Against School Reform (and in Praise of Great Teaching)

A credit to Peter Temes's efforts to bring back the dignity and respect that school reform has taken away from great teaching. Against School Reform (And in Praise of Great Teaching) describes and outlines some of the great philosophies that have shaped Americas schools. His genuine admiration for teachers and great teaching is apparent, in his accurate description of our failing educational systems. The connection he makes with what does and does not work in schools is evident of his knowledge of the educational structure. The issues and views of school reform come second to the power of great teaching.

Temes' central thesis is that nothing succeeds with any kind of student, from the most brilliant to the slowest, like devoted and intelligent teachers. It isn't the curriculum, it isn't how many hours of sex ed they get, it isn't the standardized tests. It's the amount of time and effort the teacher spends working to inspire young minds.Not surprisingly, a top-down approach "designed by geniuses to be implemented by idiots" is bound to fail. Teachers are idiosyncratic human beings. Each one will have his or her own approach to teaching, and if they are any good they will never teach the same class twice. The subject matter evolves, the teacher keeps learning, and the personalities in each class are different.Temes' plea is for administrators to see their role as protecting the teachers from bureaucratic intrusion and hiring the best possible teachers. The role of education schools ought to be, as much as anything else, getting smarter people into education. Education majors today are at the bottom of the heap intellectually, about 100 points below the median on SAT scores. It is perverse that teaching is a job from which it is hard to get fired, and from which the only promotion paths lead out of the classroom. Temes quotes many administrators on the reality of the situation: 20% of classroom teachers are total losses, another 60% are capable of being inspired but often aren't, and maybe 20%, in a good system, are truly dedicated.A short anecdote. I listen to the lunchroom conversation in my stints as a substitute teacher. In private school the conversation is usually about kids and curriculum. In public school it is about benefits and retirement.