This post has been brewing for many, many months, but I've spent a good amount of that time feeling bad about even wanting to write it down. Here's the deal: I'm a former public school teacher, a really good one (if I take a moment to be obnoxious about it), and I'm contemplating ways that I might avoid the public school system with my own oldest child. (Ugh.) I feel sad about writing down that sentence, but there it is.
I asked my Mom a week or so ago if, when we were in school, she was able to trust the system to "do right" by us, even if we didn't get the best teacher that year (Mom and Dad always requested our teachers, but occasionally the first choice didn't happen). She said yes, she didn't see the system overall as a problem at the time. I cannot say the same thing right now in good conscience, because I don't support the foundational theories upon which we are building that system. I think that, to some degree, this is something that has changed since my own childhood.
What do I believe? I believe that early elementary curriculum should be play-based, and there should be a proportionally small amount of time spent with textbooks and worksheets of any kind. But I know, with the first MEAP test being administered in the fall of third grade, that this is simply not happening in the majority of our schools today. There's too much pressure to do otherwise.
In a period of time in which our state is essentially bankrupt, it feels like I can't trust the system to provide enough teachers to keep my kid's class sizes at a reasonable level. The best teacher in the universe is going to struggle with high-quality teaching in a room with numbers of kids approaching or surpassing 30.
I can't trust state "report cards" and the like, because I know that they are based on test scores. So, online resources don't provide the answers I need.
I need more information from parents whose students attend our schools, but I know that I need to take these with a grain of salt. Again, I hear Mom's voice in my mind and her advice about parental feedback: "Always ask someone whose kids are no longer there. It's rare for someone whose kids are currently in a place (a day care, a school) to give criticism, because they are then implying that they're sending their children every day to a place that they don't believe is up to par."
There are going to be more posts like these, because this is something I'm really struggling with. But, as a start, I want to record this post and add a couple of links to articles that appear in major online media sources just today:
Slate article on a new book by a formerly-leading proponent of No Child Left Behind.
An article from Salon by a parent on why his family chose to homeschool rather than send their kids to kindergarten.
8 comments:
(re-posting after a quick edit...)
I see your point about the enormous problems with our current public education policy. It's stunning to me that standardized tests are still used as a measure of much of anything, what with all of the solid research indicating their faults and failings. The weight given to test results is preposterous, and the effect that this has on the quality of education is deeply worrying. I'm with you there.
But in your family's case, by no means are we facing some kind of failing inner-city school with high drop-out and teen pregnancy rates, low college enrollment after graduation, violence, insufficient books and pencils, etc. Sure, Maia may be in a classroom with 30 kids to a teacher, so she may not get as much one-on-one attention as you'd like. She may do more worksheets than free play. But what are the consequences of this, really? Given the care and attention she has received during her first years, isn't our girl pretty well-equipped to cope and thrive, even under these less-than-ideal circumstances? Or do you see such circumstances at this stage posing real, insurmountable obstacles that will compromise her success later in life?
In other words, it's a worst-case-scenario question: what is so dangerous or harmful in the Ann Arbor public schools that you'd consider alternatives for your children?
I'm familiar with your long-held principles regarding the importance of a strong public-school system to the health of a democratic and egalitarian society; to a certain degree, those principles motivated you to become a teacher in the first place, and you've always been particularly passionate about public education... Good public schools was one of the reasons you and Brian wanted to move to Ann Arbor in the first place. So I imagine that the worst-case scenario would probably have to be pretty bad.
The whole thing becomes a much bigger, much more philosophical question pretty quickly... Hence, your struggle. Yikes.
See, this is exactly why I wanted to post this entry! Thanks for your thoughts, Jo. I heartily and enthusiastically answer "yes!" to pretty much everything you wrote.
But here's my fear: that this isn't going to get better. Michigan has been in the economic doldrums for at least a decade, and we're looking ahead to some pretty huge per-pupil funding cuts for the 2010-2011 academic year, in addition to this year's cuts. I worry that the structure is breaking down all around us, you know?
I am an enormous supporter of public education, and I do believe that Maia has a whole host of tools at her disposal with which to surmount some significant challenges. But, if things are headed down the road of getting a lot worse, my question is "surmount obstacles, sure, but at what cost?"
I wonder about the enthusiasm-deadening effect that test-driven curriculum in the early grades might have long term. And so here's where the philosophy comes in: it's an issue of dueling ethical and moral codes, in a way. The long-standing principle that I have in support of public education still holds ... but do I make decisions based upon that principle at the expense of my own child's well being?
I'm really not pondering these questions as things stand right now, because it seems to me that Ann Arbor is probably still doing just fine. But two, three, five years down the road? With no signs of statewide economic recovery? I don't know ...
Oh, good stuff. Good, meaty, important stuff. What a great excuse to procrastinate.
You've mentioned one possible consequence of less-than-ideal AA public schools: a deadened enthusiasm for learning. Sis, take it from me, deadened enthusiasm for learning is a risk no matter what school we're talking about, no matter what decade. I had some pretty severe learning-enthusiasm deficiencies when I was a kid and a teenager, and I turned out all right. (Depending on one's standards, of course...) At least we can say for sure that I eventually regained a true, independent passion and enthusiasm for learning, for knowledge, even for teaching.
In some cases yes, of course, a loss of enthusiasm for learning could have long-term negative effects. It's not something that we would WANT for the kids in our lives. I posit, however, that these long-term negative effects would not likely come to pass in the case of a kid like Maia, with such an engaged and involved extended family, network of family friends, supportive community, etc.
If AA's schools really begin to fail three or five or seven years from now, I'd love to see the members of that community live up to your progressive reputation, make a racket, and effect positive change. If any community in the country has the balls to demand quality public education, and the resources to get its collective hands dirty and make it happen on both the practical and the political levels, that community is AA. I mean, am I right? I could see passionate parents getting involved in the schools, committed parents running for public office... I just really can't see the parents of AA deciding, as a collective body, either to subject their children to truly substandard public education on the one hand, or to give up on public education and turn to private or home schooling on the other. If AA gives up on public education, my god, the rest of the country may as well throw in the towel, as well - and that'd be a real tragedy, a true rejection of some of the best ideals on which our country was founded. (Seriously. Go read Thomas Jefferson's writings on public education, if you need some inspiration.)
I'm riffing a bit, here... And clearly, I'm biased. No point in hiding my bias, I guess, because I respect you and I respect your struggle, and of course you want to know where I am coming from as we debate... It's part of why we can have such rich debates, you and me, because we really bring ourselves to the table.
Anyway, I guess this is how I see it: if you want to be the change you wish to see in the world, this is one of the places you can really do it. If you want to live your principles, here's your chance. There will be others, sure - but this issue has always been pretty important to you. If you believe in the principle of public education, sis, you are SO SO SO well-situated to fight for it - given your education, your background, your family, your socio-economic status, your community, your professional networks and responsibilities... In this case, living according to your principles does not really put your kids at risk - come on, admit it, not REALLY - certainly not now, and likely not in the future, either.
(to be continued)
Lots of stuff to ponder, certainly.
I've seen some excellent public education and sub-par public education, both with the same daughter, and what turned it around in our less-than-stellar year was the amount of time we put into being a full participant in E's education. We worked with her every day (as we still do) and talked/emailed with her teacher when we thought her teacher was not getting it.
E has 27 in her class this year, but because of the quality of the teacher and his support network, she's having an awesome year educationally and socially (she might not agree on the social part, but boy, is she learning how to navigate the waters.)
I know you would be an awesome home-schooler - as awesome as my neighbor in Chelsea was with her Suzuki Violin, Singapore math, constant field trips/field observations, but my neighbor gave the public schools a few years chance before pulling her daughter out.
I think AA Open is phenomenal, and the for-pay full-day kindergarten options in AA are pretty freakin' fabulous as well (Reggio Emilia and all that). The other kindergartens we explored all left us wanting more, but when we unexpectedly made our move and were "stuck" with the local school, we learned how much we could step up to the plate in order to fill the gaps we saw. We still consider moving E, and we may someday when $ is less of an issue, but for now, I think I understand what it means to truly educate our children: teacher, student and parent all equally working together to help develop a successful citizen and well-rounded person.
My lack of comment today, friends, is due to the plentiful sunshine in Michigan and my joy at having hours to myself. :) I'll get back to this thread soon.
C
We are dealing with many of the same issues. You should feel fortunate. Toby and I will be leaving a neighborhood we love to have at least decent public schools. Our neighborhood public schools are inadiquate in every way, the majority of students start school not knowing their letters, some are not even potty trained. Thomas may qualify for "Clasical" elementary school, but to quality you take standardized tests (yes at age 4). Private schools would require me to return to work, something I am not willing to do (the catholic school across the street costs over 5k a year). The high schools and middle schools are even worse, the teen pregnancy and violence rates are unacceptable (they staff police at the schools to deal with all the violence because the teachers have been hurt by students).
I think we worry about all of these things because we are good parents. I am sure you guys will make the best decission for your family.
Seeing someone who is so philosophically committed to public education still have a struggle between home school and public school for their own child does tend to cement the deal for someone like me who is not committed.
The most common reason my wife gives to anyone who asks why we intend to homeschool is that neither of us, nor most of the people we know had what could be described as a positive experience in school. And though true, she really gives that reason because it's the one reason that stops the defensive reaction of many people.
Closer to the core of the reason, though is the hidden curriculum which is taught in public schools. For explanation of what I mean, you can look here, http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1899/Curriculum-School-HIDDEN-CURRICULUM.html or here, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hidden_curriculum . I find it humorous that people will so often ask, "How will you socialize them?" when they find out about homeschooling, not realizing that for me avoiding that particular program of socialization is one of the points.
I have no doubt that a child can receive the education a parent desires through the public school system if enough care and time is given by the parent to supplement and complement and oppose that education. It does seem though, that the amount of time and effort that would require from a parent is not much less than the amount of effort it would take to properly homeschool in the first place.
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