Knowledge really is power
“I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.”
– Harriet Tubman
In public education our biggest threat yet is settling for the status quo. But here’s the kicker: most of us don’t even realize when we’re settling. If I were to ask you, what makes a school a really good school for your child, could you tell me? The reality is, until we as parents have a clear vision for what we want for our kids education, it’s going to be difficult to advocate for change, and certainly even more difficult for our children to maximize their educational potential. Instead what we’ll see is more of the same. So how do we fix this problem? I believe it starts with defining our own expectations for education.
This hit home rather unexpectedly for me this week as I visited three different pre-schools to determine where to send my 3 year old for school for the first time. My wife and I now have 4 daughters (the youngest is 2 weeks old). The oldest two are now in a public school, but began in a private pre-school program. Our third daughter who has been home with grandma (a huge luxury) is now ready to go off to school and we’re starting our own selection process. If that sounds strange, just think about this for a moment: what is your bar for selecting a school?
We are looking for the right school that matches our vision for what a good school will provide. Our goal is to raise each of our girls into brilliant women who are capable of leading. We want each of our girls to develop a strong sense of agency and have a clear idea of their strengths and passions at an early age. This means that we need an environment that matches those ideals, one that nurtures their sense of independence and allows them to explore their interests. We’re also looking for an environment that fosters a healthy sense of curiosity about the world around them so that they’re excited about the prospect of learning. Finally, it’s got to be fun. I’m a firm believer that children (and adults) learn better when they’re having fun. Defining moments aren’t boring, they’re memorable for a reason. Why can’t learning be fun?
Now, with these things in mind you can understand why we’ve approached this as a selection process. But how do you gauge whether or not these things are present? And how do you know it when you see it? As a former teacher, I know that in education what gets measured, gets the most attention. Data is the buzzword in education these days, but not all data is created equal. Though numbers don’t lie, they certainly can be used to tell different stories, so as parents we have to decide, what numbers matter most to us?
A good place to start is by asking your prospective school, what do you measure as success? If those measurements line up with your expectations, then perhaps you’ve found a match (if they’re also successful). For example, if a school told me that they look at standardized test scores to determine success, I wouldn’t be sold. If you recall back to my description of what I’m looking for, test scores can’t properly measure any of the attributes I care about. However, if we spent time looking at student work samples or a culminating project that each child chooses to portray what they’ve learned, then I might be more inclined to listen.
Another way to vet a school is by simply asking other parents what their experiences have been. Additionally, one of my favorite activities as a new teacher was to observe other classrooms. I believe that parents should do the same. Observe teacher-student interactions in your prospective school. Better yet, also visit a school that you believe is top notch for the type of students they produce, and see what the teachers do there as well. You’d be amazed at how much you learn and how that refines your bar for what’s acceptable.
If this all sounds like a lot, that’s because it is. As stewards of our child’s education we can only rely so much on other people’s opinions. My hope is that we can make what’s possible, more accessible to everyone through videos, articles, community meetings, and other ways of sharing knowledge. Someone out there is providing the type of educational experience that you want for your child, you just might need help finding them. Ultimately, the more knowledge you have about what you want, the better able you are to determine how to get it.
SDW3
