diverse ways to satisfy the spiritual hunger of
todays youth (Kessler, 2000, p. x). According to Miller (2012), Alcott used tools such as
journals, autobiographies, seating children in a circle, and Socratic questions in order to help
better educate children. Alcott believed that teachers were not meant to lead students through
their education; instead, teachers are meant to just watch and follow their students through their
journey of learning. Alcott worked towards expanding creativity in her students. Although often
overlooked, creativity is an important skill. Kessler said that creativity is a way of thinking,
learning, and expressing oneself that goes beyond the arts into the entire way we understand and
relate to the world (Kessler, 2000, p. 93). Alcott strove to keep students continuously
questioning and interested.
Instead of teachers just giving students information to memorize and turning students into
the mental replicas of themselves, Alcott believed in teaching students how to think for
themselves. Alcott believed that Socratic questioning helps students learn by having them
educate themselves by asking the right questions and trying to figure out the answers (Miller,
2010). Kessler stated, when guided to find constructive ways to express their spiritual longings,
young people can find purpose in life, do better in school, strengthen ties to family and friends,
and approach adult life with vitality and vision (Kessler, 2000, p.x).
Many of Alcotts ideas were considered breakthroughs during his time. One breakthrough
that he discovered was the benefits of having students sit in a semicircle instead of rows.
Compared to children sitting in rows, children sitting in semicircles were able to easily maintain
eye contact and conduct class discussions (Miller, 2010). Alcott also realized the importance of
using your senses while learning. When a child is able to use his sight, hearing, or touch, that
child is capable of having a better grasp of the concept he is trying to learn. From this
knowledge, Alcott often used pictures to help supplement his teaching (Miller, 2010).
Many educators believe in the importance of having a strong curriculum. If teachers do
not have a strong curriculum, more emphasis would sadly be put on accountability and
standardized tests. There are many teaching tools that worked in the past that can still be used
today. In order to improve reading and writing, teachers should put more focus into classic
literature. There are many books that have withstood the test of time. Books that parents and
grandparents have read can still be influential in expanding knowledge. The philosophy of
Dewey and Alcott can greatly help teachers become better educators. These teaching techniques
can improve knowledge much more than any government reform. The teachings of Dewey and
Alcott are so valuable that if educators successfully implement these teachings, large government
reforms would no longer be needed.

WHAT BENEFITS AND OUTCOMES WILL BE MADE IF THE CHANGE IS
IMPLEMENTED
If the change is implemented, many educators and students would greatly benefit. Instead
of focusing on teaching students how to be better test takers, teachers would have the opportunity
to focus more on providing students with a well-rounded education. Teachers would no longer
worry about test scores. They would be able to work towards imbuing students with the ideals of
good behavior, good citizenship, and the habits of mind that promote thoughtfulness and
learning (Ravitch, 2010, p. 241).
In Ravitchs book, she explains Richard Rothsteins view on how test based
accountability has corrupted education. Because teachers are forced to focus on having their
students pass tests, teachers are unable to focus on their main purpose of being teachers.
According to Ravitch, what is tested may ultimately be less important than what is untested,
such as a students ability to seek alternative explanations, to raise questions, to pursue
knowledge on his own, and to think differently (Ravitch, 2010, p. 226). If this change is ever
implemented, teachers would no longer be hindered by laws that make them lose focus on the
important aspects of education. Teachers would be able to regain their focus and never forget
that schools are responsible for shaping character, developing sound minds in healthy bodies,
and forming citizens for our democracy (Ravitch, 2010, p. 167). With this change, teachers
would be given the freedom to focus on educating children on becoming well rounded
individuals and broadening their knowledge to lead them to live fuller and richer lives.











References
Darling-Hammond, L. (2010). The Flat World And Education: How Americas Commitment To
Equity Will Determine Our Future. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Good, C. (2012). A Nation at Risk: Committee Members Speak Their Minds.American
Educational History Journal, 37, 367-386.
Hytten, K. (2000). The resurgence of Dewey: are his educational ideas still relevant?. J.
Curriculum Studies, 32(3), 453-465.
Kessler, R. (2000). The soul of education: helping students find connection, compassion, and
character at school. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development.
Miller, J. (2010). Bronson Alcott: pioneer in spiritual education. International Journal of
Children's Spirituality, 15, 135-140. Retrieved October 18, 2012, from the EBSCOhost
database.
Palmer, P. (2007). Courage to teach(10th Anniversary ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass..
Ravitch, D. (2010). The death and life of the great American school system: how testing and
choice are undermining education. New York: Basic Books.