The Flat World and Education- Book Review

Book Review

The Flat World and Education

Linda Darling- Hammond c.2010 Teachers College Press

Linda Darling Hammond has been and advocate for inner city school children every since she received her Ed.D   in Urban Education from Temple University in 1978. She is cut from the same cloth and-Jonathan Kozol and Diane Ravitch.  In the Flat World and Education, Darling-Hammond sets out provide the reader with statistical data   illustrating what most educators already know.  Public schools in this country are unequal and inner city school children are at a great disadvantage because of their school’ physical plant, the lack of concern from administrators and the poor preparation of the teachers who teach them every day.  There is this long standing inequality in the America’s classrooms that places minority students at a disadvantage from day one.

Darling- Hammond charges the reader with building an infrastructure in our teachers colleges that will produce quality teachers who are capable of being successful with ALL students.  She discusses the importance of school and teacher preparation colleges to work together.  She further believes that No Child Left Behind needs to be revamped and I certainly concur with the analysis.  The way that we assess student learning  needs to be retooled as the way students are assess is a byproduct of how they are taught.

“We believe in the importance of preparing students to live and success in a global economy. We don’t think that the mastery of basic skills is sufficient for this goal. What we need is an education system that teachers deep knowledge, that values creativity and originality and that values thing. This unfortunately is not the path on which we are now embarked.” (Diane Ravitch as quoted in The Flat World and Education p.282)

Darling-Hammond also reviews the topics of teacher pay, tenure laws, and the importance of true professional development. The is book is more of a scholarly work rather than a Jonathan Kozol work like Savage Inequalities  which was written for more mass appeal.  While it would appear that the author here is preaching to the choir and that she has resurrected ideas that have been around for a while, it is critical to keep the concerns of under served student populations on the front burner in any way possible. The author offers a myriad of suggestions of improvement in the classroom and in teacher preparation institutions

Linda Darling Hammond was an education advisor to Barak Obama during his election campaign. She is the author of 12 books and over 300 articles. She is the Charles E. Ducommon Professor of Education at Stanford University College of Education. Dr. Darling- Hammond launched the School Redesign Network and has been involved in the Stanford Educational Leadership Institute and the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education.

Social Studies - an Endangered Species

An article appeared in the Wall Street Journal on June 15, 2001 with the headline “Students Stumble Again on the Basics of History.” Those educators who have been following the trends in standardized testing aligned to No Child Left Behind Act should not be surprised. Classroom teachers are charged to focus on getting the students prepared to take the tests and those tests focus on essentially two subjects – language arts literacy and mathematics.  Thus a subject like social studies gets put on the back burner and is not taught as it should be.  According to the WSJ article, for example, fewer than 25% of US twelfth graders knew that China and North Korea were allies during the Korean War. Students had a difficult time with historical time lines or the US Constitution.

I recently attended a lecture in Washington DC give by noted historian David McCullough. While he was promoting his latest book, The Greater Journey, McCullough lamented during the question and answer session about the decline in the teaching of social studies in America classrooms.  Although the article was recent, the issue of what America school children should know about their country and its history is not new. E.D. Hirsch, a highly regarded professor at the University of Virginia, published quite a controversial book in 1987. Cultural Literacy- What Every American Needs to Know was an attempt to quantify the body of knowledge that Americans needed to understand in order to successfully participate in society. Hirsch developed a “list” of 5000 names, phrases, dates and concepts that transcended many disciplines- art, music, mathematics, civics, and history.  What Hirsch discovered was that social status had a great deal to do with what a student’s general fund of knowledge was.  Children who were exposed to museums, plays, concerts, and books, were better readers and had a higher rate of cultural literacy that more underprivileged (read minorities) students. Hirsch and his colleagues went on to publish the Dictionary of Cultural Literacy and a series of books for each grade level (e.g. What Your First Grader Needs Know). These are part of the Core Knowledge Series that spawned from  an organization that Hirsch helped to establish.

It behooves us as educators to be the guardians of social studies, the arts, and others school subjects that are on the endangered list. We need to make sure that such subjects remain a part of the school curriculum. We need to stress to our students that history and music are important and deserve their attention. Those of us in the profession need to develop materials that are both engaging as well as challenging.  As always your comments and input are welcome.

(Note: The Great Journey and Cultural Literacy are available from Amazon.com and can be ordered from this site.)

Should we Extend the School Year?

Extending the School Year

For most of you school has just ended for the year and summer vacations are about to begin. For others, the end of the school year is only days away (assuming you are not making up “snow days” from this past brutal winter). But after all of the euphoria about “school’s out for summer,” we may need to pause and reflect whether or not we should be doing this. The 180 day school year has become sacrosanct for decades and as a result many of our students are falling behind their peers in other highly industrialized nations. Countries like China, the UK, and India all have longer school years, running from 200-220 days. Their students seem to retain more knowledge and perform better in key academic subjects.

Here in the US we have been content with a 13 week summer vacation which results in a “brain drain” or learning loss of knowledge obtained during the school year. Disadvantaged students suffer more as they need more reinforcement. Add to that the fact that student diets change as there is no school lunch (or breakfast) program for them to participate in.

The founders of the KIPP (Knowledge Is Power) Academy charter school program, Michael Feinberg and Dave Levin, have continually demonstrated that a longer school day and school year lead to positive results in student achievement. For information about the KIPP Academy program go to www.KIPP.org.

As far back as the 1980’s with publication of the “Nation at Risk” report it was noted that American students were not able to compete with many of their international peers who spend more time in school.

In September, 2010 President Obama, alarmed about America’s declining school standards, began advocating for extending the school year by one month. As with any recommendation that would create a paradigm shift in current policy, there has been a great deal of opposition. Many teens rely on summer jobs to pay for college tuition, clothing, or to contribute to family income. In the same vein, merchants in summer resort areas, like the New Jersey seashore and summer camps rely on this pool of students to fill seasonal positions. Teachers complain that they need time to recharge their batteries after an exhausting school year. Many use the time for professional development and take graduate courses that will lead to advanced degrees. Many localities however, are already strapped for cash and the cost of extending the school year could be prohibitive. The school district of Los Angeles has already begun to SHORTEN the school year by a few days in an effort to save money.

Ultimately, things will have to change. In order to do this successfully we need to bring all of the players to the table, local school boards, teachers unions, parent organizations, business leaders and government officials. We must bring education to center stage in the national dialogue.  Our future leaders and thinkers are out there now on a ball field or in fast food restaurant making sandwiches. That will not bring this country back to its education predominance.  We need to take a long hard look at the QUALITY of education and how effective class time is used in addition to the number of days schools are in session. (QUANTITY)

Class Trip- Destination Washington, DC

The school trip – a rite of spring

It is an annual rite of spring, much like the senior prom. I am referring to the phenomenon known as the class trip. Each year, the economy and the local school board permitting, thousands of middle and high school students board charter busses (or planes) and head for variety of destinations. Some end up at Walt Disney World where the focus is on enjoyment and entertainment. Other schools prefer a more historical and educational experience.  A major destination for many seems to be Washington, DC- our nation’s capital. A trip here can be a life changing experience with memories that  can last a lifetime.

Washington is a great field trip destination with dozens sites for students. It is a social studies teacher’s dream trip. Despite the high cost of transportation and hotel rooms, one of the pluses of DC is that all federal sites are free. The Smithsonian, Arlington National Cemetery, the White House, Capitol, the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress, all have no admissions fees.

I was in Washington DC last week visiting some of my favorite sites. I finally got to see the inside of the Supreme Court building as I had always been in DC on a weekend when the Court is closed.

I was gratified to see so many students for all over the country visiting the sites that they had read about for years. Many were decked out in bright colored tee shirts or hats so that teachers and chaperones could keep track. Some students seemed disinterested, spending more time texting or listening to tunes on their IPods rather than taking in the sites. For others there was an air of exhilaration- perhaps they were away from home for the first time. Some had a the “ Aha” moment- so that’s where Barak Obama lives.

Carrying out a successful class trip requires a great deal of planning. Some teachers, with much foresight, had contacted their legislators, months  before the trip, to arrange for special tours of the Capital or White House that are not generally opened to the public. Some of the more convenient or less expensive hotels fill up first , months in advance of a visit. There are also professional tour companies that will plan your entire experience and cater to school groups.

Here are some tips for teachers planning future class trips.

A)      Prepare several pre- trip activities. Have students complete some research of their destination. There are great web sites that will help get students ready. The U.S. Supreme Court’s website is a very helpful prior to visiting the building. Go to www.supremecourt.gov.

B)      Have students keep a journal or diary of their trip. They can add photos from their digital cameras or cell phones to create scrapbook of their experience.

C)      Develop a follow up activity when the students return home. You  might for example have groups of students  prepare a newscast sharing with the class what they saw and experienced.

D)     Teachers should keep a log of the trip and activities making notes about the best sites, what to avoid next year, and where to eat or stay.

Finally I recommend viewing the web site www.historyexplorer.si.edu. This site from the Smithsonian has great ideas for trips with free resources teaching and learning American history.

Retention and Social Promotion

Social Promotion and Retention

Social Promotions.  This is the time of year when teachers and administrators begin to evaluate the work of under performing student and discuss the possibility of retaining a student  the  previous grade or “socially promoting “ the student to next higher grade without having met the  benchmarks necessary for promotion. Retention and social promotion have been hot button issues for decades dividing academicians into opposing camps.

One of the issues regarding retention is student performance on state level assessment testing. “The National Research Council recently summarized research, concluding that low performing students who are held back because of their test scores do less well academically and are far likelier to drop out than comparably achieving students who moved ahead in school with grade retention increasing the odds of dropping out…” (from The Flat World and Education by Linda Darling Hammond, p76)

Social promotion is now banned in Detroit. Many other cities and states are considering ending social promotions. Statistical information does not usually present positive pictures of social promotions being successful. There are several issues that need to be addressed when considering either socially promoting a student or retaining him or her in a previous grade.

 (See http://www.educationreport.org/ubs/mer/article.aspx?id=12135)

Things to consider when contemplating retention or social promotion of a student.

1)      It is critical to have parent involvement. Their input is very important. They must buy into whatever plan you come up with.

2)      Rule out a specific learning disability. A non- diagnosis or misdiagnosis would be catastrophic to a student education and their social well being.

3)      Review other options. Extended school year or summer school may be an option depending on the school. However many districts have eliminated summer schools due to budget cuts.

4)      What does the student want? Are they willing to agree to the terms of retention or a social promotion?

5)      How has the school dealt with retained or socially promoted students in the past? Is there a plan for remediation or are school setting student up for further failure?

6)      Are the reasons for retention academic or social?

Please see http://www.greatschools.org/special-education/health/659-repeating-a-grade.gs

Remember Memorial Day

 The fourth Monday in May has been designated as Memorial Day, a national holiday to honor those Americans who died while serving their country in the military. Originally called the Decoration Day, the day was dedicated to honor whose soldiers who died during the Civil War. It was after World War One that the day was dedicated to include all wars. In 1966 President Lyndon Johnson authorized Memorial Day as we know it today. The day is commemorated at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C with the placement of a small American flag at each grave marker.

Memorial Day created a great teachable moment while classroom teachers  can explore the purpose of the holiday ,indicating that it is more than a day of no school, family picnics and the unofficial beginning of the summer season.

I encourage you to take a look at the numerous web sites  that offer lesson plans, printable worksheets and classroom activated for your students.

The Education World web site has numerous lesson ideas for students in all grade levels. Individual and group projects are also explored. Go to   http://www.educationworld.com/holidays/archives/memorial_day.shtml

Another good site is Teachnology. This site also has classroom activities and lesson suggestions.  You can find this information at   http://www.teach-nology.com/themes/holidays/memorialday/

Finally the History Channel, a perennial site for all American holidays and history events has great video clips and a photo gallery. The link is  http://www.history.com/topics/memorial-day-history.

Our students deserve to know about their heritage and their role in American society. Teaching about patriotism should  be a part of the curriculum for all students.  As always your input is welcome. One of the traditions of this day is to read the poem Flanders Fields" written after World War I. A great opportunity for a class participation activity.

We owe a debt a gratitude to those who gave their lives for us.

Congratulations New Teachers !

Graduation Time

May is the time for college graduations.  Students have turned their final term papers and have taken their last exams. After the celebrations and good wishes are over, it is time to get serious about entering the adult world and find a job- not an easy task in this economic environment. For many students who are liberal arts graduates, they may be no defined career path. For teachers it is different. Educators have spent four (or more) years preparing for a specific occupation.  For the most part they are focused on a specific career path.

This past week I had the honor of attending the commencements ceremonies for the Graduate School of Education of the University of Pennsylvania.  Dozens of newly minted doctorates and over a hundred Masters Degree candidates are about to enter the job market, many look for public school teaching jobs. This is what they are about to face. According an article that appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer (May 15^th, 2011) as many as 5000 teachers in the Los Angeles School district may lose their jobs at the end of the current academic year. The Pennsylvania State Education Association, the union that represents over 190,000 teachers in that state, has indicated that as many as 9000 teachers may lose their jobs. Budget cuts and the economy have wrecked havoc with the teaching profession. However that should not deter those truly committed to educating America’s youth from seeking their place in the profession. There are jobs out there, but you need to think outside the box.

Lest this blog seem too depressing, please allow me to share some of the comments made by Dr. Ramon Cortines, Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District and lifelong educator. Cortines was the keynote speaker at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School commencement.  He remarked that as a teacher you are always a teacher as well as always a learner. Cortines also went on to say that that by becoming a teacher you are making a commitment to improve they quality of life for your students. Teachers are agents of social change. He encourages teacher to be the “guide on the side” rather than the “sage on the stage.”

Dr. Cortines went on to make several recommendations to the teaching profession.

1)      Teacher Preparation- Teachers need to be trained as leaders as well as educators. Many of today’s teachers are not prepared to deal with the mutual partnerships required. Teachers need to constantly refining their practices to keep up with current trends.

2)      Teacher Recruitment- While Tech for America and the National Teaching Project have helped recruit college graduates into the profession. There need to be a more concerted effort. To find a train excellent teachers.  Cortines believes that we need to look at alternate pathways to the classroom.

3)      Evaluation and Review- Today’s methods of teacher evaluation are obsolete and very subjective. There needs to be multiple measures of teacher effectiveness. Teachers should not solely be evaluated on student performance on standardized tests but a set of multiple measures need to be developed, including a peer review process.

4)      Seniority- Just because a teacher has been on the job a long time does not necessarily mean that they are an excellent teacher. Many of the veteran teachers in the classroom today are lacking in technology skills as well as new innovations in science. Seniority is not the best way to evaluate teacher effectiveness.

Dr. Cortines believes as did Nelson Mandela that “Education is the most powerful weapon to change the world. Best wishes for much success to all of you have graduated this year. I hope that if you are a first timer, you will check back to this blog often to help with your chosen profession.