Public schools need to be united in their educational efforts

For decades, there have been ongoing discussions in this country about what should be done in public schools so that we can get better results. And everyone has an opinion. And almost every idea ends up in legislation or in a bureaucracy or in training sessions or perhaps as a half-baked initiative that is never properly implemented or supported.

And teachers, dedicated though they may be, can get very frustrated for simply being caught in the middle.

It’s not entirely their fault when reform efforts fail, but it is their problem, and that’s unfortunate.

I could write a book about what America really needs to do to get better results in schools everywhere, and someday I may.

But for now, let me simply say that in every American school district there needs to be agreement and unity with improvement efforts; that would go a long way to let everyone know that we are serious about our children’s education.

There should be a unified alignment throughout each school district, from top to bottom and from side-to-side, about exactly what the only acceptable results will be. And then there must be no equivocation on utilizing what the research says are the very best strategies, techniques, and practices available to help our students.

Identifying the best route to go is the easy part.

Making sure everyone in a school district is committed to it—well, that’s another thing altogether.

Almost 10 years ago, I was working as a high school principal in a school district in Southeast Missouri. A consulting company that specialized in helping schools improve — led by a retired superintendent from Arkansas that I knew well — was working with us. And I loved his approach. He explained how all of the administrators, teachers, and board members in the district had to be on board with the efforts and must fully support what we were implementing.

He said in straightforward Arkansas English, “If anyone folds up their tent, this won’t work.”

As it turned out, in that particular situation someone did fold up their tent, and the efforts failed. I moved on to another district and took on some new challenges, and eventually watched the same process play out again.

This is not, however, unique

to my experience. It happens year after year in school districts all over the country.

Dr. Robert Marzano is an extremely talented educational researcher and has written extensively about what works in schools. He co-authored District Leadership that Works with Dr. Timothy Waters, and they wrote about a number of ways for schools to meet challenges, including how individuals in authority should not fold up their tent.

They wrote that school leaders and board members must be united in the belief that changes are to benefit student learning; united in the importance of the school’s work; and united in providing inspiration to everyone in the district to stay the course.

In other words, the leaders must all communicate that new goals are necessary, vital, and attainable.

In any school district, or for that matter, in any organization, if just one person in authority caves in to pressure, the entire effort is compromised. And once it is compromised, any resistance to the change gains momentum, and then things can get messy. One school leader or one school board member can undermine something that is tremendously needed for the good of the children.

This is one main reason that good ideas and good intentions and good efforts in schools often fail.

But why do individuals in leadership fold up their tents so often?

Sometimes the resistance or the political pressure is too great.

Sometimes leaders tire of forging ahead with the same initiative and look for something different.

Sometimes there may be no one dedicated to making sure everyone stays the course.

But whatever the reason is, the end result is the same, with schools sometimes going three steps forward and two steps back, moving at a glacial pace when it comes to making changes for the better.

In many instances, such a cycle can be changed with strong leadership and good old-fashioned resolve.

That’s not always easy, but our students and America’s future are certainly worth it.

— David Wilson, EdD, of Springdale, is a writer, consultant and presenter, who grew up in Arkansas but worked 27 years in education in Missouri. You may e-mail him at dwnotes@ hotmail.com. The opinions expressed are those of the author.