"Truth Matters"

Watching a journalist apologize on national television and admit they were wrong on a story was not in any way reassuring that what is right, good, and true will be reported.  Adding insult to journalistic integrity was the acknowledgment that mainstream networks pay individuals for interviews, film footage, and exclusive rights to stories creating for me at least a sense that "truth" is a commodity to be traded on the open market.

More troubling, even by those in the media, is the ever-increasing practice of embellishment, sensationalizing, and outright lying or falsehoods being reported as "true".  It's not that the press has been without a position albeit partisan, conservative, liberal, or etc. but compromising integrity, compromising facts, compromising objectivity for a story – hmm … maybe something else is wrong!  Are we naive enough to accept that truth should be subject to the highest bidder?

Maybe, just maybe it's not being naive.  Rather, is it possible that we have become so polarized by ideology that we expect to read, watch, and hear news through the lenses we choose to see the world through?  Truth as subjective?  Truth as situational?  Truth as amoral? 

How does the CBS 60 Minutes report on Benghazi or NBC's purchasing the Sky Diving accident footage and exclusive interviews have to do with education - public education? 

Everything!

Negative stories about student performance and the state of education in general are reported and accepted with little debate.  Questioning the integrity of such reports is viewed more often than not as "whining",  "complaining" or "defensive" especially when reports use data to manipulate a point or position.

Educators have in many cases "given up" trying to educate the press in what constitutes performance improvement or growth because in most cases they don't want to know or worse, they justify that their readers will not understand.  For example, the public understands such ratings as "A" or " "F".  But, do they?

In a society steeped in competition, winners and losers, success and failure, and finishing first or finishing last it is hard to break away from the mindset of “A” equals excellence and “F” equates to failure. 

Effort, attitude, grit, perseverance, motivation, commitment, determination and the like are what differentiate success from failure.  Opportunity and access as well as timing – being in the right place at the right time are also considered contributing factors.  Lastly, the value proposition of, for, and by an education weighs heavy in tipping the scales of success – can all of this be reflected by a letter grade?  A test score?

These are important.  These qualities are however what we must desire for all - not just a few.  And what’s more is this should be reported!

The truth and what is seldom reported is how schools today are intentionally building the aforementioned skills, habits in children.  It's far too easy to simply use an antiquated reporting system rather than create a system that reports progress and growth including the skills, knowledge and experience we expect and desire for each learner.

What matters more - how we start or how we finish?

Once standards were introduced the traditional grading system became antiquated.  Meeting or exceeding the standard became the goal for all.  Grades for too long were used to sort and select learners not necessarily reflect the level of competence, mastery of learning.  The complexity of teaching and learning now more than ever cannot be summarized by a letter grade.

There is emerging practice that reports progress toward meeting or exceeding standards.  Using language students, parents, educators, and yes the press understands is what is needed.  Agree or disagree, a letter grade does not inform or articulate progress toward achieving a standard.

Back to journalistic integrity -

Truth matters!

Reporting accurately, authentically, and with transparency is what we should demand and at a minimum, expect in reporting about education let alone other matters.  We need to without apology question not only what is reported but the motivation of those reporting.

Accountability is two-way – the press holding the public accountable and the public holding the press accountable. 

There can be no compromise to accountability!