Race to the Top is a hodgepodge of old, bad and contradictory ideas that appeal to the fears and frustrations of those who search for simple, nihilistic solutions to the highly complex problems and challenges facing the public schools. The National Education Association suggested that the Obama
Administration should develop school improvement initiatives based on research and on what works in the classroom. Scholars have been even more dismissive. The education historian Diane Ravitch writes: “What is extraordinary about these regulations is that they have no credible basis in research. They just happen to be the programs and approaches favored by the people in power.” Others point to the apparent hypocrisy of U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s claims to be a data-driven reformer.
With all the criticism towards the federal government’s Race to the Top, none may be as the dangerous as the government’s desire to change the teaching and learning process: the relationship between teachers and their students.
The story of the public schools – especially the teacher-student relationship - is a multifaceted and complex one; thousands of stories that form a tapestry of how teachers work, connect, excite, engage, and enrich the lives of children.
Chimamanda Adichie, on the Blog, Accomplished California Teachers (ACT), beautifully portrays the importance of stories. ACT is a new teacher leadership network for the state of California. ACT is funded by the Stuart Foundation and the Hewlett Foundation, and housed under the umbrella of the
School of Education at Stanford University.
To understand the importance of stories, David B. Cohen brings to our attention “The Danger of a
Single Story” delivered by novelist Chimamanda Adichie. She argues for the importance of literature, the power of narratives, and the risks of perpetuating or accepting a steady stream of non-varied stories that distort their subject matter.
The message for teachers is to tell your stories about the great and wonderful teaching and learning experiences you are having each day. Tell your stories every chance you get: to parents, to administrators, to policy makers, to politicians, and most of all to other teachers.