Time To Actually Focus On Students

There is a whole lot of lip service paid to the idea of doing things in the best interest of kids. It makes for cute slogans. It even makes for cute subtitles for a book.

Honestly, it really is true. All of the hashtags, all of the slogans, all of the books, all of the Twitter chats are right; kids should be first in every single decision made in education.

The problem is that kids are rarely the focus of any decision made in the education field.

I get that we are in a pandemic and that this year is unprecedented. But, that is really just an excuse. It’s smokescreen for the fact that most decisions are made with a compromise that benefits the teacher’s union and the administration. Decisions are made based on bus schedules. They are made on calendar fits, money, resources, compromises.

There’s no doubt that there are Administrators out there who only want to do right by kids. I work for and alongside some. There are definitely so many teachers who only want to do right by kids. I work alongside them everyday. The problem is that we are all outnumbered and fighting an unfair fight.

The system isn’t set up to focus on kids, at least how it is currently constituted. Budgets, outdated Federal and State mandates, inane laws force schools to compromise. They force the compromise of true curriculum integrity because of the focus on test performance. They force the compromise of true teacher growth and learning with an archaic and nonsensical evaluation process.They force Districts to cut staff, raise class sizes, cut programs. They force Districts to worry about test scores, AP enrollment, rather than giving kids the meaningful education they deserve.

This unfair system filters down to local districts. Many have to put policies in place that aren’t about the kids. Instead, they are the result of intense negotiations between unions with neither unit having kids’ interests at the forefront. The Teacher’s Union is focused on the contract and insuring that all members are protected, even the ones who shouldn’t be in the profession. The Admin Union is doing the same thing, trying to extract the most value from the Teacher Union at the lowest possible price.

Listen, that it isn’t a criticism on either unit. Both have a job to do and they do it well. It’s what each unit pays dues for. It’s why school boards hire the central admins. Everyone has their own self interests. Everyone is trying to maximize their time and minimize their effort.

But, who is at the bargaining table representing the students? Who is saying that any decision based on compromise means that kids are coming last?

It’s worth repeating here: any decision that is based on compromise does not have kids at the center of the solution. Any conversation that doesn’t begin and end with the idea of what is best for kids is one that will result in yet another unsuccessful initiative, another wasted opportunity.

So, it’s time — especially now — to start making decisions that actually put kids first in every way. It’s time for the industry to finally revolutionize. It’s time for the Unions to give way and base every decision through the lens of the students we all serve. Slogans, platitudes on Twitter, and cute memes just don’t quite do the trick.

In order to serve kids, we must do the following.

1. We must realize that kids need contact with us every day. They need the opportunity to develop a relationship with their teacher. Remote, hybrid, or in person, students must see their teacher. Schools cannot switch kids out of classes because of pandemic scheduling problems. Right now, the student-teacher relationship is more important than ever. It can be cultivated in any environment — in-person, remote, or hybrid — but kids have to be kept with their teachers.
2. Asynchronous work does not work. Kids need their teachers. Kids need a schedule. The onus of doing the work must fall on the teachers and the students, not the parents. When kids are home, they should be live streaming the class so they can interact with classmates and teachers. Is it the same as in-person? No, but it is far more effective than a kid doing work after watching, at best, a video from the teacher. Any teacher union that allows asynchronous work is sending the message that the teacher’s skill in the classroom doesn’t matter for a kid. It is the wrong message.
3. We must pare down curriculum, even if the State and Federal governments mandate state tests. That. curriculum should be rid of the rote tasks and allow the room for students to learn skills for tomorrow’s world. Now, more than ever, students need a skillset that will allow them to function both in the traditional job market, but in the virtual world as well.
4. We must not gaslight high school students into thinking that they won’t go to college unless they take every AP course offered. Yes, students should be challenged, but taking every AP class doesn’t allow kids to develop passions and truly focus on the challenging courses in their interest area.
5. We must adjust school start times. Show me the research stating that teenagers should be up and learning at 7:00 AM. While bus schedules will be an issue, refer back to the start of this…it’s a compromise that doesn’t benefit high school kids. If we were to put the kids first, there is no way that they would be in English class at 7:20 AM.
6. We must completely redesign professional development. There aren’t enough opportunities where actual classroom practicality is valued. Most are simply motivation based, which have merit as well. We all need to center the love of kids and the job. But, PD sessions must give teachers the time to see an idea, practice an idea, and then implement the idea.
7. We must forget these “cure all” programs. They simply don’t help kids. Sure, the concept is good and it’s an easy way for District Admins to prove that they are doing something. But, that money would be better served to benefit kids by hiring more teachers, providing more PD, or paying teacher to run their own, individualized programs after the regular day.
8. We must do something really simple; we must ask kids. We must ask them how they learn best, what they think of a schedule, ask their input on lessons and techniques used. If we are putting them at the center, then they need to be a part of the conversation.

This is just a start. Out of this crazy pandemic, one thing has become clear. The teaching profession is needed. Kids need that contact, that relationship no matter the environment. We must do everything in our power to have that and to make sure that the time is maximized, it is relevant, and it is meaningful.

All of that can happen if we really put kids at the center of every single decision.