Susan Ohanian has been posting information about Oprah in the Ourtrages section of her site. Susan’s a fireball, and she’s a shining light for teachers who feel oppressed by unrealistic expectations.

I found a copy of Kozol’s Savage Inequalities today at a used bookstore. I bought it because I enjoyed Shame of the Nation, which I read last week. If the problem of inequitable schooling isn’t intentionally racist, it has that effect nonetheless since most of the underfunded schools are attended predominantly by Blacks and Hispanics.

If any good is to come out of this misguided attempt to blame schools for the failures of our society, it will be in helping us to begin defining a democratic vision for public schooling. We need to begin forging a positive vision, and find ways to make it real in the face of this other noise from people like Gates and Oprah, and Bush. What is necessary for that to happen, though, is for teachers to become alert to the damage this discussion is causing, and to speak out loudly. We need to talk back. Thank you for lending your voice to the cause.

Of course, there are those out there wanting to add Results to the list. They think it is the end-all, beat-all for proving who is doing his or her job. Perry, et al has lost touch with reality. I do prefer Strayhorn’s idea of moving the testing to the beginning of the year to have it used as a diagnostic tool and a guiding instrument for working with each student. However, I guess that is not politically correct, is it?

Web 2.0 is an awesome set of tools for us to engage our students in the learning process. This leads me to the next point. While I am self-motivated and search out great blogs, podcasts, and books to learn from, many teachers do not (for whatever reason). There should be in place the opportunity for teachers to access extensive, hands-on professional development in the new instructional and learning aids. They should also have the same availability to content area training. Sure, ESC’s can offer this in many instances. But there is more out there than what they are willing to consider. The key here is that this training should be paid for and the educator’s time compensated. This will further encourage them to continue their education. Many teachers have to work extra jobs just to make ends meet. This goes double for men in the industry who are trying to be the main bread-winner of the family. Male influences are desperately needed in the classroom, yet the state fails to recognize that low salaries are driving men out of education. Not every district pays the exorbitant (actually, more on target) amount that the urban districts do.

Money is the key here. When you have so many diverse students with issues just as diverse, there has to be exemplary funding to aid them. For example, a small district with dyslexic students can easily expend four or five thousand dollars per student in just that area. That is money not provided by the state adequately. These are the kids suffering when districts cannot deliver and when the state refuses.

I feel there is a fourth item to add to your list of key elements to the solution: positive parental involvement. You hinted at this one even if it was unconsciously when you mentioned “parents that really care about them too.” It is funny that we can regulate everything but the most important job a human could have. Instead, the kids pay the price. The onus is on the school to raise the students as well as educate them. Then time becomes an issue. We spend so much time on both things that both suffer. Time cannot be manufactured, and the state is not giving it away. They are using it up faster and faster each time they meet in Austin and “reform” education. Twelve hours a day is not enough to do what we need to be doing already. So that leaves us needing to be more efficient with our time. Web 2.0 can help us with that as well.

You quoted Shaw. I quote James (1:2-4 as a matter of fact). “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” I have to have something to hang onto during these trying times in under-funded education.