Want to solve our teacher shortage, chronic student absenteeism and strengthen our democracy? Let’s transform our public schools into true training grounds for future citizens.
At a moment in history when authoritarianism appears to be on the rise around the globe, we all should be thinking of ways to strengthen our own democracy here at home. Reimagining our public schools offers an opportunity to reinvigorate our civic involvement and engage students in ways that will positively impact our society for generations to come.
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
Most public schools teach students about the theory and mechanics of government in ways that are divorced from the realities of practicing democratic principles in a diverse society. Rather than organizing schools as model institutions that expose students to the real-life challenges and value of democracy, most districts operate using a hierarchy that more closely resembles a corporation.
The very institutions entrusted with teaching our young people how to be responsible and engaged democratic citizens are more often managed in ways that resemble autocracies. This fact is hardly lost on the millions of classroom teachers who have recently left or are considering leaving the teaching profession.
Those who study what has become a national teacher exodus are all too familiar with the often-cited claim that recent classroom experience and teacher voice rarely influence operational decisions in our nation’s public schools. These feelings are a direct result of toxic work environments that fail to treat teachers as professionals and offer few, if any, real opportunities for teachers — or students — to influence how our schools operate.
Acting democratically, much like reading, is a learned skill that must be taught and continually practiced to master. Unfortunately, most schools, like many other workplaces, concentrate power in steep, top-down hierarchies with very few checks and balances on managerial power. Though some administrators value the input of faculty and staff who might disagree with their own ideas or approaches, I have found this to be a rare exception to the rule.
In my experience, it has been far too common to witness abuses of power, bullying and intimidation in coercive attempts to silence those who disagree with an administrative policy or initiative — even when those expressing dissent are explicitly communicating concerns for student interests. It is difficult for teachers to teach students how to be engaged democratic citizens when teachers themselves don’t feel that they have a voice as professionals in their own workplace — our schools.
This silencing of teachers’ voices has been the result of decades of failed policies focused on accountability primarily through the implementation of multiple-choice, standardized tests. This has resulted in a devaluing of the teaching profession and a narrowing of the curriculum to what is easily adapted to standardized assessments.
Unfortunately, many students miss out on a more enriching and holistic learning experience that includes access to the arts, robust technical education and more realistic project-based learning opportunities that foster more critical thinking and creative problem solving.
It is no wonder that, as many teachers have lost their passion to teach in the current environment, so too have students lost their interest in attending such schools. Many school systems are currently dealing with chronic absenteeism and lack of enthusiasm among many students — particularly at the high school level.
This should be no surprise. Many public school leaders these days are risk-averse, uninspired bureaucrats who lack vision and appear more concerned with manipulating standardized metrics to create an appearance of success.
Superintendents and principals forcing teachers to teach to standardized tests is the equivalent of chief executives buying back their stock to inflate share prices in the short term — it sacrifices the long-term fulfillment of our children’s academic potential to produce a short-term facade of competent leadership.
Rather than working collaboratively with teachers to create vibrant learning communities where students learn how to apply democratic principles to solve real-world problems, many students are taught in schools where teachers are forced to instruct in standardized, uninspiring ways in the misguided notion that boosting student test scores should take precedence over providing students with a well-rounded and engaging educational experience.
This approach has led to both a teacher exodus from the profession and more and more students feeling school is not for them.
Things don’t have to be this way.
Organizations including Teacher-Powered Schools and Educators for Excellence are reimagining schools that are more student-centered, operate with flatter hierarchies, employ more democratic decision making and recognize teachers as leaders without requiring them to leave the classroom. Perhaps unsurprisingly, such schools have lower rates of teacher turnover, which has been proved to positively affect student achievement.
The path forward should be clear. We can address the growing teacher shortage, create more engaging classroom experiences and transform our schools into places where educators model democratic decision making for students on a daily basis.
Let’s start by elevating the voices of those who experience students as our children in their classrooms — and not data points on a spreadsheet.
Brian Westlake is a teacher with over 20 years of experience. He is the past president of the Gwinnett County Association of Educators and a former board member for the Georgia Association of Educators.
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