Fun extra fact: if you do manage to cross class up the way, some of the things on the left can be perceived by people higher up as 'funny personal quirks' rather than class indicators - speaking from experience!
From "A Framework for Understanding Poverty" by Ruby Payne
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This is from "A Framework for Understanding Poverty" by Ruby Payne. She does a really nice job of explaining it in readable simple terms. It is not a scholarly work, and makes huge generalizations.
I've found it to be very helpful for middle class people who are working outside their class (poverty or wealthy) and are struggling to understand their clients behavior. Why did that rich dude/rich lady totally blow you off? Because connections matter, and you don't have any.
Why does that person spend all their money on clothes/food/beer even though eviction is coming in three weeks? Because time is in the moment (not thinking about the future) and eviction is fate, the system sets them up to fail.
Many middle class people see their narrative as the only potential narrative (the American Dream is a middle class narrative), so its really helpful for them to understand that their values are not shared by everyone.
It is not very helpful to apply these principles to race (and race is usually involved in the US), nor is it helpful to state these generalizations out-loud when working with those in a different class, because the values of poverty and wealth are not the American standard values, people are often embarrassed by them (i.e. rich people won't talk about wealth, even though it motivates everything).
Nobody gives a shit what teachers think. Reformers, politicians, school boards, principals, students, parents... none of 'em. Which is why I decided to start this blog, where I will be delivering MY two cents, regardless of whether you've asked.
Here, I will vent, explain, wonder, share, and celebrate various happenings in and around the world of education, and of course in my own secondary language arts classroom. To get to know each other a little better, where's what I like and dislike about education today.
LIKES
To keep it positive, I'll begin here.
The amount of attention being paid to the achievement gap. I must admit that I'm impressed with how much people care about the gap between white students and minority students. You really can't pick up any reading on education without this being mentioned. While I don't particularly agree with the methods used to address it (see below)... something is better than nothing, I suppose!
Diane Ravitch. This woman is on point, always. I love that she changed her mind; as simple as it sounds, so many prominent people wouldn't do that without sort sort of political gain or agenda (ahem Obama and gay marriage).
Rethinking Schools. This website/magazine always delivers a fresh perspective on the big issues. Their books are a breath of clean country air after coughing my way through the polluted disgusting air that surrounds basal readers and other elements of a prescribed curriculum.
Maybe I'm just feeling negative, but that's really all I can think of. Moving on!
DISLIKES
Get cozy, we'll be here for a while.
Race to the Top. Everyone on tumblr/Facebook/the internet has been up in arms regarding Mrs. Romney's recent statement about eliminating public education if her darling husband gets elected. Anyone who decries her statements while, in the same breath, defends Obama, is, in my opinion, a ginormous joke. Race to the Top is essentially gutting public education. Lifting bans on charter schools while imposing intense (and faulty) grading systems on teachers? Who would want to teach? Let alone in a public school, that doesn't allow things like applications. On that note...
Charter schools. How are these still being pushed as the panacea for all our education woes when research PROVES that less than 20% perform better than traditional schools?! Another great fact for you- a THIRD actually do worse. But thank God there are so many inexperienced CEOs running these schools and making a pretty dollar on 'em, am I right?
Michelle Rhee. Why so many people value the opinion of a woman whose teaching experience amounted to roughly two years (did she finish her TFA commitment?), the legacy of which is the story of when she taped a student's mouth shut?
Teach for America. Not only does it denigrate the teaching profession (don't get a silly B.S.Ed! Studying education is for those ineffective career teachers) by placing fresh college graduates with just five weeks of training in the worst schools of the country... Not only does it displace teachers who legitimately want to teach for years (not just two)... Not only is five weeks TOO short of a time to really learn what needs to be done in a Special Needs classroom... it is simply not effective. NO studies have shown TFA hires to be MORE effective than traditionally certified teachers (at least none not performed on TFA's dime). Creating a revolving door of inexperienced teachers who leave after two years does nothing for the students who need it the most.
The gap between academia and reality. This goes both ways. I am both saddened when I see feel-good policies pushed upon me in the classroom (there's a reason that Ruby Payne is commonly presented to teachers in low-income schools, and it has nothing to do with research), and when I hear of discussions that go on in schools of education that have no basis of reality. Many of the things that I was taught in undergrad exist in a dream world where teaching is fun and smiles and rainbows and sparkles and glitter for all students! There's got to be a way for both sides to understand the other better.
Marzano checklist. Yes, I am graded by this tomfoolery. No, it would not hold up in a court of law if I were to be fired as a result of a poor grade. Yes, "Innovating" was created to prevent merit pay from happening because the chances of a score averaging out to that is legitimately impossible.
To anyone that stuck this out, congrats! Follow me for more progressive rants on education. I look forward to hearing from you.
