Letter: Louisiana teachers must unite!

I am a Louisiana schoolteacher. For years I have watched as government policies have slowly, steadily strangled public education with incomprehensible curriculums, overemphasis on standardized tests, demoralizing teacher evaluations and policies that have turned school discipline into a joke.

I know most teachers and many principals feel the same way. When I protest to my superiors, I am told that there is nothing they can do about it because “it comes down from the state.” These state policies are established by politicians, bureaucrats and bean-counters who are known for being shortsighted and getting it wrong. Since, they don’t know anything about education, they hire high-priced “experts” eager to sell their agendas and programs. It’s not surprising that things are so fouled up.

However, I don’t blame the state, I blame us — the education professionals who go along and don’t push back. We, the teachers and administrators, are the experts. We’re the soldiers in the trenches fighting the war against ignorance and mediocrity. Why are we so willing to abdicate our responsibility to our students, schools and communities and accept policies that we know are bad for education? Why are we so afraid to stand up for what is right?

What would happen if one teacher, principal or superintendent refused to go along with state policies that they know are hurting our schools and students? They would probably be quickly replaced. However, what if all the teachers, all the principals, all the superintendents politely refused to go along with those state policies and gave as their reason that they know those policies are hurting our schools and students? What politician, bureaucrat or bean-counter is going to stand up to that? Furthermore, I guarantee that if you asked experienced teachers and principals which state policies are hurting education there would be an amazing consensus.

Since civilizations began, oppressive government policies have always depended on good people “following orders” and going along. Educators are generally “good team players” and perhaps too eager to bend to those in authority. Plus, no one wants to be the first one to be fired. Nevertheless, I want to make an appeal to my fellow educators: Aren’t you tired knuckling under to mandates that harm our schools and students and don’t make sense? Don’t you long for the days when you felt proud to be an educator?

A quote attributed to Edmund Burke states, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” Mohandas Gandhi observed, “Noncooperation with evil is as much a duty as is cooperation with good.”

Fellow educators, it’s time to stand up for what we know is right.

Tom Wellman

teacher

Hessmer

Comments

1) Comment by Iamhopeful2 - 17/02/2013

Keep it up Tom and it will happen. Save Our Schools will support local actions that work toward bringing an end to high stakes testing, equitably and fully fund schools and school districts, support local Ed policy development, community input and collaboration, maintain and uphold teaching as a profession. www.saveourschoolsmarch.org. And www.geauxteacher.net. Momentum is gathering for public Ed advocates to take the message to the legislature en masse when the session opens.

2) Comment by bourbon-soda - 30/01/2013

All personal, no information or logic.

3) Comment by Bouncer - 29/01/2013

You're right on the money, Scrooge. Some things deserve to be dismissed. Of course, those who cling with blind tenacity to their own predictable and oft-repeated biases cannot see that they are worthy of airy contempt. I like the phrase "arm-chair experts." It's a perfect fit for the target of your dismissal, as is the metaphor about the relationship between posterior and head size.

4) Comment by bourbon-soda - 29/01/2013

According to http://www.johntreed.com/debate.html there ore only two intellectually honest debate tactics: "1. pointing out errors or omissions in your opponent’s facts
2. pointing out errors or omissions in your opponent’s logic." Dismissiveness is not one of them.

5) Comment by Scrooge - 29/01/2013

Yawn

6) Comment by bourbon-soda - 28/01/2013

Scrooge didn't say I was wrong; merely made posted logically insignificant personal insinuations and gratuitous assertions.

7) Comment by [e-mail] - 28/01/2013

bourbon-soda is right on this one; our education system has become a convoluted example of a mass of statistical assertions that purport to show it as a paragon of both social action and education while any observer can see that the whole thing is a charade right out of "The Emperor's new clothes".

8) Comment by bourbon-soda - 28/01/2013

No bias or stereotyping there.

9) Comment by Scrooge - 28/01/2013

Arm-chair experts generally develop posteriors in sizes which are in inverse relation to their heads. Teachers are certainly not necessary for developing fluently ignorant demonization based on speculation and driven by the warped ideology of the golden calf.

10) Comment by bourbon-soda - 27/01/2013

It is if you turn all or a large part of an endeavor over to it, as has been done with public schools. Three contradictions emerge here. 1) Mandates affecting the public schools - in the one school system I am familiar with, every teacher gets a binder of mandates from the state and federal government. A majority of teachers probably voted for politicians predisposed to pass such mandates, directly or indirectly (read "Democrats"). Now, teacher kvetch about the mandates. Too late. Try to get one overturned. 2) Teachers tell us we need to put more money into education for the future of the economy but they do not like teaching some of the parts that make most people useful in any actual economy. 3) Like it or not, teaching's claim to professional status is based on a claim to a body of knowledge largely based on descriptive and inferential statistics, but teachers themselves do not want to be evaluated by such statistics. A fourth contradiction might be that teachers are said to be crucial when it comes time to ask for a raise, but not so much when the time comes to assign responsibility (I agree with the latter position, incidentally). It is also interesting that the letter-writing and rallying for the students was not much in evidence until someone came after the teachers' bird nest.

11) Comment by Scrooge - 27/01/2013

Maybe answer to politicians but not run by them, isn't the mantra "government is the problem"

12) Comment by bourbon-soda - 27/01/2013

Tax-supported institutions have to answer to politicians? Who knew? What was Horace Mann thinking?

13) Comment by Scrooge - 27/01/2013

Actually agagent I partly agree with you, but left unsaid is political meddling. Public schools are a necessary and crucial incubator for the survival of free societies, including free markets (how free is another question) and require public funding and probably standardization of accountability and curriculum, but the idea of politicians knowing best is obviously historically a farce. Yet once more, we are seeing that farce played out. But the question remains, how to take the politics out of public school funding? Human nature always intervenes. Resolve that question along with the autonomy of educators to enforce discipline on a meaningful basis, and there would be paradigm shifts. Public education pollicy should not be about a travesty of manipulations for political advantage and getting oneself elected to higher office.

14) Comment by [e-mail] - 27/01/2013

I've enjoyed the comments on this topic and a lot of them are interestingly similar to the point that it's surprising that as a state we've allowed ourselves to be herded towards a goal driven by people in power and their special interest groups, i.e. more and more money poured into schools that were and are now encouraged to expand their traditional function of pure education into non education areas to bring about social change. Even our own newly installed Mr. White has made comments that schools are responsible to bring about "social justice"; as nonsensical a statement as ever was.

15) Comment by agagent - 27/01/2013

We are reaping the disastrous influences of centralized control of public schools. Public schools is supposed to be a function of state and local governments. The decline in public schools occurred as the federal Department of Education has taken over more and more control of public schools. Funds for public schools should not have to go to Washington to be redistributed. Eliminate/reduce the inefficient and wasteful federal bureaucracy and the harmful effects of federal control of local public schools.

16) Comment by bourbon-soda - 27/01/2013

I stand corrected. Education's claim to esteem is based on good intentions.

17) Comment by Scrooge - 27/01/2013

"education's claim that it should be esteemed largely because....preoccupation with quantification." Utter nonsensical jabber, it is more likely (disregarding the specious individualization of an entity, i.e. Citizen's United or "education" ) a much more valid "educations claim" claim based on the above letter might be "it claims it should be esteemed because of its preoccupation with educating society's children". However, individualizing a group to cast them as one mind does make it easy to demonize that group without having to substantiate claims, right? Another word that comes to mind is bias.

18) Comment by bourbon-soda - 26/01/2013

Schools are still organized on the Prussian industrial model they emulated in the 19th century, or military-industrial. You can do all the touchy-feely you want, but compulsory touchy-feely is still compulsory, just like being in the army.

19) Comment by prbeav - 26/01/2013

Comments of both SuzanneMS and InPVille point to We the People as the responsible entity. It was the intention of the US Constitution that We the People would govern. If we considered and committed to the preamble to the US Constitution, we could fulfill it, not "together" but according to our differing preferences for personal living. The parents, teachers, and taxpayers, armed with the preamble, could be drawn to focus on the children (see "posterity" in the preamble). We have wasted 224 years encouraged by weak politicians to divide over the influence of God. It is time to stop the pain.

20) Comment by ScotB - 26/01/2013

I do agree that it is difficult for schools to overcome bad parents, bad peers, and a bad environment. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. No one likes to hear it, but the only real solution is to identify the students who care nothing for learning and segregate them from those who want to learn. The good students are being slowed down in their development by disruption from the bad students.

21) Comment by InPVille - 26/01/2013

@SuzanneMS: I suppose you also believe that people are not animals. Whether something is massed-produced has nothing to do with it. Neither does success or the lack there of. Any nut job blaming teachers for not being able to overcome bad parenting, peers, and/or environment is clearly an IG NO RAY MOOSE. Some people will turn out bad even with quality teaching, parenting, peer group, and environment. -[**]- People are a product by definition: "prod·uct [prod-uhkt, -uhkt] Show IPA noun 1.) a thing produced by labor: products of farm and factory; the product of his thought. 2.) a person or thing produced by or resulting from a process, as a natural, social, or historical one; result: He is a product of his time."

22) Comment by SuzanneMS - 26/01/2013

People are not "products." We are not "results." We are the process. We are living, changing, individual beings who are continually becoming. We are not massed-produced static outcomes. Why do some succeed and others do not? Because of the complex interaction among Individual skills and abilities, personalities, motivations, and environments. How can teachers overcome bad parents, bad peers, and a bad environment -- alone? They can't. That's the point. Teachers are being blamed for the failure of families and societies -- and students. Even with the best teachers, parents, peers and environment, some kids will chose to fail. Schools were not always based on the industrial model, and they are not in the rest of the developed world. In fact, the best performing public and private schools in this state and in this country are not. If we want all public schools to do as well as the best public and private schools, the answer is to emulate them.

23) Comment by 8point6 - 26/01/2013

Good pro and con comments today. I'll just add that, America has become a lawsuit-happy country in the past 50 plus years. Teachers can't discipline students like we were disciplined back in the late 50's and 60's. IMO, some parents today, are looking for anything that will get them a quick buck. And there are some lawyers who are more than willing to accommodate them.

24) Comment by bourbon-soda - 26/01/2013

Children may or may not be called a "product" but school is characteristically based on an industrial model, so will inevitably be assessed by industrial type quantitative standards such as standardized tests, graduation and dropout rates. This type of measurement and evaluation is a consequence of education's claim that it should be esteemed largely because based on science, especially behavioral sciences with their "physics envy" preoccupation with quantification.

25) Comment by Ivy - 26/01/2013

He has a good point, but I think we need to put prayer back in the classroom. The teachers should unite, have a public prayer day, and sit back and watch the fireworks. The problem is, it is hard to stand on principle, when you are sitting outside in the rain. A lot of people have stood up for principle, been fired, and replaced. After a few times of dealing with unpaid bills and worry over where your next meal comes from, you develop a coping mechanism where you do what you can, but no longer cross the "line" and come to the attention of the "job makers". That's where Louisiana teachers are right now...remember when they went to the Capitol to protest?

26) Comment by prbeav - 26/01/2013

While I do not support unions and union movements, I think Mr. Wellman's letter is provocative--as in thought provoking.>>>>My first reaction is to ask the people to turn their attention to national unity.>>>>A few years ago, I changed my response to the question, what are you from "Christian" and Baptist with a Catholic family to "I am a human being and member of the community of people; also, I am a citizen of the United States of America.">>>>During the same time in my life, I began to consider the preamble to the US Constitution more than every before. It seems to me, we are allowing the politicians keep our focus on the influence of God, which is a divisive influence, since God has different meaning to each of us and many of us have a God that insists on dividing us.>>>>Yet, believing that we are uniting, we celebrate that divisive God most July 4ths. (I have sensed a decline in its emphasis under Obama, but could be mistaken.) Thus, our most important annual, national celebration is a time when we are challenged to a contradiction: "under [the divided] God.">>>>The people could consider this issue, decide it should be changed, and require a new celebration to establish an annual appeal to unity. It could be called "We the People Day" and be followed by a second holiday, "Constitution Day," each September 17, to commemorate the signing of the Constitution in 1787. In that way, people like Barack Obama could not get away with revisionist history like, "The patriots of 1776 . . . gave to us a republic." Everyone should know the republic was specified on September 17, 1787 and ratified on June 21, 1788 by the ninth required state, which happened to be New Hampshire.>>>>We, the people of 2013, thanks to citizens who have come before, have the opportunity to establish at last We the People as defined in the preamble.

27) Comment by InPVille - 26/01/2013

So! ! ! How are teachers going to overcome the influence of bad parenting and peer group pressure which have a very significant effect on how much education is imparted to each student. Despite all the things Tom Wellman complains of, some students still manage to become educated. If the things Mr. Wellman complains of were so bad, how would anyone become educated. @SuzanneMS: Children and Adults are both products. Individual skills and abilities, personalities, motivations, and environments have their impact. But whatever comes out is still a "product". . . a thing that results from a process.

28) Comment by spqr - 26/01/2013

Hey Slye...We are not producing a poor product. We are being delivered one. You are another non-teacher whose knowledge of the students and the sick environments from which they come is highlighted to you from the newspapers only. Which means you know very little.

29) Comment by On_The_Fence - 26/01/2013

"it is kind of hard to put your foot down and demand concessions when the product you are producing is a failing one"...And yet Miles will be given yet another raise.

30) Comment by SuzanneMS - 26/01/2013

Children are not "products" and attempting to treat them as such is at the heart of the problem. They are individual human beings, with individual skills, abilities, personalities, motivations, environments -- just like adults. And just like adults, they can refuse to learn or they can be highly motivated, they can be incapable of learning or they can be gifted, they can have difficulties learning that require special treatment or they can have above average abilities. They have individual interests, goals, and values; they have individual needs, strengths and weaknesses. Education is a joint effort among parents, teachers and the community. Parents have the responsibility to send their children to school in a condition that will allow them to learn -- they need to be healthy, adequately fed and clothed, able to see and hear -- and to provide a home environment which supports and encourages learning. Make them do their homework before they are allowed to watch television, for heaven's sake. The community has the responsibility to provide adequate funds for education, equal access to equal education, and opportunities for educated graduates to achieve their goals. It is difficult to convince students to achieve in school when they see that the only opportunities open to them are minimum wage, dead-end jobs.

31) Comment by [e-mail] - 26/01/2013

To make the schools better is something upon which all agree; however the methodology is the sticking point. I believe that one point that Mr. Wellman made is the salient one, i.e. the lack of reinforced discipline. If a student won't or can't perform academically or behaviorally, then that student should be forced to pursue other options, not catered to, excused, and encouraged to believe that it's not his fault. He shouldn't be told that he's really up to the mark and can be anything that he wants to be if not for the fault of the system and his parents

32) Comment by tradewinns - 26/01/2013

the problem is not the teachers. BUT the "united" teachers only unite for pay raises. that's all the public sees. then it looks selfish not benevolent. the bottom line is problem schools have problem students because of problem PARENT(S). that is the failure of our politicians to ensure parents do their duty to their children. but politicians only see votes, not kids. politicians could fix the problem in a new york minute if they had the will power/backbone to do it, they don't. so they run around the problem with charter schools or anything where they will not be forced to make any voters mad, could cost them votes. that's the shame of it all. with proper implementation and enforcement of a few laws our education system would again turn out qualified students and SAVE TAXPAYERS MILLIONS IF NOT BILLIONS OF DOLLARS YEARLY!

33) Comment by Traveler - 26/01/2013

To Slye753: the problems in our public schools are not the fault of the teachers. The problem is poor leadership at the state level. Tom is absolutely correct when he says that the teaching profession has been taken over by "politicians, bureaucrats, and bean counters" whose seriously flawed policies have led to the mess with which teachers must deal. By comparison, physicians would never have allowed such interference in the delivery of their professional services----but then, physicians have a back bone. The only fault of the teachers is allowing this sad situation to happen.

34) Comment by slye753 - 26/01/2013

it is kind of hard to put your foot down and demand concessions when the product you are producing is a failing one.

35) Comment by Traveler - 26/01/2013

To Spudaroonski: "United we bargain, divided we beg" is a slogan used by the teachers' unions, so I assume that you are a member of either the LFT or LAE. Good for you! However, you must understand that these unions are divided as well, at a time when they should have come together for the good of all the members. Such mergers have taken place in other states (for example, California, Minnesota, and Florida), giving educators the power they need to stand up to political foes. The teachers union leaders in Louisiana may assert that such a merger is impossible because of "philosophical differences" between their groups----this argument is baloney. The truth is, sadly, not pretty. You see, over time, a merger will eventually result in one union president, vice-president, CEO, and board members----so some folks will lose their comfortable seats at the table. Do you have any idea how HUGE a salary your union president receives? If not, ask that question----and ask about all the other perks (housing, travel, etc.) he/she gets as well. Then ask about perks for being a board member (travel, prestige, etc.). You'll see why neither side is willing to budge. I've known union insiders who discovered these facts, could not abide the hypocrisy, and chose to get out.

36) Comment by Traveler - 26/01/2013

Tom, I agree with you 100%! Sadly, the courage that you call for is simply non-existent. Louisiana educators lack the political will to take such a stand. Being aware of that apathy and/or fear, self-serving individuals and groups (both within our state and from elsewhere) have targeted Louisiana as one place to launch and pilot sweeping changes in public education that will benefit their own profiteering agendas. Those individuals and groups have access to huge war chests to finance their schemes. These "reformers" (who are actually "deformers") have won, Tom----they've won. I'm sorry.

37) Comment by Spudaroonski - 26/01/2013

Excellent letter Tom. United we bargain divided we beg.

38) Comment by Bighug - 26/01/2013

Tom is probably right, but except for the first paragraph making some general references to the policies, not much else is noted. Some specifics about his claims would be helpful to those of us who aren't in the profession.