Ranking of the Destructive Factors in 1998
by the
Horace Mann League of the USA
1st. Perpetuated negative factors about public
schools: The public schools are faced with increasing amounts
of negative media messages about the alleged decline of quality
instruction and learning. Even when presented with reliable data
refute earlier misleading or inaccurate information, the media fail
to present retractions or updated information with the headlines that
were used to spread the myths.
2nd. Lack of time for educators to plan and collaborate on improving schools: School reform efforts, while well intended can not succeed unless there is time to learn about and prepare to use the innovations. A metaphor might be trying to redesign and rebuild the boat while carrying passengers to the next port.
3rd. Inability of the entire community to agree on the future goals of their schools: While some degree of debate is good, seldom can a diverse community agree on the basic goals of a public schools. Issues such as defining a basic education, or how to teach reading, or athletics or academics, are constantly changing priorities of a school system.
4th. Decline of the parent's responsibility for their children's social development: Even with the two parent family, when both parents are working, there is a decline of home supervision after school and direct involvement in their child's school activities. Besides the limited involvement of some parents, there is the instability of the child's life, along with the more limited nurturing of basic values such as tolerance of others, respect and responsibility for one's actions, and a high priority being at school on-time and every day.
5th. Self-interest with the educational profession to sustain the status-quo: With the lack of rewards (either monetary or professional) for educators to risk changing the way they teach children or lead a school, there are few opportunities in an educator's career to really be innovative (e.g., inability to reward excellent teaching, the high social and professional risk of being different, the lack of time to adequately prepare for change).
6th. Dependency on the local property tax to finance schools: We all know that public education is competing with other public services. Besides the pressure on the public funds, there is the continued dependency, in many states, on property taxes for the support of the local public schools. This dependency on local property taxes continues to create a greater difference in the quality and quantity of educational opportunity for children. While children in some urban and rural schools are lucky to even see a computer in their school, children in the suburbs are designing home pages and participating in discussion groups with children from around the world.
7th. Citizens' resistance to change their local schools: Citizens, while demanding improved schooling for children, are still supporting many dysfunctional practices, such as graded elementary schools based on age than ability; the grouping and tracking of students into low, middle, and gifted levels; placing emphasis on competition rather than cooperation and teaming activities, and the agrarian school calendar instead of the year-round or extended school year.
8th. Inability of educators to see the need for change: Even with the overwhelming evidence of what needs to be done to improve learning, we, as educators, are reluctant to promote significant change. We tend to prefer the traditional than taking a stand against those with a vested interest in the present methodologies. We tolerate incompetence rather than aggressively dismissing incompetent teachers. But we know that with the courage to promote non-graded schools, the extended school year, and encouraging innovative and effective learning strategies, often result in a short tenure for the superintendent.
9th. Inadequately trained teachers to deal with needs of today's students: With the growing diversity of cultural backgrounds and the increasing needs of students with exceptionalities, along with the need to have skills in classroom management, let alone having wide range of knowledge in a variety of subjects, it is a wonder that more recent graduates are not overwhelmed with the demands of being a first year teacher.
10th. Perceptions of poor management and inefficiency of schools: Usually this criticism is lodged by corporate leaders and anti-taxpayers. But, when comparing the business world or even other government agencies, the public schools have the highest ratio of employees to supervisors. Most studies show a business ratio of one supervisor to eight or nine employees. In public education, the ratio is one administrator/supervisor to 15 to 18 teachers or support staff. This same ratio shows up in comparing budgeted amounts in business to education.
Demographics:
Position: 85% were school superintendents