Subtract Two Before Adding One

I was reminded this past week of just how much our communities, states, and nation suffer from “amnesia” specifically as it relates to public education.  The calls for further requirements, directives, and mandates albeit punitive or not will only increase as we endure “silly season” (AKA political campaigning) that is ubiquitous and never ending.   

Whether or not the memory lapse is intentional at worse, selective at best, public education bares more often than not the brunt of “amnesia” when it comes to purpose, role, and responsibility. 

This is very evident in schools and school systems that are not currently meeting the expectations and requirements of a narrowly defined accountability model as well as the advent of more rigorous, robust, and demanding teaching and learning standards.  It’s not my intent to argue, debate, defend, or criticize their merit.  It is what it is!

But, hold on!

The amnesia I am referring to is the amount of responsibilities that have been added to public education over the past 114 years.  More strikingly, we have forgotten that little or nothing has been removed or abandoned from public education irrespective of the import or utility of programming or practices.

Akin to the energizer bunny – we just keep adding!  Jamie Vollmer, in his work of over two decades chronicling the “added responsibilities” to American public education commencing in 1900 through the present (http://www.jamievollmer.com/blueberries) illuminates constant and consistent load increases on the public education system. 

Reviewing Vollmer’s compendium of initiatives, mandates, and legislative edicts illuminates what education, let alone policy makers haven't done very well or possibly, at all.  That is, the systematic or strategic abandonment ineffective or antiquated policies, practices or programs. 

There must be a collective granting of permission to “stop doing” before “start doing”.  I am keenly aware that this is easy to say and not so simple to do.

I believe the underlying reason is the inability to “think” differently about “how”.  More often than not, traditional thinking about “new” work is limited to what people know.  They know their current workload, expectations, and requirements.  These filters are used more as obstacles rather than opportunities to reflect, review, and assess current practices, programs, and procedures.  Leadership as well as policy makers seldom give permission to invest time in this kind of reflection with the purpose of "stop" doing something.

Policy makers, if sincere about improving public education, should embrace the aforementioned formula before considering mandates, directives, or initiatives. 

What are we going to stop requiring?

What are we going to stop mandating? 

It is not easy to stop doing something.  However, it doesn’t have to be so.  We now more than ever have the analytics to assist us in determining both effect and efficiency of initiatives, practices, and programs.  We must monitor and measure no less than quarterly making sure that we review as well as reflect actual performance rather than opinion.  Again, we have the tools to do this and more. 

All I do know is that we have exceeded the capacity of a system that was never designed or envisioned to deliver what is now expected and required.  Equally, I am convinced that if permission is granted to abandon ineffective and inefficient “things”, the public schools can and will be successful in educating each learner.

Lastly and to those who don’t support public schools I ask you to make time to review Vollmer’s “list”.  My best hope is that you will come to the same conclusion depicted by Pogo; “We have met the enemy and it is us” (1971, Walt Kelly).

We have the responsibility, accountability, and authority to do what is right, true, and good on behalf of our students.  The question remains, do we have the courage to do so -