Barry Lynn, Gary Marx, Spike Jorgensen, Mark Edwards, and Terry Grier
HML Notes
Spring 2006 Vol. 11, No.1
A quarterly publication of the Horace Mann League. The purpose of the Horace Mann League is to strengthen public education and recognize those who support the cause of public education – the corner stone of our democracy.
Panel on Public School Survival
The 2006
HML Awards
Corporate Partners
Urgency needed for public school survival - By Anne Lewis
Barry Lynn, Gary Marx, Spike Jorgensen, Mark Edwards, and Terry Grier
The nation and its public schools “will be in great jeopardy if we in education don’t handle the next 15 years correctly,” Terry Grier, superintendent in Guilford County, N.C., warned at a Saturday session sponsored by the Horace Mann League.
“As a society,” he said, “we need to ge over our arrogance and stop telling people that if they want to communicate with us, they have to speak English.” If every school board and district in the country said all students would need to be proficient in another language to graduate, “we would fundamentally change our communities and our opportunities for children.”
They addressed the session’s title, “Is the Investment in Public Education Worth It?”
Horace Mann, the Massachusetts educator whose ideas formed the basis of the American public education more than 150 years ago, might have some relevant suggestions for today’s educators, said Gary Marx, president of the Center for Public Outreach in Vienna, Va.
Marx, President of The Center for Project Outreach and HML Director, said he would tell educators to
“connect education to the needs of society,” he said. This means developing talents and skills of all students, as well as “bringing out the talents of communities.”
Mann would have used criticism to make things better instead of becoming defensive. He would have argued for “audacious” planning that turns strategic plans into exciting visions.
“Horace Mann was a revolutionary, not a defender of the status quo,” Marx reminded the audience.
For Spike Jorgensen, an education consultant from Tok, Alaska, education is too complex and too important to a democracy for it to become privatized. He described complicated decisions that citizens must make in order to remain free, from voting to understanding the forces at play in the economic system. “It doesn’t fit,” he said, “to substitute any other word for ‘people’ such as ‘government’ or ‘religion’ when we say that ours is a nation ‘of, by and for the people.’”
Mark Edwards, vice president of Harcourt Assessment, drew upon his time as a teacher to affirm the worth of investment in public education. He recalled a struggling student who begged for help and managed to bring up his grades from scores in the 20s to a 57 on a test. He was disappointed, “but I told him I was prouder of him than of the students who scored 100,” Edwards said.
This is the essence of public education, he said, noting that there are teachers all over the country who every day give children the hope they need.
Grier worries, however, that educators do not tell the story of public education very well because they don’t see the need to be vocal supporters.
“The attacks against public education are worrisome,” he said, “not because they are wrong or come from troubling forces such as the Far Right,” but because educators don’t speak up in the face of such criticism. “We need champions.”
Published in the AASA Convention Reporter, February 26, 2006.
Two HML Board of Directors, Gary Marx and Barry Lynn, recently had their book published. Books can be purchased through Amazon.com or the publisher.
Gary Marx just had his book, Future-focused Leadership: Preparing Schools, Students, and Communities for Tomorrow’s Realities, published by ASCD.
Sixteen Trends: Their Profound Impact on Our Future...Implications for Students, Education, Communities, and the Whole of Society, published by ERS
Barry Lynn will have his book out in October. Politics and Piety: The Right Wing Assault On Religious Freedom.
The strength of any strong organization is the membership. In appreciation for recruiting five new members, you will receive a 24” x 36” Horace Mann print. For recruiting ten new members, you will receive the “Ambassador” plaque. These plaques are presented at the HML Annual meeting.
Send you list of nominations to Jack McKay by FAX 866-389-0740 or by email: jmckay@hmleague.org
by Walter Parker
Democracies don't materialize out of thin air. They are created -- and maintained and deepened -- by citizens. If citizens are to safeguard civil liberties, elect wise officials, become wise officials themselves, make sense of the news and negotiate public policy with other citizens in an ever more diverse society, "their minds," as Thomas Jefferson said, "need to be improved to a certain degree."
Public schools are ideal sites for this work. They are public places, so they possess the essential assets for cultivating democratic citizens: a diverse student body, shared problems and a curriculum.
Boys and girls are both there. Jews, Protestants, Catholics, Muslims, Buddhists and atheists are there. African Americans, European Americans, Latin Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans and more are together in the same space. This buzzing variety does not exist at home, nor at church, temple, or mosque. But it does exist in public places where different groups of people are thrown together -- places where individuals who come from numerous private worlds congregate.
But to seize the opportunity schools afford, school leaders need to stir the pot. Three actions are key.
First, increase the variety and frequency of interaction among students who are culturally, linguistically and racially different from one another. If the school itself is homogenous, or if the school is diverse but curriculum tracks keep students apart, this first key is all the more difficult to turn.
Second, orchestrate those contacts so that not only interaction but also decision making about common problems -- deliberation -- is fostered. This is the basic labor of democracy. In deliberation, alternatives are weighed in discussion with others and a decision is made.
Diversity aids deliberation directly in several ways: It brings different problems to the table, it expands the number of understandings of a problem and it widens the range of alternatives that are considered.
In schools, this meeting of minds needs to be about two kinds of problems -- social and academic. Social problems include disrespect and bullying, stealing, dress codes and school policies of all sorts. These are best deliberated in homeroom meetings and in a thoughtful system of student councils that reach all students. Academic problems (Why have so many democracies failed? How do organisms learn?) are at the core of each subject area. They are best deliberated in the classrooms where those subjects are taught.
Third, clarify the distinction between discussion and blather and between open and closed discussion. In other words, expect, teach and model competent, inclusive deliberation. Marginalized voices are encouraged to speak, listening is generous, students have studied the alternatives they are weighing, claims are supported with evidence and reasoning, and a rich inventory of historical, scientific and literary knowledge is brought to bear.
When aimed at democratic ends and supported by democratic means, schools can help children enter the public consciousness needed for citizenship, or what the ancient Greeks called puberty.
This includes the habits of reasoning and caring necessary for public life: the cosmopolitan respect, the insistence on fair play, and the knack for forging public policy with others whether one likes them or not. The opposite is what the Greeks called idiocy -- absorption in one's private affairs.
Public schools are good places to help young people grow from idiocy to puberty. Schools can't do it alone, to be sure; families and faith communities must do their part. But schools have the key ingredients that make them the most fertile sites in society for this work. Aren't the stakes too high to let the opportunity pass?
Walter Parker is a professor of education at the University of Washington and the author of "Teaching Democracy: Unity and Diversity in Public Life."
Published by Americans United
As battles over church-state separation have escalated in recent decades, so too have misconceptions about the role of religion in public schools. Has prayer been expelled from our schools, as some people claim? Has Bible reading been banned? Must teachers avoid all mention of religion? The answer to these questions is "no." Public schools are not permitted to sponsor worship, but that does not mean that they must be "religion-free zones." In order to clear up some of the misunderstandings about religion and the public schools, it is important for Americans to have the facts.
Few issues in American public life engender more controversy than religion and public education. Unfortunately, this topic is all too often shrouded in confusion and misinformation. When discussing this matter, it's important to keep in mind some basic facts.
Ninety percent of America's youngsters attend public schools. These students come from homes that espouse a variety of religious and philosophical beliefs. Given the incredible diversity of American society, it's important that our public schools respect the beliefs of everyone and protect parental rights. The schools can best do this by not sponsoring religious worship. This principle ensures that America's public schools are welcoming to all children and leaves decisions about religion where they belong with the family.
The U.S. Supreme Court has been vigilant in forbidding public schools and other agencies of the government to interfere with Americans' constitutional right to follow their own consciences when it comes to religion. In 1962, the justices ruled that official prayer had no place in public education.
This decision is widely misunderstood today. The court did not rule that students are forbidden to pray on their own; the justices merely said that government officials had no business composing a prayer for students to recite. The Engel v. Vitale case came about because parents in New York challenged a prayer written by a New York education board. These Christian, Jewish and Unitarian parents did not want their children subjected to state-sponsored devotions. The high court agreed that the scheme amounted to government promotion of religion.
It is important to remember that in these decisions the Supreme Court did not "remove prayer from public schools." The court removed only government-sponsored worship. Public school students have always had the right to pray on their own as class schedules permit.
The Supreme Court did not rule against official prayer and Bible reading in public schools out of hostility to religion. Rather, the justices held that these practices were examples of unconstitutional government interference with religion. Thus, the exercises violated the First Amendment.
Nothing in the Court’s rulings makes it unlawful for public school students to pray or read the Bible (or any other religious book) on a voluntary basis during their free time.
Later decisions have made this even clearer. In 1990, the high court ruled specifically that high school students may form clubs that meet during "non-instructional" time to pray, read religious texts or discuss religious topics if other student groups are allowed to meet.
The high court has also made it clear, time and again, that objective study about religion in public schools is legal and appropriate. Many public schools offer courses in comparative religion, the Bible as literature or the role of religion in world and U.S. history. As long as the approach is objective, balanced and non-devotional, these classes present no constitutional problem.
In short, a public school's approach to religion must have a legitimate educational purpose, not a devotional one. Public schools should not be in the business of preaching to students or trying to persuade them to adopt certain religious beliefs. Parents, not school officials, are responsible for overseeing a young person's religious upbringing. This is not a controversial principle. In fact, most parents would demand these basic rights.
Public education for the masses, as conceived by Horace Mann and others in the mid 19th century, was intended to be "non-sectarian." In reality, however, schools often reflected the majority religious view a kind of non-denominational Protestantism. Classes began with devotional readings from the King James Version of the Bible and recitation of the Protestant version of the Lord's Prayer. Students were expected to take part whether they shared those religious sentiments or not.
Catholic families were among the first to challenge these school-sponsored religious practices. In some parts of the country, tension over religion in public schools erupted into actual violence.
Tensions like this led to the first round of legal challenges to school-sponsored religious activity in the late 19th century. Several states ruled against the practices. Compelling children to recite prayers or read devotionals from certain versions of the Bible, these courts said, was not the job of public schools. They declared government-imposed religion a violation of state constitutions and the fundamental rights of conscience. Eventually, the U.S. Supreme Court adopted this view as well, applying the church-state separation provisions of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
The high court's decisions have worked well in practice. In 1995, a joint statement of current law regarding religion in public schools was published by a variety of religious and civil liberties organizations
These guidelines, which were sent to every public school in the nation, stressed that students have the right to pray or to discuss their religious views with their peers so long as they are not disruptive. But the guidelines went on to state that public schools are prohibited from sponsoring worship or pressuring students to pray, meditate, read religious texts or take part in other religious activities.
As Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy said in a June 1992 opinion, "No holding of this Court suggests that a school can persuade or compel a student to participate in a religious exercise.... The First Amendment's Religion Clauses mean that religious beliefs and religious expressions are too precious to be either proscribed or prescribed by the State."
Source: http://www.au.org/site/PageServer? pagename=resources_brochure_schoolprayer
The HML Foundation is fund dedicated to non-operating League activities such as scholarships, grants, and special projects. The HML Foundation provides an opportunity for members to make a contribution on behalf of a colleague’s passing who has served as an inspiration, mentor or friend in the profession of school leadership.
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Awards Presentations for 2006
Outstanding Friend of Public Education
The 2006 recipient of the “Outstanding Friend of Public Education” was awarded to Jonathan Kozol just before his Distinguished Lecture at AASA by Walt Warfield, President of the HML. Dr. Kozol is the author of the following books on public education.
- The Shame of the Nation : The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America
- Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools
- Amazing Grace : Lives of Children and the Conscience of a Nation
- Death at an Early Age
Jonathan Kozol
The Horace Mann League’s “Outstanding Public Educator” Award
The 2006 “Outstanding Educator” award was presented to Gerald Tirozzi, Executive Director of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Dr. Tirozzi was presented the award at the annual meeting by Jerry Sellentin, HML board member. Dr. Tirozzi has been instrumental in leading NASSP as an influential advocate of public education. Before being Executive Director of NASSP, Dr. Tirozzi was the U.S. Ass’t. Secretary of Education from 1996 to 1999.
Gerald Tirozzi and Jerry Sellentin
The Horace Mann League’s “Ambassador” Award
The 2006 Ambassador Award was presented to those members who provide service by recruiting ten or more new members during the past year. Recipients were Art Stellar, Supt. of the Taunton, MA, City Schools; Colleen Wilcox, Supt. of the Santa Clara County Office of Education; Richard Christie, Supt. of the Council Bluff, IA, Community Schools; and George Garcia, Supt. of the Boulder Valley, CO, Public Schools.
Art Stellar, Colleen Wilcox, Dick Christie, and George Garcia.
The Horace Mann League’s Friend of the Horace Mann League.
The Board of Directors recognized Art Stellar as the 2006 “Friend of the HML” award. Dr. Stellar, has earned eight consecutive “Ambassador” awards, served as President of the League, and created corporate partnership that resulted in significant contributions to the League.
Art Stellar and Fred Hartmeister
Plaques were presented to the following Corporate Partners:
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(front row)
Jerry Sellentin, Steve Rasmussen, Linda Darling-Hammond, Spike Jorgensen, and
Colleen Wilcox
(second row) Julie Underwood, Art Stellar, Susan Purser, and Gary Marx
(third row) Dick Christie, Barry Lynn, George Garcia, Walt Warfield, James
Anderson, Fred Hartmeister, and Mark Edwards
(not pictured) John Simpson, Doug Otto and Eric King
Officers
President: Walt Warfield, Exec. Dir., Illinois Assoc. of School Adm., Springfield, IL
President-elect: Colleen Wilcox, Santa Clara Co. Supt. of Schools, San Jose, CA
Vice President: Fred Hartmeister, Associate Dean, Graduate School, Texas Tech. University, Lubbock, TX
Past President: John Simpson, Superintendent in Residence, Stupski Foundation, Norfolk, VA
Directors
Jim Anderson Supt., Los Alamos Public Schools, NM
Richard Christie Supt. Council Bluffs Community Schools, IA
Linda Darling-Hammond Professor of Education, Stanford University, CA
George Garcia Supt. Boulder Valley Public Schools, CO
Mark Edwards Vice President, Harcourt Assessment, San Antonio, TX
Eric King Supt. Matteson Community Schools, Matteson, IL
Barry Lynn Exec. Dir. Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Washington, DC
Gary Marx Pres. Center for Public Outreach, Vienna, VA
Douglas Otto Supt. Plano Independent School District, TX
Susan Purser Supt. Moore County Schools, Carthage, NC
Steve Rasmussen Supt. Franklin-Pierce School District, Tacoma, WA
Jerry Sellentin Exec. Dir. Nebraska Council of School Administrators, Lincoln, NE
Julie Underwood Dean, College of Education, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
Executive Director
Jack McKay, 61D N. Chandler Court, Port Ludlow, WA 98365
(360) 437 1186 FAX 866 389 0740 Website: www.hmleague.org Email: jmckay@hmleague.org
