On Being Brave and Bold

In a May 8 column in the Washington Post, Jay Mathews had this (and much more) to say about the Teacher Solutions report Performance–Pay for Teachers, which I helped write with 17 other teachers from across the U.S.

They lose me completely with point number nine, “Be brave, be bold.” I have seen versions of “be brave, be bold” in every high profile, blue ribbon, big expense-account master plan for saving our schools in the last 20 years.

Well, not from teachers, he hasn't. Because teachers haven't been writing high-profile blue ribbon reports for the last 20 years. The TeacherSolutions report is part of a very new wave of national position papers written in the voice of teacher leaders who believe it's time we had a place at the table. And those of us involved in the TeacherSolutions project definitely didn't have a big expense account. Teachers? Expense accounts? This may be the only instance I can think of where teachers were equated to "fat cats."

I have thought a lot about those two words brave and bold since reading his article. I just do not see how we can ever leave out brave and bold when thinking about education reform. To be very honest, I felt pretty bold just being a part of the Teacher Solutions group. It was a first for me—joining a policy discussion with teachers across the nation about a topic that is usually reserved for policy gurus who are far removed from the every-day realities of school. This was a new world for me and I liked being included.

I also think the words brave and bold are very fitting as I end my third year at Brighton. I often am introduced to people as the national Teacher of the Year who chose to go to one of Alabama’s lowest performing schools when I could have had a job anywhere. This makes me sound brave and bold. In reality, I do not think this was a brave or bold move. For me, it is an obvious choice for accomplished teachers to share their talents and knowledge in our most needy schools.

To be very honest again, I have been more apprehensive than brave the past three years. I have written often about my daily struggles to find my place at Brighton. I still constantly question whether I have what it takes to stay in a school like Brighton. But if I am not brave, I am determined. I won't give up.

I will tell you who the truly brave and bold folks are at Brighton. It's our students. Recently, our 41 eighth graders went to orientation at Hueytown High School, where most will enter in the fall. The other students at the event all came from Hueytown Middle School—the school that I strongly believe our students in grades 6-8 should also attend (and let Brighton become a true elementary school).

On this visitation day, our eighth grade girls decided to all wear red and black. When I saw them, I was perplexed at why would they want to stand out in this way. Many of us have campaigned for them to be accepted in this high school, bragging on their good behavior. But some of those present quickly assumed they were wearing gang colors. Later I found out they behaved beautifully and these colors represented a Brighton club.

So what were these girls trying to say? My guess is it was something like: "We are here. You have left us out until now, but we will make our way!” I love that these girls were brave and bold enough to do this. They will have to have this type of spunk to survive in this very large school where they are labeled “the Brighton kids.” I say, "You go girls, you can make it!"

If you have ever worked in a school of high poverty, you know that in order for the children to survive and prosper, they must have boldness and courage. I witness this daily in many of the Brighton children who are homeless, abused, and neglected. My frustration continues to be with the decision makers who want to keep our Middle School students in a school that next year will have around 38 students in each grade It makes no sense on educational or economic grounds.

How I wish someone would be brave and bold enough to restructure our school to a K-5 elementary and provide us with effective classroom teachers who have high expectations and a sense of professionalism. We do have a growing number of outstanding teachers, but we are still building our schedules around (and I do mean "around") the teachers who do harm, and whom those of us in the school have no power to remove.

So, I guess I would say to Jay Mathews that I never want the words brave and bold to be left out of the conversations about saving our schools. If we are not brave and bold, nothing will ever change for populations like Brighton. Change requires us to "shake up the schoolhouse," as Phil Shlechty has said. The incrementalism that Jay Mathews suggests in his column will not generate enough force to break the inertia of entrenched bureaucrats with a "hide the problem" mindset.

To be very honest a final time, I want to be known as a brave and bold educator who made a difference. As the late Robert Kennedy said:

The future does not belong to those who are content with today, apathetic toward common problems and their fellow man alike, timid and fearful in the face of bold projects and new ideas. Rather, it will belong to those who can blend passion, reason and courage in a personal commitment to the ideals of American society.

Jay Mathews would call that "romantic fiction." Let's hope not. Let's hope we can still find ways to instill such visions in the minds and hearts of the kids we teach.

Comments

[Joe Bellacero]

"We do have a growing number of outstanding teachers, but we are still building our schedules around (and I do mean "around") the teachers who do harm, and whom those of us in the school have no power to remove."

Betsy,

Your passionate desire to give the Brighton students every chance at a good education and a good life glows white hot in everything you write. It is the kind of commitment that supports my theory that at a certain point if you want to become a better teacher, you’re going to have to become a better person. Clever strategies, knowledge of subject, good assignments, clear explanations and polished classroom structures only take you so far. From then on you must learn how to be open to individual needs; how to make the classroom less and less about you and more and more about them; how to let their voices tell you about the world they encounter instead of trying to mold them to face the world as you see it. You have to care—not just about a concept of “deserving children” but about the reality of that nasty bully child who has contempt for your dearest beliefs. In short, you have to value Burris Ewell as much as Scout Finch.

I can feel you working on that. The question, though, is “Why?” Why should we want to give up the pieces of ourselves that such commitment requires? Is it because these children are valuable? Some of them darken every room they enter and lighten it by leaving? Do you want to sacrifice yourself for them too? If the answer is yes—yes, they are valuable, yes they are worth it—then, Betsy you have to apply that same approach to the teachers in your school.

Kids aren’t important because they are kids, they are important because they are people. Educating Brighton kids is not more important than educating kids who have all the privileges in the world. Each and every person requires our best efforts otherwise none of them do.

If you are frustrated with some of the teachers in your school, it means you haven’t found the way, yet, to help them grow as educators. So, find a way. Stop wanting to get rid of them, (Would you send them to another school where they would do their damage? Would you get them out of teaching and have them be a problem in some other profession? Would you wipe them off the face of the earth?) and continue to look for what they have to offer Brighton’s children so you can build on that.

Joe

[John Norton]

Joe,

Thank you for your response. In your past responses, you have always been very good to prompt me to rethink my position. I would like to share with you that one of my joys the past three years has been watching many of our teachers grow in their practice. This past year, two of our teachers completed the NBPTS process; another young teacher is now pursuing her Masters’ degree at an outstanding School of Education, while one of our first-year teachers is serving on the Teacher Recruitment Committee of the Governor’s Commission on Teaching Quality. In addition, we implemented Professional Learning Teams -- and watching several of our teachers take on leadership roles in this area has been thrilling. It makes me very proud of our profession to be a part of all of this.

However, I do not apologize for saying that some teachers put children in harm and need to be removed. I do not believe that just because a teacher received certification that this insures that he or she is an appropriate person to teach our children. I do not know of another profession that allows this to happen. During the first two years at Brighton my principal initiated over 270 days each year of job-embedded professional development. This averages out to be about 6 days a year for each teacher. Some of these days were full or half days of training while other days were for modeling or side-by-side teaching by consultants, experts, and coaches.

In addition, we have added a fulltime reading coach to assist teachers daily. Plus, we have had the daily expertise of a State Department Peer Mentor, and Curriculum Specialists from our district have spent many weeks assisting teachers at our school. Yet, we still have several teachers who have absorbed little of none of this training into their teaching practice and continue to have very little academic success. One of the Curriculum Specialists from our district said after spending 6 weeks in one classroom that it was criminal to place a child there.

Another concern I have is that we have called upon several of our young non-tenured teachers to take on many of the teaching duties of others due to lack of content knowledge that still exists. I hate putting this burden on them, as I fear they too will become just as frustrated as I am and leave. Our students cannot afford for these young teachers to leave, and neither can they afford the high price they are paying by having incompetent teachers.

Finally, you are right. I will always put children first.

Betsy

[Joe Bellacero]

Betsy,
It is hard to argue with your commitment, so I'll just explain my thinking and leave it at that.

For the past 35 years I have worked at a camp for physically challenged children. When I first moved into a director position, I encountered a photo specialist who came to me complaining that "These kids can't do anything and I'm sick of trying!" and therefore she was going to finish working the week and then quit. I told her to pack her bags that night and be out by morning.
When I informed the Executive Director of the agency about the incident, he suggested that she had chosen to do this work because she wanted to give and that she had had every intention of doing a good job. He left it at that, didn't second guess me, simply broadened my thinking.
I had denied her the opportunity to gain greater understanding and I had denied the kids the benefit of her knowledge.
I've made it my business to help every subsequent worker at the camp do a job to be proud of--and haven't fired anyone for a bad attitude in over 20 years.
In my righteousness I had failed everybody. Now,I don't believe I can run a humane camp if I assign places to people (you first, you second, you last).

P.S.(I have counseled two people to leave since that time and they saw the wisdom in it.)