Back to School

Our local high schools are delivering mostly children to date who are not ready for jobs, because according to employers “they cannot communicate properly in English and cannot even do basic math” after completing high school.Our ACT scores are poor. The ACT measures what children have learned from grade 1 to 12. There are nine states that have ACT averages above 23. We are 48th in the USA around an ACT score of 20.The USA, a former leader in high school math and science, was passed by more than 30 countries. THAT makes our local Knox County TN education output one of the worst among industrialized countries, while we spend more per student per year than the top performing countries.So what could improve performance? There are several things, but let’s look at discipline in our schools. Anything that disturbs teaching and student learning in a class is a serious impediment. I don’t think it is addressed sufficiently in Knox County TN yet, based on hundreds of emails I received from teachers covering almost all schools during the past 18 months.Bad behavior is rampant especially among student groups who are doing poorly. Two demographic groups have serious problems: black and Hispanic students as a group. The only disciplinary measure appears to be to send the child home, but the behavior continues a day later when he/she returns to school. Totally inadequate to reduce the problem.Some of our teachers may need some training. The great majority appear to be hard working and good teachers. I would like to remind all that THIS IS THE RESOURCE WE HAVE in order to educate our kids. This is all we have. This is all that we can afford.

Are we getting the best out of teachers? We are not. They are restricted in many ways in doing their best, and they are treated poorly by Central management people. Fear rules. Job threats rule from Central management. There is no freedom to speak. I can assure you that any organization will under perform 5-10% that is managed in this manner. This is a barrier to better results that could be removed. It is not something that has no impact on the education results, because a teacher cannot do the best possible job when morale is bad. This situation is totally under the control of the Board and the superintendent. The problem is crated by Central management, who isolate the superintendent and the Board from the truth.There is another major impact area that is reducing education results: the behavior of some students. Kids who are allowed to insult the teacher with foul language, not treat the teacher with respect at all times, or hit, kick or threaten a teacher (and other students) in any way, either inside or anywhere outside the school, results in the following:1.  It sets a bad example for all children: it creates fear and encourages more problems and bullying.2.  It diminishes the authority of teachers.3.  It interrupts all children and the teacher for hours or the entire day, and the kids’ education  pays the price.4.  It destroys teacher morale and student respect for the school.5.  It results in increased teacher turnover.6.  It encourages other bad kids to do more bad things, because there is no recourse to the offender that the offender fears.

Does this have an ACT impact? Absolutely. Another 5-10%.THIS must impact significantly the ability of ANY teacher to teach, and it must impact the entire class’ ability to learn not just for the minutes or hours of the conflict, but well beyond it creating fear.This is a second area that the Board and the superintendent could act upon to improve the education of our kids.

If a teacher reports “too many” offenses, it reflects badly on that teacher – preaches the Central organization.  Why?  Because a principal who has too many student offenses is not looked at favorably by Central management.  “He or she cannot control discipline problems. Central management wants low numbers of offenses”.  Why?  To look better on the reports they have to submit for federal dollars or for state reports.  This is very damaging to the children’s education, especially for those who do not have enough parental supervision and discipline from home.  It is an incredibly stupid practice – originating from Central by the way.

Let me tell you something. If Central management does not give sufficient power to both teachers and principals to deal out punishment to these kids, that is hard and unpleasant enough so that they will not want to repeat the offense, the punishment will not work.Yet the principals and teachers are not given sufficient authority to deal with discipline problems in a way that becomes a deterrent to both the students and their parents.  For discipline problems to be solved, it is important for both the offending student and his/her parent must feel the impact of recourse by the school.

The punishment needs to have a tangible impact on the parent.  For example, I read that some areas charge the parent $20-50 for each infraction, that the parent has to pay like a traffic ticket.  We cannot be effective with discipline if it has a minor effect on the student only.

 

With boat anchors around teachers and principals necks like I am describing here, there is no way that the Board and the superintendent can achieve the most out of our tax dollars, federal aid, or the American Diploma Project’s increasing requirement.

 

One wonders if there are enough sane people above Central management who do not see such obvious obstacles to student achievement, in addition to a 10:1 bloated Central management that has too many kingdom builders and obstructionists.  At least $20 million from this overhead could much better serve the cause of education within our schools.

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