The title of this post says it all, unfortunately. If you were hoping for a more thoughtful or introspective analysis of the problems facing education institutions at the December 1st panel discussion, put together by the Granby Board of Education and televised by GCTV, you would be disappointed. As I was.
I had to stream the video from the GCTV website to view the panel discussion as I was out of town and unable to attend it live. In retrospect, that was probably a blessing, as I was able to fast forward through some of the more self-serving cr@p that was served up by several of the panelists.
One of the most disturbing comments made came in response to moderator Susan Regan's question about why even the very best US students lag so far behind their international peers. The almost unanimous response from the panelists? You guessed it -- "it's the parents' fault" and "we need more money."
Ignoring all of the evidence that has come out in recent years about the importance of the person standing in front of the classroom -- evidence that clearly shows that teacher quality is THE critical component -- the board panelist instead chose an easy scapegoat -- parents, culture, and money.
Never mind that they were speaking in a town that has voted budget after budget of spending increases in town, even when it has meant cutting the hours at the library and cutting services for the elderly or poor. Never mind that parents donate hours of their time and money to keep athletic and enrichment programs viable, that attendance at conferences, open houses, concerts, and fund raisers are phenomenal. Never mind that parents pay for private tutoring (sometimes with the very same teachers that failed to teach their children during the school day) or spend hours on weekends and evenings struggling to reteach content their kids missed during the day.
Apparently, we don't have the same culture or commitment to education as say, Finland, China, Korea, or Singapore, according to our Board chair. He didn't bother to mention that we actually spend much more than any of them and get far worse results.
He also didn't say how much money would be enough. Or where it would be spent. If the past years are any indication -- new money isn't going to improve teacher quality by recruiting experienced proven teachers or teachers from top schools, nor is it going to reduce class size or improve the curriculum materials. Priorities for our district have been to increase administration and increase non-teaching teacher experts. Oh, and to put SMART boards in every room imaginable. None of the priorities of recent years (more administration, more teacher trainers, and more technology) have any demonstrable impact on the quality of education.
What a shame that nobody at the panel discussion had the courage to say that we need to realign our priorities and focus on the kids, the teachers, and what goes on in the classroom.
One of the most disturbing comments made came in response to moderator Susan Regan's question about why even the very best US students lag so far behind their international peers. The almost unanimous response from the panelists? You guessed it -- "it's the parents' fault" and "we need more money."
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