A retired teacher’s criticism

by Joe Nathan, 2/29/08 • “I am not a Joe Nathan fan.” That’s what an educator wrote last week. He told me that he retired from the Anoka public schools after teaching for many years. I try to respond, at least briefly, to each person who writes or calls. But since I often hear from educators with similar concerns, I thought my responses might interest you. Among other things, he wrote:

“The push for charter schools, schools exempt from “mainstream rules and laws”, as an answer to today’s education woes is off target. If anything, we should think about adopting the Japanese model, of the success of the student is a reflection on the parent and his/her effort. Needless to say, in Japan, this effort would be the “education mama”, not dada!” He continued, “Far too much responsibility is put on the ‘system’ and not on the student. For ‘politically correct’ reasons, parents are not associated/connected with the lack of success of the student. Until this connection is made, languishing results will continue.”

This insistence that “languishing results will continue” until parents are more responsible is probably the single most frequent concern I hear from educators. Having been an urban public school teacher and administrator, and after 33 years of marriage married to an urban public elementary school teacher, I understand this view.

But there are schools all over the nation doing a magnificent job with students whose families are very troubled. That’s not an opinion. It’s a fact.

Our Center described some of those schools in a recent publication, “Smaller, Safer, Saner, Successful Schools,” available on our website, www.centerforschoolchange.org. We also sent a copy of the booklet to every public library in Minnesota.

The schools profiled in this booklet believe they can make a huge difference in youngster. That’s not enough. But it is a vital first step.

Educators who believe they can make a difference often DO reach out to families, and succeed in working closely with many (but not all) families. Professor Joyce Epstein of Johns Hopkins University has concluded after many years of research that the best predictor of family involvement is not the income, race, or marital status of a parent. The best predictor of family involvement is what the SCHOOL does to promote it.

I’ve never argued that charter public schools are the total answer for education’s problems. But SOME charters, as well as some district schools, have developed methods of succeeding that others can learn from. That’s part of the reason both kinds of schools are included in the new booklet.

That leads to of the retired educator’s points: “the principal of a school is the single biggest variable in predicting the success or failure of the school.” I DO agree that principals have a huge impact. In fact, our Center currently is developing a training program that includes observing some of Minnesota’s most successful principals.
This column often urges people to consider other ideas. It’s only fair for me to do the same. Please write! (jnathan@umn.edu)

Joe Nathan is a former urban public school teacher and administrator. He directs the Center for School Change at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs.