By Jane Weinkrantz
How many times have we heard the saying, “If you want something done right, do it yourself ?” That old saw proves true over and over again and, most recently so, on the subject of standards and curriculum. The PCT Academic Standards Committee was formed to combat both the murky guidelines our state provides us with and the frequently ambition-linked and politically driven choices in curriculum and textbooks that our teachers find themselves burdened with. In the case of math, our union’s attention to revising the standards and curriculum has already generated tangible results with teachers reporting that students having much greater command of basic math facts. These impressions appear to be confirmed by a significant improvement in the raw scores on the most recent middle school math assessment. Yet, even more changes must be in store if we want to teach in a way that is effective, clear and educationally sound.
In the most recent issue of American Educator, AFT assistant director Heidi Glidden writes about the importance of clear content in academic standards. Glidden has been reviewing standards since 1995. She states, “In brief, content standards are at the heart of a coherent, standards-based education system. They define our expectations for what’s important for children to learn, serve as guideposts for curriculum and instruction, and should be the basis of all assessments, whether formal, informal, state-developed, or teacher-created. These state-developed public documents are the source that teachers, parents, and the general public consult to understand content matter expectations.”
As teachers, it should be our role to examine the standards and determine how they can most effectively be implemented in our classrooms. We should discuss what activities and materials can be used to insure that all our students meet those standards. What is surprising is that this isn’t taken for granted. What isn’t surprising is the professional frustration some of us encounter when we are told to teach to the standards without any clear explanation as to what they are or examples of appropriate, supporting materials and activities. According to Glidden, “There must be an understanding of what the standards mean and the concepts and skills necessary for students to demonstrate mastery of them. Teachers should have access to detailed guides that explain the content to be taught, offer ideas (not mandates) for how to present the material, show sample student responses that indicate a standard has been met, and include sample classroom assessments.” Often what we would like to cover in our classrooms exceeds what the state would have us do. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to not only have a clear idea of the standards and how to implement them, but to have the ability to improve upon them as well?
How frequently have we heard a colleague complain that, “I’ve got kids who claim never to have seen a semi-colon/DNA strands /the system of checks and balances/square roots/estar vs. ser.” Sometimes it’s hard to know if the kids just forgot everything over the summer or if they really haven’t been taught these concepts. If our standards were better articulated, this wouldn’t happen.
Trying to teach without clear standards is like being asked to cook a Thanksgiving dinner for 20 and finding your kitchen is only stocked with hot dog buns, saffron, artichokes, peanut butter, turkey, carrots, capers, cranberries, and a Cuisinart electric fondue pot. Some of the ingredients are there and your guests won’t be hungry, but it’s not the meal you should have prepared. If only you had made the shopping list, you would have been sure to include sweet potatoes and corn. You might even have omitted the hot dog buns.
So far, administrators can’t be relied upon to communicate and uphold teaching standards. At the much earlier part of this decade, teachers in my department weren’t given a whole lot more than a list of grade appropriate texts, some of which weren’t even in our book room, (The list had been compiled by asking other administrators across Long Island what was taught by grade level in their districts.), and an exhortation to get everyone through the Regents. This is not enough. The content, goals and activities most conducive to meeting the standards should be determined and shared by teachers. After all, most of our administrators don’t teach and many are vulnerable to seduction by trendy but ultimately irrelevant or impractical methodologies promoted at conferences, not unlike the electric fondue pot. While it is always refreshing to hear feedback from an administrator or colleague who has attended a conference or read about new teaching techniques, we, as the keepers of the standards, should determine what place, if any, that approach has in our classrooms.
Taking ownership of the standards will allow us to take the pride in our work that we should as we determine how best to give our students the excellent education to which they are entitled.