That’s a win.
Over at Elliott Elementary School last week, three English Language Learner students who struggled mightily in learning to read and write, showered their teacher with love and praise, their families feeling grateful – every day since they arrived in this country – that their children had such a conscientious teacher.
That’s a win.
A graduating senior – a kid who never liked coming to school – was recognized with a $1,000 scholarship this spring and had his own personal business cards presented to him by the vice president of a local bank. A student at one of the newer LPS focus programs, Bay High, the young man says he’s finally beginning to understand his own potential.
And that’s a win.
***
A few weeks ago, a Saturday Night Live skit went viral, featuring three smiling teachers (SNL actors), opening a sketch to supposedly celebrate National Teacher Appreciation Week. “Sometimes the classroom can feel like a battlefield,” one teacher began, “so we have a special message for our students: ‘Y’all won.’”
The sketch went on to feature a series of horror stories, from teachers teased for having a "funky neck" – to winding up in an actual neck brace – to the clear crowd favorite, a teacher who claimed to scream “TSIDDAHN” (“sit down”) – at least 628 times a day. “Kids … y’all won.”
Personally, I thought the skit was hilarious. Every teacher has those moments when they feel like they haven’t taught anyone – anything. The skit reflected their frustration.
But here’s why I’m writing this blog: I don’t want that SNL skit to be the final word.
Teachers across Lincoln and across our country are counting up student successes every single day. The educators I know and respect are by no means waving a white flag.
Instead, they are mighty warriors, some of the most determined, diligent people in America, and they are winning – with perseverance, researched strategies and damn hard work.
And when teachers win – their students win.
Proudly talking about those two transformed students at Moore Middle School, Principal Gary Czapla says: “The majority of their success is attributed to their resilience, but also to the resilience, skill and care of a group of educators and support staff who would not give up no matter how the students resisted guidance, accountability and help. That promotion ceremony affirms all that is good about public education and demonstrates the power of teachers who still believe they have the skills, knowledge and moral obligation to make a positive difference in the life of every student.”
Elliott Elementary teacher Jen Delka said this year was one of her most challenging in educating refugee and immigrant children – with one new student arriving almost every two weeks. “I had moments that utterly depleted me, but at year’s end I was flooded by what is really important: kids and families. After several mothers embraced me with tears and profound thanks, it occurred to me this fifth-grade graduation may have been very important in their lives – lives they likely would not have lived in Guatemala and Afghanistan.”
Of course, dear readers, let me not mislead. This is certainly not the whole story of our schools.
America’s educators are in the middle of a battlefield right now. Let’s call this what it is: A full-blown attack on public education from a group of right-wing crusaders – including our own governor and many Nebraska state senators – spewing vile and misleading claims focused on anti-transgender, anti-’woke,’ and anti-Critical Race Theory.
But never fear, I see no white flags of surrender among educators. Local, state and national advocates of public education are rising up in protest.
Undeterred, they fully understand what they must do:
1) Shout from the rooftops the good news about public schools.
2) Work even harder to make them better.
My son, Josh Swartzlander, principal of KIPP Legacy High School in Kansas City, believes schools are stronger and more resilient than their enemies assume – and more effective than we’re being told: “There are so many examples of great schools capable of great things – everywhere.”
Of course, it’s not easy.
Josh is constantly reading about education, especially drawn to Doug Lemov, author of “Teach like a Champion.”
And Lemov identifies a triangle of major obstacles in teaching right now:
- The detrimental impact of smartphones and social media, particularly on mental health but also simple attention span.
- Distrust in governmental institutions, which often spills over into distrust of schools.
- Our sense of social disconnectedness, ravaged further by the pandemic.
And yet, listen to Shamara Bullock – one of Josh’s assistant principals – proudly talk about:
* The junior who started in ninth grade with the belief that they were supposedly "not good at reading and writing" – a kid best known for not speaking to anyone all day – who now has earned college credit and almost $200,000 in scholarship money.
* The student that started eighth grade, two years behind in reading, and left eighth grade on a ninth-grade reading level, planning to graduate early to attend college.
“I know what winning looks like,” Bullock says. “Winning is 100 percent engagement in high rigor, high energy – and safe, learning environments, where excellence in academics and character are being practiced … The key for educators is having resilience, purpose and vision – beyond this being just a job – and having tools, resources and support to keep going.”
In fact, Lincoln High School Principal Mark Larson said this was likely his favorite year in education (Year No. 19). “I think I'm older and wiser and have a different perspective than I did when I was 22. I think I appreciate some things more that I took for granted before COVID.”
But the real magic for him this year was as basic as this: Schools took away cell phones. “I think there were some of us who thought the great cell phone battle was a lost cause. But this year, adults were clear and more consistent on a policy that made sense. And teachers were much more intentional about finding ways to get students to talk to each other about their learning. What we found was students and adults found more joy in conversation and learning this year than I remember seeing for a while.”
Josh believes you keep it simple: “Give students clear expectations, hold them to a high bar, teach them some cool stuff. Your students will be fine.”
Adults tend to lose perspective over time, Josh says. “Every generation has challenges in education. The phrase – ‘Kids these days’ – was probably the first thing etched on a cave wall. Kids are kids, they have always been a challenge. It’s sort of their job to be a challenge. But an adult’s job – an educator’s job – is to teach them to be responsible adults. That’s never going to change.”
Our country’s education system is not perfect. Never was. But our educators are fighting like hell and a great many of them are winning. Now is the time for all of us to start changing the narrative of public education – to stop buying into an organized, manipulative effort that paints all our schools as failing.
Respectfully, I ask each of you to take a moment amidst the school celebrations throughout this holiday weekend – and do not TSIDDAHN.
Stand up, shout out, support the enormous possibility and promise of public education.
Then pause to salute the real winners: Those students fortunate enough to have teachers who will not give up – educators who are ferocious and focused on making sure their kids learn.
***
Call to action: This past session the Nebraska State Legislature passed LB 1402, an obvious and devious end run around a planned referendum for November to vote on the voucher scheme passed the previous year.
If you would like to know more about the second, ongoing petition drive for the right to vote on whether public dollars should fund private schools – go to Support Our Schools Nebraska/Public Dollars for Public Schools: https://supportourschoolsnebraska.org/
*For your viewing pleasure, here's a link to the Saturday Night Live skit:
Just one comment, we became the greatest country because of our public education system, and we need it now more than ever that we're being eroded from within.
ReplyDelete