Confessions of a "Bad" Administrator?

I just read William Johnson’s op ed in the New York Times today entitled “Confessions of a ‘Bad’ Teacher.”  You can read it too at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/04/opinion/sunday/confessions-of-a-bad-teacher.html?emc=eta1.  It was sent to me by a teacher friend in Indiana.  Yes, I have teacher friends.  And yes, I was outraged on behalf of Mr. Johnson.  It occurs to me that if I am outraged on his behalf, perhaps I am a bad public school superintendent.  If so, I confess and the compliance police may now take me into custody.

Here’s what I know, (and when I say “know” I mean the following are true statements based on research, based on observations, based on three decades plus of experience):  The more affluent the parents the greater the likelihood that students will do well academically.  The more money per pupil that schools spend the greater the likelihood that students will do well academically.  No one measure of student performance is a good predictor of student success, however we define such success.  No high stakes standardized test comes close to being a good measure, much less the measure.  Public school “reforms” such as school choice, vouchers, charter schools, high stakes standardized tests, teacher appraisal tied to student standardized outcomes, re-structured schools by firing teachers and principals, and continuing media hype regarding  "failing” schools are much more about political posturing than real educational reform.  In fact, the politics behind these so-called reforms are firmly supported by people who oppose the notion of public schools and hate paying tax dollars to support them.  In other words, the Kool Aid is out there, but I refuse to drink.

Here’s what else I know:  Every kid is different.  Every single one of them is in some way gifted, disabled, precious, flawed and wonderful.  Every teacher is different.  Every single one of them is in some way gifted, disabled, precious, flawed and wonderful.  Schools are messy because they are full of human beings and the little ones dramatically outnumber the big ones.  The adults in the school are now charged with an array of missions schools, teachers and administrators have never faced, and student performance is measured using an array of indicators beyond anything we have ever seen.  The dream of non-school people to make all this a science or a private sector model of efficiency and effectiveness is merely a dream.  If you doubt that, go to your nearest school and have lunch with kindergarten kids then have lunch with high school seniors.  Assume responsibility for their performance and see where that gets you.  And lunch room duty is a cake walk compared to teaching! 

Real school improvement is a vast and highly complex process that involves all the players in the community including the kids, the parents, the teachers, the administrators, etc.  For every highly complex problem there is a simple solution, and it is wrong.  Real school improvement happens inside out, not outside in.  A memo, a law, a fiat, a mandate, sent down the chain of command does not result in better learning.  It results in compliance.  And if what we want from kids and teachers is compliance training, then perhaps I misunderstood what this nation is all about.  And even if you really want compliance education, it cannot happen with fewer resources, it can only happen with more.

I agree with Mr. Johnson, “Until we provide equal educational resources to students and teachers, we can't say how well or poorly they're performing.”  So, Bill, if you get fired, call me.  If I still have a job I’ll hire you.