Why Wouldn't We?

I know to some the move to partner with Charter Schools, Private, Parochial, or other education management organizations (EMOs) seems to be a form of betrayal to public education.  Simply not true!  The notion that "getting into bed with the enemy" has merit creating the potential to make good on the promise that each child has not only opportunity but access to the highest quality teaching and learning experience, is not warmly viewed as a strategy to improve or reform education.  Rather, partnering is deemed more as surrendering to the inevitable – the demise of public education as we know it.

Arguably, not all alternatives to public education have been successful.  In fact, some have actually done more harm than good.  Equally true are the numbers of unsuccessful public schools that also do harm.  They exist!  Irrespective of attempts to mandate legislative improvement, failing schools persist.

Several reasons present themselves as explanations or excuses as to why schools fall short in meeting the most basic of performance expectations – hence failing.  Socio economic status, lack of parental involvement, under motivated students, and the like abound as excuses.  Yet, excuses like policy tend to focus on the symptoms of failure not root cause.  We actually do know what works. 

  For each failing school there are countless successful schools that out perform similar circumstances, demographics, or conditions cited as reasons schools fail.  Most of these successful schools did not become successful by means of legislative fiats.  Rather, they became successful due to several factors – intentional not random!

This set of defining factors that differentiate successful from failing schools are not new.  In fact, these factors or correlates of effective schools were first identified over forty years ago.  The difference has been the commitment to constancy and consistency of the presence and practice of behaviors and actions of adults.  

The correlates of effective schools are agnostic – they don’t discriminate between models of education.   As such they have tremendous import to schools and school systems.  Yet, if asked, most educators are limited in their awareness and understanding of the correlates.  Some have even dismissed them as a past “fad”.  The correlates are not a “what”.  Rather, they are a “how” – they are “how” the work is or should be done or what it looks like during and after the work is completed.

To be clear, Correlates of Effective Schools (Lawrence W. Lezotte) are:

• Instructional Leadership
• Clear and Focused Mission
• Safe and Orderly Environment
• Climate of High Expectations
• Frequent Monitoring of Student Progress  
• Positive Home-School Relations
• Opportunity to Learn and Student Time on Task   

       Take a moment and pursue https://www.lakeforest.edu/library/archives/effective-schools/HistoryofEffectiveSchools.php to learn more about the correlates and how they came about.

We presently live in a time of polarizing extremes that define positions especially when it comes to education.  We perpetually listen less and argue more.  We don’t allow others to complete their sentence or thought before interrupting.  We seldom are aware or understand differing positions or opinions let alone articulate what we are “for” versus what we’re “against”.

Lost in all the debate and discourse is the purpose of education.  A rising tide raises all boats just as an educated citizenry raises all manner of discussion as well as decisions of, for, and by citizens - all citizens.

Further still, the economics of an uneducated society or at best a society limited by a small class of educated citizens creates and sustains the very circumstances we presently face – a preponderance of an uneducated, unskilled, unemployed, underemployed, and unqualified workforce incapable of stimulating economic growth, new industries, new businesses, new opportunities, new possibilities, and dare I say, new jobs.

A different calculus therefore is timely. Forging partnerships committed to the aims, purposes, and best hopes of education are exactly what we should be doing - now!  There is much to be learned when the focus is on educating all rather than who gets the credit.

What matters is educating each student. What matters is education benefits all.

So, why wouldn’t we…!