Sacred cows and rare birds

Nationally you might hear school leaders say there are no "sacred cows." All options are on the table. This time, we mean business. Seriously.

The mission to drastically reform, innovate, and recreate schools so that they perform for poor and minority students leads us all to speak in high tones about the importance of change and "doing what works." We are serious. You can tell by the number of times we say so. We have data. Oddly enough, it supports exactly what we like and has the opposite effect on what our partisan politics cannot bear.

If we are telling the truth we will tell you that there are so many sacred cows in the pasture of public education that we could start a burger chain. Indeed, you can hardly discuss a solution without making note of which interest groups will block reform. We should tell you this truth, not with the intent of aggravating prejudice against public education, but with the needs of children clearly in our sight. Students need us to get over ourselves and do the big thing quickly.

Studies tell us much about improving schools. Much of it is either inconvenient, expensive, or both.

What do we know?

Every building must be led by one or more instructional leaders. Teaching teams must be stable and of high quality. Curriculum must be aligned to well-defined performance targets. And, grade level exit expectations must be clear to teachers, students, and parents.

We know the success of children, especially those who are furthest behind, depends on getting these things right. Why then do we fail to take the fastest route there?

Why do we allow labor contracts to obstruct reform and allow our political leaders to dodge that issue even as they toss around words like "accountability"?

Why do we continue to do business with the national textbook cartel even after realizing they peddle an expensive and terrifically ineffective product that does little to advance instruction toward our goals?

And, even though it is against our own policies, why do we socially promote children who are clearly not ready to move forward?

Why?

Because these things are sacred, dangerous, and fear inducing. Find a political leader willing to commit to a full scale confrontation of these issues and you will find a rare bird, one that likely will not be re-elected.

Even the most hopeful change agents are unwilling to go courageously where data tells them children will do best. Education Secretary Arne Duncan has received uncritical press for his "bold" push for Mayoral control of schools, but he also has been accused of sitting on data showing that a voucher program in Washington, D.C. accellerated learning for students in poverty. The accusation is that he remained mute about the positive data while Congress debated killing the program.

Why would a serious school reformer thwart a reform that works? Because of a political orthodoxy that cares more about fidelity to bureaucratic articles of faith than the success of underserved children.

I wish this were all untrue. I wish there were more truly "bold"  leaders fostering data-driven solutions. I wish everything truly were on the table.

But, merit-based teacher staffing is off the table, as is true parent choice, open source curriculum, student retention, and vouchers.

I wish saving children and improving their education were our first priority, but we have a long walk to that place.

Why?

Because sacred cows exist and there are too few rare birds.