Education: “Talk the Talk, But Skip the Walk” by Tunya Audain, Nov. 13, 2009
Nat Hentoff, writing for the Village Voice (New York) in the ‘70’s said: “Public education is the biggest consumer fraud ever.”
At 84 he is still working, producing research and opinion pieces on things like Free Speech and the Middle East. I emailed him to see if he would do a follow-up to the above story of so long ago. He emailed me back with his phone number and asked me to call. The day I called he was on deadline for a radio show but said he wasn’t doing education stories anymore, and besides, he said, his daughter was homeschooling his grandchildren.
Why would anyone even consider that a swindle is taking place?
Because, to achieve public education we seem to require a massive infrastructure which is extremely costly, vulnerable to misspending and corruption and susceptible to fads and questionable theories. For this cost, we expect students to be able to at least acquire the basic skills with which to continue their learning.
I have written frequently about the big difference between public schooling through government infrastructure and the “public education” which is achieved through alternatives such as home education, independent schools and online provision. The scores on standardized tests from these communities are equal if not better than government schooling.
The only thing that prevents full public funding of these alternative means is the blocking by those who benefit from the current subsidized infrastructure – at the school level, school board level, university level, and Ministry level. The needs of children, it seems is secondary to maintaining the infrastructure for the needs of the industry.
But, perhaps a yet bigger consumer fraud has overtaken the one mentioned earlier: The Education Reform Movement.
After my children graduated I too “graduated” and drew back from the activist role I played in the 70’s – 80’s. It’s only lately that I have reactivated my witness and involvement because of 4 grandchildren. I had actually forgotten many memories of past struggles and efforts.
Last night, I was taken aback while housecleaning, to find an old essay I did for ED 460 (Intro to Educ. Admin at UBC) entitled: “Education Administration Via Innovation Double-Talk. That was 1974! I will be posting a digest of this essay on my blog and it should be up soon. http://genuine-education-reform-today.org/
In 1974 I wrote: “Whether by design or default, there has arisen a phenomenon – the manufacture of educational innovations…to engineer, monitor and control change…those changes that are allowed…are those that do not seriously disturb the basic, long-established structures as they now exist. In other words, what is being presented is but the illusion of change.”
35 years later I find myself saying the same thing. I have changed a lot in that time, BUT the Education Reform Movement has NOT!
I wrote recently upon this issue.
While I had no concern whatever about the recent appointment of Monica Pamer as superintendent of Richmond SD, I did foresee some problem with her statement to the Press that in this time of restraint “A funding challenge opens up new ways of looking at things.” These were my comments meant as a caution as to where her good intentions might lead.
“I really hope she can indeed shed the institutional blinkers acquired from the past 35 years and look at things in NEW WAYS. And, bring others along too.
If there are to be professional development workshops on “new ways” I hope it's not just bringing in those tired and worn out ideas from the turnaround and school improvement hustlers from afar who earn Frequent Flyer Points beyond belief coming to BC. Pamer’s professional association, the BC School Superintendent’s Association, really likes these presentations.
“How to Talk the Talk but Skip the Walk of Education Reform” is the real message of these presentations. This is especially dangerous, in my view, because it is deceitful and pretends to develop leadership capacity. All these workshops do is give the “so called” leaders the language with which to keep clients, citizens, students, parents, teachers, and trustees placated and quiescent.
For example, an upcoming BCSSA Fall Conference (Nov 19-20) http://www.bcssa.org/ is headlining Valerie Hannon, an expert from England, who will “explore the reasons why transformative or radical innovation in education is now an urgent imperative in education.” I was curious. What’s she talking about?
Her group focuses on 21stC skills called Next Practice. They belittle “best practice”. They train Next Practitioners. Their “agenda” (their word) is to change “values” for the 21stC. Give me a break! The 21st Century has just begun! The previous “change agents” (Fullan, etc.) are tame compared to this baby!
Her literature says: “School improvement techniques have made some headway, but the rate of upturn in results is glacial…as a result, the language of IMPROVEMENT AND REFORM has given way to the language of TRANSFORMATION AND RADICAL INNOVATION.” In other words, since improvement is SO, SO, s-l-o-w (glacial) at least LET US STAY IN THE BUSINESS but change the language. Can you believe it?
Frankly, the credibility of BCSSA is really questionable given that they would buy this bill of goods as a genuine contribution to education change and student engagement. UNLESS, of course, that IS the intent – that this upper echelon of decision-makers WANTS to learn more STALLING language and techniques!”
Coming back to the topic of this blog entry: “BCTF uses YouTube to decry FSA’s” I was not surprised to see Dr. Andy Hargreaves prominently featured in the YouTube spiel against standardized tests. This video will be “debuted” at the conference, Protecting our Children’s Future” for BCTF locals and sponsored parents this weekend.
http://bctf.ca/NewsAndEvents.aspx?id=19750
BCTF has already captured many school trustees during last fall’s board elections through pledge sign-ups and funding of campaigns. Now they are selectively recruiting more people (parents this time) to their cause.
The latest BCTF propaganda video is what they do well. And to have Andy Hargreaves adamantly oppose standardized testing is something he does well and the two go together.
What I am surprised about is that the same Dr. Andy Hargreaves is to make a key presentation to the BCSSA conference discussed above. He will be premiering his report on PBE (Performing Beyond Expectations) — another innovation for people to go gaga about. “Sustainability” is one of the key concepts in this new wave.
The fact that the same speaker can move so easily between two disparate camps shows there is a uniformity of purpose and strategies between them. Collusion might be too strong a term to use at this time but I definitely see a mighty force ranged against the dreams and aspirations that parents have for their children. The public school industry is well-oiled and organized with a barrage of new terminology with which to beat back naysayers and frustrated clients.
When will this emperor be seen as naked and deceitful? There is no real reform possible or imminent relief with this establishment in BC. Frankly, the only alternative for parents and students who don’t buy this bafflegab – this talk without the walk – is home education, independent schools or online education and with equal funding.
Unless of course, sensible people would say, let’s drop all this hocus pocus and get on with the job!