When you wear green spectacles, why of course everything you see looks green to you. The Emerald City was built a great many years ago, for I was a young man when the balloon brought me here, and I am a very old man now. But my people have worn green glasses on their eyes so long that most of them think it really is an Emerald City. -- The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum The power of rhetoric can be alluring and strong. The education policy debate has regularly struck me as odd and often incredibly frustrating. Although there is plenty of evidence to consider when looking for solutions, no one is willing to discuss it. During my campaign two and a half years ago, I learned that I needed to do my homework before taking a position, and when a new issue arose, I researched it. I found that the answers to most questions were pretty clear. However, when I’ve tried to share research and data with those on the opposite side of the debate, no one is willing to engage in a discussion of the evidence on the merits. This should be a huge red flag. Instead, I hear a lot of rhetoric: -“Stopping us is critical for those who want to protect the status quo.” -“We believe all children can learn- a belief not shared by many of our detractors.” -“Parents just want good schools for their children.” -“Change is hard.” What does any of this mean anyway? And then there are the straw-man arguments: If you don’t agree with the corporate reform model as a solution, you must believe there is no hope for struggling schools. Or you believe African-American or poor children or [insert the type of student] cannot learn. Or you believe priority schools can’t do better. I have to ask: Has anyone- for even one moment- ever argued that we should just sit on our hands and allow struggling schools and students to flounder indefinitely? Has anyone ever argued against positive change for schools? Of course not, because that would be absurd. All this rhetoric ultimately indicates that there is simply no effective way to spin the evidence. If you can’t address the facts, then demonize the messenger. There are certainly nice people on both sides of the education debate, and I don’t doubt the intentions of most. I know a few who initially supported certain “reform” policies, but later bravely came out against them when evidence emerged that they do not work. However, I’ve come to believe that too many others, particularly those who make their living from school “reform,” have reached a point of self-delusion that can’t be overcome. Those who have been in this game too long and have built their livelihoods on it are too personally invested to ever shift positions. They can’t. It would destroy their careers and their lifelong-held beliefs. Instead, they contort themselves into all sorts of strange positions to avoid dealing with facts and evidence. We parents, teachers and others who are most affected by the education “reform” debate must continue to share our perspectives and the evidence. School reform is not a union issue, a career-related issue, or a political issue. It’s not about “winning” or “losing.” What do people like me we have to gain by publicly engaging in this debate- other than a lot of headache and personal attacks? This is about our children and their peers. We are engaged in the education debate for the greater good of our students and communities. Because we have no financial stake in the outcome of the education policy debate, we can see clearly. The truth is out there- if you are willing to remove your green spectacles.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Dec 2014 18:46:46 +0000
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