Mr. Nesbitt Doesn't Get It

My comment to an opinion piece in  The Oregonian (http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2013/12/tim_nesbitt_finding_the_balanc.html#incart_river): Public K-12 education in Oregon is underfunded. The so-called, " 'largest investment ever made' in K-12 education," was still hundreds of millions of dollars less than what the Quality Education Commission determined was required to adequately fund public schools. There is no point in pretending that it is possible to hire more teachers and other education professionals and support personnel and to increase the number of school days without significantly increasing the level of funding that is available. It is the responsibility of the state legislature to provide this level of funding. It is mandated to do so by the state constitution, but it shirks its responsibility. If we value public education, then we must pay for it.

Imagine if Classrooms Were Staffed Like an NFL Team

My favorite National Football League team is the Green Bay Packers. There are 53 players on a National Football Team. 46 suit up to play a game. 11 Packers at time are on the playing field. The Green Bay Packers have 18 coaches.

There are 30 students in my classroom. Everyone of them "suits up" each day. All 30 are "on the field" at all times. I am usually the only "coach" in the classroom. One or two teaching (coaching) assistants are in the room at various times during the day.

The NFL coach to player ratio is 1:3. A public school classroom "coach" to student "player" ratio is often 1:24 or greater. If well payed adult professional athletes require such intense coaching to be at the top their game, how can we expect public school students to succeed with inadequate staffing levels?

I do not hear people complain about coach to player ratios in professional sports. Heaven help us if anyone were to suggest similar teacher/instructional aide to student ratios in public education. Yet, if we are serious about reforming, no, transforming public education so that the needs of every child are met, then those are the required ratios. This will cost large amounts of money, so it won't happen.

We pay for what we value. We do not value public education. We would pay its true costs if we did.

Enabling Educators

Educators are enablers. There will be no real reform of public education in the United States until educators stop enabling an ineffective system. My reference point is as a classroom teacher.  I work beyond my contracted hours, take work home, and pay for necessary resources with my own money.  Until the public demands that government at all levels provides adequate funding for the personnel and resources that are necessary there will be no real reform. The public will not demand this as long as educators keep picking up the slack. When will I have the courage of my convictions, to take the risk to work only my contracted hours? If the federal and state governments and the school district for which I work want me to meet the needs of my students and to fulfill the many other professional obligations that they have placed on me, they have the obligation to provide the time and resources required. They do not and they will not so long as I allow them to get away with it. I am an enabler of an ineffective educational system.