I’m not a teacher, but I was once a student and also sent my own two children through the public school system. And I now have concerns about the current school situation as my kids consider having children of their own. The concepts of the Executive Compass (four values) and the Time Horizon Gap are interesting and definitely show how each concept could impact the thinking and priorities of the stakeholders given in this article (parents, legislators, and researchers). But I find it odd, interesting, confusing and concerning that teachers/school administration were totally absent from both concept examples. To me that says a lot. Teachers are the ones whose knowledge, training and enthusiasm for teaching are vital to the strength and success of education. Yet their perspective, values, time horizon and actual experience is left out of this whole process to bring about positive change in education? It must be frustrating to not have a voice but be expected to constantly adjust to the changing values and time horizons of others.
This is a great point Jacki. I was a schools administrator too but I only wrote about the three groups because I felt they exemplified the concept with the greatest ease (also, word count concerns). But you’re absolutely right, those perspectives must also be slotted in alongside the parent, researcher, and policymaker because they are critical. Thanks for reading.
My wife, Paula Kay, was a teacher and a very good one who knew how to teach kindergarten for 17 years at Presbyterian Day School here is Victoria, Texas. The classroom is their domain and must never be micromanaged by those outside of it . She got her bachelors degree in 3.5 years , going to summer classes to graduate early and start her career ,much to my pride and belief in her early on in our dating and eventual marriage while I was in the Air Force.
The teacher is hands on with the kids and come to know them, and to a limited extent their parents, in a way only a teacher can accomplish by concentrating their skills for hours everyday for the school year. The really good ones convey the love and care that is needed by these little ones to help them get a good start and, thus, these dear teachers need all the support and help that can be given to their profession, always
This is a very interesting perspective. Thank you for this insight. I do believe the “tent” for school choice has certainly increased. The tension I feel within the picture you presented is that your view assumes positive intent on the part of all players. (i.e. Regarding school choice, the view that everyone wants to maximize children’s access to education.) It does not take into account that some “school choice” options are to decrease access to education with the goal of making education a privilege for the few instead of a right for all.
This applies not only to educational issues but most others as well. Asking the question what are you most afraid of losing (when the issue is truly policy and not morality) can move dialogue forward. The next step however is taking action by compromise. Without action debate is merely an academic exercise which benefits no one.
I’m a former teacher who worked in an at risk school in the Bronx. I can attest that school choice does not exist for most students. Only the “brightest” students that we had already placed in a special class to help retain them were selected. The result of this negatively impacted our test scores, and every child that leaves equals money that leaves. The only extra money a school gets is when you are “In need of Improvement”. You get money for three years to improve or you are shut down. The caveat is every year your target goal gets higher. Once you have met the three year goal all the funding goes away. Now in my school we opened a reading and writing lab. Cycled classes through the writing lab, targeted students for different reading programs. Simultaneously, the so-called education Mayor was taking city funding away from the school (just an aside). Now at the end of this first we shut down the reading lab and we were able to maintain test scores. Then we closed down the writing lab and boom! Test scores decline. Funding went bye bye but the need did not. Charter schools get public and private funds - how nice! Public schools in wealthy districts have more supplies than they know what to do with, and their teachers are well compensated, public schools in “at risk” communities are stressed with little to no support.
FYI: Christian Nationalists hate public schools and are not so secretly pushing for segregation ,again! This must be stopped! Let's vote the bums out .
Very thought provoking so thank you. We moved into a school district that had year round schooling due to economic & staffing pressures to accommodate a giant surge in attendance for years. Our oldest child wasn’t old enough for school yet so she started kindergarten there. It turned out to be such a positive experience. I had all the usual fears about it, including finding affordable daycare during breaks from school & for our youngest child etc. It turned out that supportive systems like daycare were already established & being supported in the community & vacations were more enjoyable as we experienced theme parks & historical trips in great weather without the huge crowds. I can’t remember exactly how it went but they started end of July, were off for about 3 weeks in the fall, back to school late October, off 3 weeks again over the holidays & into January, back to school then off in the spring & in school through most of June. We thoroughly enjoyed it, the teachers were great & we had a wonderful community. This schedule only applied to the elementary schools so I’m sure schedule conflicts were experienced by families with older children. Eventually the population spike dwindled & the elementary schools reverted back to traditional scheduling long after our children were gone but it lasted about 20years.
I want to hear from Sharon McMahon on this one topic she was a teacher and now she is written books. Clearly a good educator. I’m very good at communicating. What are your ideas on improving our educational system and how do you implement them desperately need it thanks.
Charter school seemed like a good option unfortunately in the end, it seems like it just turns out to be a subsidy for the wealthy people that are already sending their kids to private school and can pay for it.
I would love to see some sort of system put in place to reward the good teachers, and unfortunately, the other side of that weed out some of the bad ones
I think parents have a bigger role in child’s education. Communities teaching our children to respect property and others and authority. Be a huge step forward.
Thank you, Shaka for this insightful piece on education .
I am a strong advocate of public schools and abhor the recent push in my state, Texas, in offering vouchers that rob public school funds to benefit private church schools that many wealthy parents already have their kids attending and are likely to gain a $10K break in spending for the children who will be attending in the coming years. In short, separation of church and state be damned and full steam ahead for the GOP crowd who have been behind this effort that is really only a Christian Nationalist attempt to keep non-whites from benefitting from the public trough.
Nevertheless, what you have advocated is very interesting and doable if the energy is put into seeing to it that the four basics are adhered to as outlined in your treatise.
I appreciate your efforts in this regard and wish the best for you in the future.
This is a really interesting description of an important issue in our democracy. I believe public schools (of some kind) are foundational to America. Our home included a special needs student and an LGBTQ student. They had extremely painful experiences in school. I was a child welfare social worker before retiring and many of my kids there also really struggled in school. Personally I really wish schools would stay small and that the bureaucracy would too. I wish both parents and teachers had more say in how schools function.
I’m not a teacher, but I was once a student and also sent my own two children through the public school system. And I now have concerns about the current school situation as my kids consider having children of their own. The concepts of the Executive Compass (four values) and the Time Horizon Gap are interesting and definitely show how each concept could impact the thinking and priorities of the stakeholders given in this article (parents, legislators, and researchers). But I find it odd, interesting, confusing and concerning that teachers/school administration were totally absent from both concept examples. To me that says a lot. Teachers are the ones whose knowledge, training and enthusiasm for teaching are vital to the strength and success of education. Yet their perspective, values, time horizon and actual experience is left out of this whole process to bring about positive change in education? It must be frustrating to not have a voice but be expected to constantly adjust to the changing values and time horizons of others.
This is a great point Jacki. I was a schools administrator too but I only wrote about the three groups because I felt they exemplified the concept with the greatest ease (also, word count concerns). But you’re absolutely right, those perspectives must also be slotted in alongside the parent, researcher, and policymaker because they are critical. Thanks for reading.
As a former teacher, I came to Substack to ask about the same, Jacki.
Well said , Jacki.
My wife, Paula Kay, was a teacher and a very good one who knew how to teach kindergarten for 17 years at Presbyterian Day School here is Victoria, Texas. The classroom is their domain and must never be micromanaged by those outside of it . She got her bachelors degree in 3.5 years , going to summer classes to graduate early and start her career ,much to my pride and belief in her early on in our dating and eventual marriage while I was in the Air Force.
The teacher is hands on with the kids and come to know them, and to a limited extent their parents, in a way only a teacher can accomplish by concentrating their skills for hours everyday for the school year. The really good ones convey the love and care that is needed by these little ones to help them get a good start and, thus, these dear teachers need all the support and help that can be given to their profession, always
This is a very interesting perspective. Thank you for this insight. I do believe the “tent” for school choice has certainly increased. The tension I feel within the picture you presented is that your view assumes positive intent on the part of all players. (i.e. Regarding school choice, the view that everyone wants to maximize children’s access to education.) It does not take into account that some “school choice” options are to decrease access to education with the goal of making education a privilege for the few instead of a right for all.
All the more reason for well-funded public school.
This applies not only to educational issues but most others as well. Asking the question what are you most afraid of losing (when the issue is truly policy and not morality) can move dialogue forward. The next step however is taking action by compromise. Without action debate is merely an academic exercise which benefits no one.
Interesting point.
I’m a former teacher who worked in an at risk school in the Bronx. I can attest that school choice does not exist for most students. Only the “brightest” students that we had already placed in a special class to help retain them were selected. The result of this negatively impacted our test scores, and every child that leaves equals money that leaves. The only extra money a school gets is when you are “In need of Improvement”. You get money for three years to improve or you are shut down. The caveat is every year your target goal gets higher. Once you have met the three year goal all the funding goes away. Now in my school we opened a reading and writing lab. Cycled classes through the writing lab, targeted students for different reading programs. Simultaneously, the so-called education Mayor was taking city funding away from the school (just an aside). Now at the end of this first we shut down the reading lab and we were able to maintain test scores. Then we closed down the writing lab and boom! Test scores decline. Funding went bye bye but the need did not. Charter schools get public and private funds - how nice! Public schools in wealthy districts have more supplies than they know what to do with, and their teachers are well compensated, public schools in “at risk” communities are stressed with little to no support.
FYI: Christian Nationalists hate public schools and are not so secretly pushing for segregation ,again! This must be stopped! Let's vote the bums out .
Very thought provoking so thank you. We moved into a school district that had year round schooling due to economic & staffing pressures to accommodate a giant surge in attendance for years. Our oldest child wasn’t old enough for school yet so she started kindergarten there. It turned out to be such a positive experience. I had all the usual fears about it, including finding affordable daycare during breaks from school & for our youngest child etc. It turned out that supportive systems like daycare were already established & being supported in the community & vacations were more enjoyable as we experienced theme parks & historical trips in great weather without the huge crowds. I can’t remember exactly how it went but they started end of July, were off for about 3 weeks in the fall, back to school late October, off 3 weeks again over the holidays & into January, back to school then off in the spring & in school through most of June. We thoroughly enjoyed it, the teachers were great & we had a wonderful community. This schedule only applied to the elementary schools so I’m sure schedule conflicts were experienced by families with older children. Eventually the population spike dwindled & the elementary schools reverted back to traditional scheduling long after our children were gone but it lasted about 20years.
Glad to hear that worked well for you, though it may not be the solution in every school in the country . I could be wrong though.
Wow. Such a rosy picture … a more balanced presentation of research findings on “choice” would have served readers better.
I want to hear from Sharon McMahon on this one topic she was a teacher and now she is written books. Clearly a good educator. I’m very good at communicating. What are your ideas on improving our educational system and how do you implement them desperately need it thanks.
Charter school seemed like a good option unfortunately in the end, it seems like it just turns out to be a subsidy for the wealthy people that are already sending their kids to private school and can pay for it.
I would love to see some sort of system put in place to reward the good teachers, and unfortunately, the other side of that weed out some of the bad ones
I think parents have a bigger role in child’s education. Communities teaching our children to respect property and others and authority. Be a huge step forward.
No cell phones in school 🍎🍎🍎
Sharon is a very good communicator of information. Sorry to talk and text feature doesn’t always work as well as we’d like :-) enjoy the day.
Thank you, Shaka for this insightful piece on education .
I am a strong advocate of public schools and abhor the recent push in my state, Texas, in offering vouchers that rob public school funds to benefit private church schools that many wealthy parents already have their kids attending and are likely to gain a $10K break in spending for the children who will be attending in the coming years. In short, separation of church and state be damned and full steam ahead for the GOP crowd who have been behind this effort that is really only a Christian Nationalist attempt to keep non-whites from benefitting from the public trough.
Nevertheless, what you have advocated is very interesting and doable if the energy is put into seeing to it that the four basics are adhered to as outlined in your treatise.
I appreciate your efforts in this regard and wish the best for you in the future.
This is a really interesting description of an important issue in our democracy. I believe public schools (of some kind) are foundational to America. Our home included a special needs student and an LGBTQ student. They had extremely painful experiences in school. I was a child welfare social worker before retiring and many of my kids there also really struggled in school. Personally I really wish schools would stay small and that the bureaucracy would too. I wish both parents and teachers had more say in how schools function.
I would think that public school could be very creative if their communities allowed them to be so.
Very interesting. Thanks.