Personally I see many people wanting change and only a few that are uncomfortable with it.

Some want the same changes that I want, others want changes that contradict what I want. Those that don’t want change clearly don’t want what I want, but they do want what they want. Want to know what I want…keep wanting. I want to know what I want. Then we can want to want the same things or want to want different things…whatever we want. One more time…want.

OK, now back to the stuff…Giving up that control of decision maker in favor of group decision making is tough-especially at first. Yes, it is a clear advantage in terms of big picture and varied vantage points and perspectives, but it does take time, create hassles, and hamper quick decisions.

If you truly have a “we team” you have a lot. Getting there can be difficult and there will be bruises and bumps along the way. I have never seen it smoothly transform into a trusting, giving relationship without a few battlescars. The giving up of a “perfect idea” isn’t as difficult as taking a path you don’t like from the start, but sometimes it is a good path. Your quote above, “It comes from a fundamental recognition that a successful climate (in business or personal life) is created when each best self finds expression, not when each self gets with your program,” is accurate. I like it.

Just came your way from a post about setting priorities. I like the little I’ve read from you, and hope to get to read more. I don’t have my own blog - though I continually say I will jump off that cliff too - guess that is my part of prioritizing in relationship to family, life, work, and sanity… Thanks for your down to earth comments and sensible logic. In a time of increased aspirations and challenges, it’s good to be reminded that we are living breathing people that are social beings that existed before the internet made it so easy to connect with so many (however shallowly that may be).

Thanks for the response and for the links and recommendations. I think you say it very well when you state that there is always a danger that the frenetic embrace of new freedom disguises an updated form of old conformity.

Hope you enjoyed your day

I tried to ask some related questions in an article, prompted by the British government’s enthusiasm for compelling parents to provide broadband access in the home:

http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/globalisation/the_off_grid_internet

Steve Talbott gets into this territory, deeper and more eloquently, in his book, ‘Devices of the Soul’ - which echoes a number of themes in your post.

Then, of course, there’s this…

http://www.getafirstlife.com/

…which really says it all.

And now I feel like I should go and do something offline. Thank you!

I do think Mr. Vanderhoek’s idea has merit - the best and the brightest will go into teaching if they are paid for their efforts. Lower pay, by in large, means lower quality. Of course, there are teachers who enter the profession because they Love it/have a passion for their subject. Some of them might be considered the ‘best & brightest’, some might not. I do think that heart and passion trump brains when it comes to dedicating yourself to a career.

As for teacher training, I agree that what passes for training today won’t help much. But, there is learning that could make a difference:

1)Teacher orientation that really lasted 5 years and was combined with solid mentoring and coaching (not the I’m hear for you to cry on my shoulder and together we can b-tch about how bad the administration is) that was intensive in the first 2 - 3 years then tapered off.

2)Professional development that took place in the classroom as well as in the training lab so teachers are provided with support as they implement.

3)Challenging teachers to know their subjects (and for lower grades, the full curriculum) and providing ongoing professional development that supports increased content knowledge. This is especially true for math and science.

And, with all that there will be no Xanadu for American middle schools. Because the problems are far too complex for simple solutions. The notion that there is ONE answer to what plagues us is what makes the Equity Project so humorous to me. Should teachers be paid a salary that make the profession competitive with other highly skilled professions? Of course. Will increasing their salary while eliminating many essential teacher supports solve the problems of urban education? Not likely.

I suspect that the school budget will be revised more than once, over the next 5 years, to accommodate the inclusion of some of those supports.

I disagree with his assumption that class size doesn’t matter. In my experience, it does. I disagree with his belief that disciplinary deans are a luxury. There has to be a place where you can send disruptive students or your classrooms descend into chaos. I am sure that teachers need time to create curriculum and work together on it. If they are doing all the duties of guidance counselors, attendance officers, disciplinary deans, and assistant principals, they don’t have that time.

I wish him luck and maybe boldness and brains will out, but I don’t think so.