What does a good school look like?

            One of the largest tensions in education this course has made me aware of is the idea of consumerism schools versus socially responsive schools. What I mean by this is that we live in an age in which schools, and specifically curriculum, are driven by money. However, what is socially right and necessary in education continues to challenge the business side of education politics; yet it often loses.  As it has been said, money runs the world.

           

            This has been a personal tension for me. I have found myself programmed and trained to think of school in business terms. The cost of technology per student, the cost of good curricular programs, the cost per teacher, per student are some ever-present issues in any school. In a district we battle public versus charter for funding. Nationally, we battle larger districts (or states, in reference to Texas in the last lesson on curriculum) controlling what is to be taught and/or bought. All of theses things truly affect the learning that takes in classroom from whom with the most money gets to decide what should be learned to schools needing to make decisions that impact students and classrooms based upon designated funding.

            Right now, public schools seem to be losing the funding battle to charter schools. At least in my district we are feeling the affect of money on student learning. Many Arts classes are being cut, along with teachers. Class sizes expand making the dynamic for learning even more challenging in an already struggling environment.

           

            It seems as though money is determining how and what students learn instead of pedagogy, philosophy, research, and experts. Yet here we are, educators whom understand the need for a demanding curriculum and high-quality instruction, struggling to do what is right in an environment where it sometimes seems impossible. This observable tension can sometimes lead to burnout. As I am approaching the end of my school year, and am faced again with projections for our school’s budget next year, our principal asks us, “how can we make cuts?” I wonder when we will get relieved of this battle, when will we win? Will there be a time in which money does not determine our children’s quality of education? The answer to this question is more than likely, no; so we must move forward in thinking about curriculum within the context of each budgetary frame. With the resources we have, how can we deliver a quality education, one of equal value to the school 5 miles down the road with twice as much funding?

            In The Aims of Education, Nel Noddings noted in regard to the development of standards in education, “the underlying aims seem to be (1) to keep the United States strong economically and (2) to give every child an opportunity to do well financially,” (p. 431).  Even the purpose for education, at the national scale, is underscored by money and business. While that is realistic and sensible to connect education to jobs, the JohnDewey inside of me insists that education is more than a means to earn money and get a job.  John Dewey is known for his ideas for curriculum to be meaningful and relevant and build on natural inquiry within in natural contexts. It is the most genuine form of education, it is education undressed, unaltered, uninfluenced.

            Elliot W. Eisner elaborates on the idea of consumerism curriculum, “education has evolved from a form of human development serving personal and civic needs into a product our nation produces to compete in a global economy. Schools have become places to mass produce this product.” We are not only determining curriculum through business and money, but we have now turned our schools into places of business. Students are the products; parents are the customers (or in some ways the community as a whole are the customers) in which they are free to shop around via school of choice. Teachers are forced into “sales” in which we are tiptoeing around telling certain truths to parents about their children or the school itself, so we do not lose a “loyal customer.”

            I noted early, my own personal struggle with this tension of business in education. Recently I have had an observation this year in which the principal noted that I run a “very business-like” atmosphere in my classroom. Although he stated this in form of a compliment, I couldn’t help but be slightly offended. Teachers are stereotypically the anti-business personality, they are warm, welcoming, funny, understanding, etc. Was the notion of schools as businesses now affecting my demeanor in my classroom? I continued to reflect on his statement, wondering if it was a good or a bad thing? In some ways I found my “business-like” atmosphere to be fitting and appropriate. Yet I still felt uncomfortable with this idea of a business like atmosphere. Whether it is good or bad, the truth of the matter is that the climate of consumerism is now seeping into daily instruction. Though this may make me uncomfortable, it may also be a reality given the present climate of education.