Inequities From the Start

The rhetoric and fervor of Race To The Top is in full swing. The procedures to sign-on for the money are clear but the rationale is faulty. Money that is intended to increase equity for all students is being dispensed in an inequitable way resulting in a competitive bidding process rather than a fair distribution.

If a teacher ever said to students, “When you use the right computer, study for more hours, or write longer essays you’ll be generously rewarded” the teacher would be robustly chastised. If they sent home a report card with one number based on one test, parents would be outraged. For decades, if not centuries, schools have been obligated to meet the needs of all students, not punish them for deficiencies. Yet, the process for receiving federal dollars is akin to this rewards and punishment arrangement. States are told that when they comply with the Department of Education’s rules such as removing the cap on charter schools and attaching teachers’ salaries to one test, they will be rewarded. Many schools and students will suffer at the hands of those who make these decisions.

There is evidence (Marzano, Hattie) that teacher quality and instructional practice is vital to student achievement. Teachers do far more than drill students for standardized tests. They motivate, inspire, and challenge students. They teach them to be collaborative problem solvers, global citizens, and users and creators of knowledge. All students in all schools, communities and states need teachers who are trained, supported, and demonstrate best practice as they prepare students to be productive members of the 21st century.

I’m all for rigorous, relevant, and fair evaluation of students and teachers, when it is based on a wide range of skills, performances and capabilities. I can’t vote the party line when it is based on one score. The Coleman Report (1966) found that teachers influence 20% of achievement. There’s no logic in building a teacher evaluation system around 20% of what they influence. And rewarding teachers based on the socioeconomic group they teach is specious.

Here are my recommendations for distributing the money.
• Use it to mentor and train teachers, don’t blame them
• Put it towards retaining talented teachers rather than reducing their numbers
• Develop a valid, fair, and constructive teacher evaluation system
• Develop 21st century instruction and assessments that can be brought to scale

The 21st century demands new skills and competencies. In our knowledge-based and high-tech society, students need to build and extend content knowledge. Authentic assignments, organizing knowledge, and solving problems are essential competencies: not rote drill. Rewarding schools, communities, and states that adhere to a closed system is unconscionable. Distributing the money equitably is fundamental to achieving these goals.