Cannon:
This is just a shot in the dark, albeit one based on observation. Perhaps it has less to do with required school days, class size, state testing, curriculum, planning time, teacher salaries, and the like, and more to do with a cultural emphasis on education.
I mean, really. If you ask nearly any parent from nearly any walk of life in the US if education is important, the parent will answer in the affirmative. But, we both know actions speak louder than words.
While I realize not all school systems or schools are as horrendous as the one in which I used to work, I'm acutely aware of the fact that I was constantly told I (Tamara, me, as a teacher) had to work to change the culture of the school so kids would stop beating each other and stop setting fires and start coming to class more than twice a week and....I could go on. But the reality is that outsiders (middle-class, do-gooder, white folks with good intentions--in this case) cannot change someone else's culture. It's up to the community at risk to change or improve itself. And that, my fellow teacher, needs to start at home. The system in which I worked for a number of years is a failing system that churns out ill-prepared, failing students. Most of the kids I taught didn't have parents. I mean, half the kids' parents were either dead or in prison and a lot of the kids were raising themselves. The high-achieving kids were the ones whose parents basically gave them little to no freedom. They were the kids whose parents demanded to know where they were at every moment, the ones who parents told them they'd better be home and in the house before dark or they'd get their tails whipped. I realize not every child requires such stringent rules, but come on. How many kids do you have who are actually punished for coming home with poor grades? At my current school, the high achievers are the ones whose parents stay on top of their work and, honest to god, use negative reinforcement to keep their kids in line. The kids' phones and cars and other privileges are revoked if they act up in school or show poor academic performance. Obviously I'm oversimplifying here, but I'm just trying to make a point about how these parents not only say education is important, but their actions show the importance of education as well.
And then there are the parents who read the novels along with their kids so they are able to discuss the texts with their kids. That sort of action sends a strong message, I think.
Sorry about the rant. I really didn't intend to write that much.
One last thing you might appreciate. A couple of years ago, BCPSS came up with a new slogan: "Every child reading by age 9." If that doesn't say something frightening, I don't know what does.
Tamara
