Where is Wisdom?

I am amused by three recent political events: the new Texas NCLB flexibility waiver, the recent actions of the Texas Legislature regarding the Common Core, CSCOPE, STAAR, and graduation requirements, and the ongoing fight at the State Board of Education regarding evolution in science textbooks.  From the perspective of a school system it is clear that our very conservative state government adheres to the identical political philosophy as the more moderate federal government regarding educational policy.  That policy is that local school systems do not have the wisdom, knowledge or motivation to structure their own improvement.  The only difference in Austin and Washington (and sometimes local school boards) is venue.  The philosophy is the same:  No entity beneath my perspective and bureaucratic level has any wisdom at all, and once I am elected to a political position I become an expert in education.  The outcomes from such philosophies and mind sets have reached the level of absolute lunacy and I am shifting from LOL to LMAO with a few tears in between.

When George Bush ascended from the Texas Governorship to President of the United States he took Texas accountability notions with him to Washington.  Under Bush, the historic Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was up for reauthorization and Bush helped re-shape this federal policy to more closely align with the Texas accountability system.  The new ESEA was authorized under Bush as the No Child Left Behind act, or NCLB.  Public education is still subject to the provisions of NCLB because Congress is reluctant to re-authorize the bill.  However, because the implementation of NCLB revealed monumental flaws in public education policy, the federal government allows the US Department of Education to grant waivers to certain provisions of NCLB.  Typically, for a state to receive a waiver from the federal government, the state must agree to certain provisions.  This is monetary blackmail at the highest level, legitimized by legislation and bureaucrats.  Want to be exempt from being labeled “Missed AYP”?  Agree to develop a teacher appraisal system that includes test outcomes as a variable of measure and agree to adopt the Common Core, a national curriculum.  I find it hysterical that Texas balked at these agreements.  Washington requires of the Texas government what the Texas government requires of local school systems.  From the Texas legislature point of view, the wisdom lies in the state legislature.  From the USDOE point of view, the wisdom lies in Washington.  Texas chafes under a requirement to adopt teacher appraisal prescribed by Washington and curriculum prescribed by Washington while Texas requires every school district in the state to comply with the Texas prescribed curriculum and teacher appraisal.  LOL. 

We now have begrudgingly received a NCLB waiver from Washington.  Funny that there is no waiver for public school systems to seek from the Texas government for the state accountability system.  Why would there be?  The state perceives that the wisdom to define accountability, design curriculum, implement teacher appraisal systems, and develop standardized tests all reside at the state level.  Such wisdom does not reside in Washington, nor does it reside in the local school boards, and it surely does not reside with the professional practitioners in schools. 

The mental flaws in all this are catastrophic.  The first flaw is that any governmental body of elected and bureaucratic officials who are not professional educators should develop educational policy oblivious to professional advice.  The second flaw is the assumption that these elected and bureaucratic officials have the wisdom to implement such requirements for the sake of school improvement driven by political agendas.  So, the argument continues:  does Washington know best what is best for Texas schools, or does Austin know best what is best for Texas schools?  Meanwhile, local boards and practitioners really see no difference in complying with either federal or state requirements.  From the ground level a compliance requirement is a compliance requirement regardless if the author of the requirement is a politico from Austin or Washington.  From a superintendent’s point of view, both Austin and Washington believe they are the emperor dressed in educational finery arguing over who is best dressed, and both appear to be naked to the professional practitioner.

Meanwhile, there are factions in the Texas government regarding accountability.  In one legislative session our accountability model is tweaked while the voices of professional educators go unheard.  In the next legislative session the system must be re-tweaked due to the fact that legislators do not know what they are doing and the unforeseen consequences predicted by professionals come to fruition.  As the legislature re-tweaks the system they still do not listen to professional educators; rather they choose to listen to political cronies and lobbyists.  In fact, every time the pros stand up and tell the legislature what the consequences may be those pros get labeled as whiners.  Clearly, legislators in Texas believe they have the wisdom and professionals do not.  So sad. 

We transitioned from one high stakes standardized testing rubric to another.  From TAKS to STAAR.  The tests were re-written and kept secret though school districts, schools and teachers will be held accountable for the outcomes.  At the high school level complicated formulas were developed to determine graduation requirements based on tests administered at the end of each core course.  These tests are cleverly labeled End of Course exams, or EOC’s.  After the first year of implementation two interesting things happened.  First, the predictions of professional educators regarding this implementation came true, though unheard by the state.  Second, the parents in the state rose up and in no uncertain terms demanded that the legislature follow a more rational approach to testing, such approach to reduce the number of tests and the requirements to graduate.  For fear of losing their jobs as elected officials and education policy makers, the legislature responded by dictating more flexibility.  The implementation of the flexibility was assigned to the State Board and the Commissioner of Education.  Neither the SBOE nor the Commish are educators.  Hence we go back and forth regarding which of the inappropriate high stakes tests should count.  Again, naked emperors writing policy.  Again, the wisdom is in Austin.

While the state was at it, they passed legislation demanding that no one agree to teach the nationally prescribed curriculum.  However, there is no option but to teach the state prescribed curriculum.  Am I the only one who finds this somewhere between hysterical and frightening?

And, a lone senator who is a radio talk show host in real life arose in arms over a curriculum management system because he believed some of the lessons encouraged kids to think in ways that went beyond compliance with his value structure.  This system was known as CSCOPE.  I spent a lot of time elsewhere in this blog addressing that decision making process.  Bottom line, this senator got the authors of CSCOPE to back down and required districts to get public approval to use the system.  Where is the wisdom?  It clearly lies with this senator and our public.  It does not lie with the professional educator.  Editing lesson plans?  Our legislators are losing their minds.  Rational thought is out the window.

Finally, the State Board of Education (SBOE) returns to the adoption and approval of science textbooks.  Once again, they have the wisdom, not science teachers.  Once again, the decision becomes political and religious, not professional.  The issue for some members of the SBOE is how to address evolution in the books.  If the proposed book addresses evolution in ways that conflict with the religious beliefs of the SBOE member, the book will get vetoed.  Shall we simply take a majority vote regarding religious beliefs then ensure that our schools only teach the beliefs of the majority?  Uh, why did folks come here from Europe and elsewhere?  Why do we find it so important to separate church and state?  What is the difference in this approach and the Taliban approach to education where only approved belief systems may be taught? 

I am amazed that the same group of believers has not attacked math books.  If one believes that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are one entity, then one believes that in this case 3 = 1.  Any math book that states something other than 3 = 1 is blasphemy and should not be approved.  Sound ludicrous to you?  The evolution debate sounds equally ludicrous to most educated folks.  So, once again Texas receives national attention and the inspiration for a host of jokes and laughter for the evolutionary war fought at the SBOE level.  Those members of the SBOE who insist that evolution be taught with caveats and alternative explanations fly right in the face of all we know.  And yet, they perceive they have the wisdom to make such a prescription.  Again, am I the only one who finds this hysterical and frightening at the same time?

The only elected body left to discuss is the local school board.  Once again, there resides the belief in some members of local boards that the mere election to a position qualifies them to enact their beliefs and perspectives regardless of what professional practice and research say about such beliefs and practices.  School administrators easily get caught in the accusation of disloyalty if they question inappropriate beliefs and practices supported by the local board.  The wisdom again lies with the elected, not the professional. 

Where is wisdom?  I have not been elected to anything.  I am not on a school board.  I am not a legislator or a senator or a governor.  I am not employed by the US Department of Education or the Texas Education Agency.  I have not been elected a Representative or Senator to Congress.  I am a professional educator.  Hours and hours of graduate work and forty years of professional practice in roles from teacher to superintendent. I have no wisdom.

So, I should apologize for taking your time as I clearly do not know what I am talking about. 

Poppycock and balderdash.