The Problem of School Suspensions

                          

   

                                

Arne Duncan served his role of secretary of the Department of Education since 2009 and recently decided to officially step down from his role leaving many accomplishments to American education. One area that he influenced with keen insight was the suspending of kindergarten students in elementary school. He recognized that racial discrimination has been a major problem affecting the suspension of students, as zero tolerance policies also affect minorities and can cause students to feel unwelcome to their schools. He advocated that rethinking suspensions must occur. Arrest, expulsion, and suspension occur too often whereas more constructive approaches should have occurred (George, 2014).   

My concern is that suspensions have often provided relief for the school environment, particularly in regard to students with emotional or social concerns, but are often non-effective with improving student behavior. Students with extreme needs due to emotional, social, or economical struggles, are too often repeat offenders. Their peers and teachers recognize this terrible cycle of suspension and feel helpless.

Imagine an impoverished child with a single parent who works two jobs just to pay the bills. The child has done his best to come to school but has struggled raising himself. His soiled clothing and odors affect relationships with other students, coupled with inferior thoughts, as he tries his best to achieve only to end up suspended for not following the rules. Soon, school does not help the child but becomes a place where the student feels punished for circumstances beyond his control.
Data shows that suspensions are imbalanced as only 5% of white students will be suspended compared to the 16% of blacks to be suspended. Boys are more than two out of three likely to be suspended. Students with disabilities twice likely to be suspended are 13% as opposed to those without disabilities (U.S Department of Education, 2016). The loss is too great as we can no longer do things the same and get the same results. Our prisons are filled with poor minorities who were at risk because of a system that was non-accommodating.

Recently, I asked a 4^th grade student who is suspended often, what she does when she is suspended and she replied that she sleeps late but does not get in trouble. She returns to school with a new hair style, and new clothing as the parents seeks to encourage the child in a way that she understands.  A longitudinal study by the council of state government (2011) shows that 31% of students expelled at least once repeat at least one grade. When these students repeat grades, and they are older than the other students, other problems arise, because poor behavior and bullying and disruptive kinds of behaviors often become apparent. The afore mentioned longitudinal study showed that only 3% of those suspended were for violence which is a mandated reason for suspension, but others were suspended for discretionary decisions (Council of State Justice Center, Breaking Schools Rules (2011).

My perspective is that schools must adapt a more holistic approach to educating children. We must not continue to punish children for reasons that are obviously related to economics, mental, or emotional issues, or any other deficiencies which are out of the control of that child or the families. Schools are placed in communities as the schools will be a reflection of the communities. Suspending a disruptive child may make things easier on the school but the long term effect on that child, his family, and community are crucial. The students and families will never receive that time back again to educate the child. Punishment must be restorative rather than punitive for all children. I support the ASCD legislation agenda to support communities to collaboratively strive to educate the whole student with staff and students who are supported, engaged, challenged, safe and healthy(ASCD, 2016). Through these efforts, I believe we can start to experience healthier disciplinary pratices..

My Political View of the Democratic Election

 I admire Bernie Sanders and the posture he has taken in the current presidential elections. His voice has helped to shape much of the conversation taking place in the democratic discussions. While Hillary Clinton has served as a first lady at the white house, state senator, secretary of state, and countless other responsibilities which have of course prepared her for the presidency,  I am thinking of personalities in the bible that God chose. People God chose were often the one not expected as King David had bloody hands, and Moses disobeyed God and although they played large and strategic roles as leaders, they lost their blessing. These were mighty men but their bloody hands or disobedience prevented them from being the one to continue to perform the ultimate task of deliverance. When God chose the one to follow, he chose the one with little experience or reputation like Solomon, who  was a young man and followed David as King, and built the temple. Joshua followed Moses and led the children of Israel to the promised land. God takes the foolish things to confound the wise. We must never rule God out of the picture.

 My point is that one's experience and knowledge may not be God's qualifications for higher appointment. When I first became aware of Bernie Sanders, I loved his message and his heart for equality among people in the United States and even the world. Bernie's desire for a  "moral economy" is outstanding and  definitely challenges the status quo! He has served as a tool to sharpen Hillary. Although she is the most popular among delegates, "iron sharpen iron" , and we have heard her raise her standards as Bernie has challenged her. This is positive and if Bernie does not win, we know that his voice represented all of us. We who are not part of that 1% experience the struggles and the lack that Bernie has brought to the forefront. I think of Bernie as "that voice crying in the wilderness", and I wish to thank him for all that he has done to help sensitize the overall objectives of the presidency in the democratic race.  

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The Truth about Education and Inequality

By Leah Spencer Hopkins

The issues of equality remain a top priority in education and in American culture but one must recognize that inequality is merely a symptom and not the cause for the lack of social justice in education and other systems. Too often our society chooses to turn its face to the matters that tarnish American culture and society in general. While segregation, racism, and slavery, have proven to be very much alive today, despite the good efforts of leaders over the generations, who have fought to make equitable change in our society; somehow, we still find that inequality is interwoven in every institution of our society.

Individuals continue to fight for civil rights and for acceptance, respect, equality, and freedom. When racism is symptomatic, the spectator often has no idea of what the victims of inequality feel and why they feel disquieted about their condition. Although one can only imagine what it is like to grow up as a superior race, the superior race can only seek to identify with what the non-superior race experience in America. Entitlement is real, and the entitled know that they are entitled to privilege on every level in America.

Entitlement contributes to one’s ability to make a decent wage for living in this economy. If one earns a good education, then one will qualify for a good job to help to avoid the stresses that so many in the lower class face. Good education does not guarantee a good job if one is in the minority race but the quality of the education will certainly create a greater-odds ratio (OR). If one happens to be privileged to attend a grade school and high school in an affluent community, then one may have exposure enough to gain the thinking needed for achieving high scores on standardized testing and will possibly receive scholarship or help for college tuition. On the other hand, if one is not so fortunate and had to grow up in a non-affluent community where one’s parent’s struggled and have to take out loans for paying tuition, then one has begun what I call the modern day educational slavery trade.  The lower class seek out higher education only to find that they have fallen into the rich man’s trap of taking risky loans in order to pay the tuition for schools that often do not prepare students for the current economy. Upon graduation, the loan payments begin, the debt to the rich continues and the cycle for the poor is perpetuated. The real battle is not a race war but a class war and the race war is a symptom and often a tool used by the super rich. As King Solomon would say, this too, I have learned under the sun.

While big business obviously has no compassion for small businesses, the middle class and lower class small business continue to support large businesses that do not care about the poor. This too is another modern day form of slavery. Paying low wages for an honest day’s work is slavery. The big companies pay minimal wages to employees that cannot begin to support their families. Big companies barely pay crumbs for earned education and hard labor while they earn billions off of the backs of the poor and poorly educated.

Race tensions have never ceased, as no matter how much money African Americans have made in this country over the years, we continue to witness their senseless demise, as their money is soon taken away through the hands of conniving individuals through intentional ruthless means whether through death or unjust courts. The senseless destruction, credibility, and the name of a rich Black man seems like fair game, but this too is slavery as the mocking of the name of a great African American is modern day lynching and also for the purpose of maintaining white supremacy. The savage attacks on successful African Americans are only to castrate or emasculate that individual for purposes of vain control. The evil has never stopped, as for centuries, history bears witness of this evil.

The senseless struggle for more education, more money, and more respect can obviously leave one with a feeling of futility, but I submit that one must never quit. Despite the the cycle of historic and modern day martyrs, we must maintain hope. However, our hope can never be in the man made systems as the systems were made for the rule of men. Many have come before us, and have fought for equality, civil rights, and social justice in education and society, only to see the same issues exist in different forms hundreds of years later. Evil may look different today than it did 200 years ago, but evil is still evil. One can certainly recognize that the cycle and issues of mankind exist, even as far back as Adolf Hitler; who hated the Jews, and the dark ages in American history before the abolition of slavery. Man’s unwillingness to embrace the good from all humanity, and those who are racially different is an awful blight. All over the world, inequality and senseless race wars exist. Mankind is attacked and threatened for the elimination of a particular race or group of people. This somehow provides a sense of satisfaction for the internal hatred and contempt that exist as if the insatiable thrills of hate and evil rule the world.

The evil is loose and has been loosed. We have witnessed the evil but have not identified the evil. People adapt to the evil as though it is a way of life and spend years seeking how to exist with the evil as if we have no alternative.  I believe that education is a man made system and vehicle through which change can occur in our world as the world is receptive to knowledge whether it is good or bad.  Education is a mighty power but can also be infiltrated. Although the system is usually quite biased, good can still emerge.

One must know that we are not forsaken. The world is not forsaken for God sees. Real resolution is beyond education and is found in the system that God has given and that system is love. When love is present, hate, disdain, inequality, and all other human corruption, and dishonorable behaviors will dissolve. Love seems unattainable in our world and in education where God is not acknowledged, but God has deposited himself in all of us in the form of a conscious. God calls us to follow Him because His very essence is love and will solve problems of the entire world. Evil will not survive where love rules. Through love, we will learn that our differences are needed for helping one another to uncover the the prosperity available through love and acceptance. For nations who boast of their faith, but emphasize hate, these nations are far from God. God so loved the world that He gave. The point is that God’s presence and influence in the world is available as God is knocking at our door right now. He can heal the world but we must let Him rule.

    

No Child Left Behind Act Replaced with the “Every Student Succeeds Act”

The“Every Student Succeed Act "has replaced NCLB act for K-12 education in the United States. Congress voted to lessen the role that the federal government will play in education, while allowing for more decisions to occur in the districts and states. The over testing accountability culture that punished states if students did not score proficient in math and reading will be eliminated and replaced with the “Every Student Succeeds” measure. States will now fix their own problems by creating their own tests and creating their own evaluation for teachers.  States will determine for themselves how achievement gaps will be closed. Arne Duncan says that the top-down, one size fits all system of NCLB will be replaced with a system of laws that are more flexible for finding the best solutions locally. The secretary of education Arne Duncan stepped down as secretary of education and has an interim who is nominated to replace Duncan. The acting secretary of education  is John B. King; an African American and said to be a pro charter schools advocate, as he founded his own charter school, just outside of Boston in 1999 (Camera, 2015).

Some things remain the same in the new system for K-12 education, including the federal schedule of testing (testing grade 3-8 and once in high school in math and reading); and the annual reporting of achievement scores with a demographic break down. New safeguards include the monitoring from states for the underserved students. The new educational law is a direct response to President Obama’s executive authority and call for change in education. The bipartisan vote and legislation of congress is represented in the “Every Student Succeed Act” (Camera, 2015).  

Obviously, selection of local leadership for local developments and strategies need to be done with the most care and discretion. According to Rivera, 2015, the act provides for the states discretion for developing their own strategies for the lowest performing schools of Pennsylvania. In Pennsylvania, Governor Wolf secured an increased budget of 350 million dollars to strengthen education in the state. Now, we all share the goal for securing quality education for Pennsylvania (Reigelman, 2015).

                                                                       

                                                             References

Reigelman, N. (2015). Pennsylvania Pressroom, State department of education responds to congressional passage of Every Student Succeeds Act. http://www.media.pa.gov/Pages/Education-Details.aspx?newsid=199

Humility for Educational Leadership

                                         

                                                   

In today’s leadership economy, shared leadership is necessary since no individual person is correct all the time (Kocolowski, 2010, p.67). The management catastrophe for many leadership experiences however, is when a leader finds a need to control every aspect of an organization to the point that they are micro-managing. Shared leadership differs as the approach allows for decisions that are interactive and for many to be influenced by one another. Shared leadership has replaced the former practices of hierarchical leadership (Avolio, Walumbwa, and Weber 2009). A Definition of shared leadership set by Conger & Peace (2003): “A dynamic, interactive influence among individuals in groups for which the objective is to lead one another to the achievement of group or organizational goals or both” (p. 1). I have recognized how the initial intentions of an organization for shared leadership may begin honest and good, but as commonly known, “power corrupts”.  The ugly face of pride and desire to rule over people often reveals itself through individuals who cannot handle the idea of being empowered. Therefore, I wish to suggest that a great need exist in educational leadership today. Matters of integrity, ethics, ability to motivate are all important but I believe that one of the most important character traits in shared leadership is the ability to lead with humility.

An old biblical passage exhorts saying that if one will be great, one must first humble one’s-self.  Contrary to what the media highlights, the greatest leaders are not the rambunctious, arrogant, and self-centered models set before the American people. If one evaluates the presidential race in the United States, shameful representations of leadership are present as they seek to uncover the faults and failures of one another. If these were granted the authority to lead the great United States, many would quickly bring the nation to ruin. If leaders will enhance their practices, examining one’s demonstration of humility is necessary and the journey of developing one’s character must be set as primary. The problem is that the same problems and personality types exist in educational leadership that are in the political arena. Educators speak of the achievement gaps that exist among children but as we consider educational leaders, I believe that a “humility gap;” exist. Too often, people who crave power strive for such leadership positions, but are usually the worst to serve. In a recent study where 137 teachers from a K-12 setting took a survey about the effectiveness of their principal, the ANOVA revealed that humility and confidence interacted in relation to leadership effectiveness, that is to say that the humbler the leader the greater confidence the teachers had in their principal (Oyer, 2011).

Studies show that the best leaders are humble leaders. A leader’s humility cannot be a counterfeit but rather must be genuine as the counterfeit will not hear other’s opinion or the other side of the story. He knows he is right and despite the information presented from others, will not alter his decision because “he is the boss”. Therefore, for effective educational leadership, a humble leader will be necessary as the humble leader will learn from criticism, and admit when he makes mistakes. This humble leader will be viewed as trustworthy, an encourager and one who empowers growth in those he leads. The humble leader should serve as a role model for followers if he will promote inclusion as, humble leaders do not isolate individuals but help people to feel included (Prime & Salib, 2014). 

Too often in educational leadership, politics is the path through which leaders control their environment. They maintain the status quo through unethical leadership practices.Therefore, let us learn to select leaders for our organizations by examining the issues that really matter.  Resumes are good for purposes of credentials in terms of experience but one must explore deeper to examine character traits. Higher order questioning is necessary as I believe that character is more important than any contribution a leader may have as the leader will reproduce after his own kind and those who are hired may be those to perpetuate the same.

References

Conger, J. A., & Peace, C. L. (2003). A landscape of opportunities: Future research in shared leadership. In C. L. Peace & J. A. Conger (Eds), Shared Leadership. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. (285-303).

Kocolowski, M. D. (2010). Shared leadership: Is it time for change. Emerging Leadership Journeys. School of Global Leadership & Entrepreneurship. 3(1), 22-32.

Oyer, B. L. (2011). The relationship between principals’ confidence, humility and effectiveness: A study of teacher perceptions. http://gateway.proquest.com.contentproxy.phoenix.edu/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:3451591

Replacing the Elementary and Secondary (ESEA) Laws in the United States

                                                             

An interesting announcement on U.S Department of Education site has been posted saying that the time has come to replace the ESEA with something that supports all students, expands principal, teachers, and school support, while preserving accountability for student progress (Ed.gov., 2015).  I wish to follow the changes of the law on my blog and examine the worth of the changes for children, teachers, and administrators.

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), was first enacted under President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965 who set goals for equal education opportunities for all. The Act provided grants and for low income districts, grants for student text books, centers for special education students, and scholarships for low income college students. Under George Bush the Law was reauthorized in 2002 with the new name “No Child Left Behind” while performing new national discussions for improving education. President Barack Obama reauthorized NCLB in 2012 while offerings flexibilities for states regarding requirements of the law in exchange for comprehensive plans for closing the achievement gaps, improving instruction and student outcomes while increasing equity.

 As we examine history, one should think of what was occurring in the United States in the1960s when the ESEA was enacted. The U.S. was engaged in the Vietnam war during the 1960s, the arrests of Martin Luther King in Selma Alabama with over 2,600 protestors, Miranda versus Arizona; the “Miranda warning” was instituted in which prosecution was unable to use statements given by individuals in police custody without administering certain minimal safe-guard procedures. The prison population in the U.S. has long been filled with those who are not properly protected by the Miranda warning due to low educational, and vocational achievements (Brownlie, et al., 2004) and those at risk with psychiatric disease (Beitchman, 1985). Although the intent of the Miranda warning was to address one’s right to silence and the right for legal counsel to be issued at the time of one’s arrest (Rost & McGregor, 2012) many found themselves unprotected.

Prior to George Bush becoming President, he released a strategy for improving education in America called “America 2000.”  After reading the educational strategies of the soon to be president of the United States, one would have assumed that he meant well for the nation. Nine headings were included in this document; including New Merit Schools, School Choice for Parents, National Assessment for progress in Education, Centers for resource literacy, flexibility and educational reform and more. Considering all of the issues, those who have closely examined the document by George Bush can now see the ambiguities and lack of clarity for the path he planned for reaching the destination for education in America as metaphorical language was used throughout (Staton & Peeples, 2000).  Once Bush became president, he enacted the NCLB Act of 2001 which authorized several federal programs administered by the states, requiring testing of students between grades 3-8 in reading and math and once in in high school. By 2014, students were expected to meet competence levels. The emphasis was on parent options, research-based education, accountability, and flexibility (OSPI, n.d.). As one who has served in public education and has witnessed how inequities were prevalent especially in urban areas, one must wonder how laws that were clearly not successful in providing equitable education and rather perpetuated punishing districts having inequities was able to be reauthorized under each president to follow President Bush.

 Next came President Barack Obama who said that a child can succeed with proper education, fulfill their God given possibilities, and that public education serves as a dominant force for civil rights (2009).  He also praised education for being the big weapon against inequality as it can unlock the doors enabling one to fulfill God’s calling. The problem was that his speech on education suggests that only the elite will ultimately benefit from education (Hairston, 2013). Not only was the problem of achievement gaps apparent but opportunity gaps are also a problem for many. The “Race to the Top” campaign was designed to provide awards for states who develop achievable comprehensive education reform but the problem is that many cities in America have schools being closed and underfunded, and have not benefited enough from this initiative. The grants are a four-billion-dollar program for improving education in America (ed.gov., 2015). Consider that under the leadership of President Obama, many changes have occurred, as we have witnessed mass shootings against American people, reckless police brutality, and the rise of the Black Lives Matter Movement. We have endured the legalization of same sex marriage, the expansion of health care, the killing of Al-Qaeda’s leader; Osama bin Laden, renewed peace and diplomacy made with Cuba, and celebrated the visit of the Catholic Pope to the white house and the United States; to name a few.

The laws of the land in education are being replaced. What will be offered to American people to replace the NCLB Act? Will the laws be for improving education for all? Will inequities be addressed? 

                                                                 References

Beitchman, J. H. (1985). Speech and language development and psychiatric risk: Towards a model of neurodevelopmental immaturity. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 8(4), 721–735.

Brownlie, E. B., Beitchman, J. H., Escobar, M., Young, A., Atkinson, L., Johnson, C., Douglas, L. (2004). Early language impairment and young adult delinquent and aggressive behavior. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 32(4), 453–467.

Hairston, T. W. (2013). Continued inequity through neoliberalism: The conveyance of white dominance in the educational policy speeches of President Barack Obama. Interchange. 43, 229-244

 Rosta, G. C., McGregor, K. K. (2012). Miranda rights comprehension in young adults with specific language impairments. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. (21)101-108.

Staton, A. Q., Peeples, J. A. (2000). Educational reform discourse: President George Bush on America 2000. Communication Education, 49(4), 303-319.

U.S. Department of Education.(2015). Elementary and Secondary Education Act. http://www.ed.gov/esea

My Teaching Philosophy

The premise of my teaching philosophy is that all children can learn, and that through appropriate and differentiated kinds of instruction while accommodating learning styles; students can achieve. I believe that teaching and learning are connected as learning is the product of good instructions from teachers who apply best practices to student-centered kinds of learning experiences. The role of the instructor is for teaching students how to learn and to think critically about information. The instructor/teacher/facilitator, directs learning to higher levels of learning including levels of knowledge, understanding, application, analysis, evaluation, and assimilation. Teachers provide a model for the learner of how skills are performed while fostering highly skilled learning that requires highly skilled instructors. Through technology, the world and infinite kinds of knowledge become available to students while stimulating inquisition and curiosity. Through other available resources, students will learn to think socratically as they are free and encouraged to ask the questions for gaining new knowledge in hopes of finding truth.

My teaching is founded on the belief that all student can learn. No matter the IEP or the perceived intellectual ability or limitations, when learning music, many students have a tendency to surpass the confinements of an IEP.  Students will learn at their own pace and will comprehend on levels that one may not recognize but one should not restrict, constrain, nor assume that a student is unable to learn based on one’s expectation because one’s expectations will likely be challenged. Too often, I have witness where classroom assistants held a child in a chair because of a predisposed view that proved to have little foundation. One must be willing to set the learner free to learn and experience all that others are learning and believe that achieving is possible.

I use approaches for teaching music that work for accomplishing a particular goal. For building musicianship and defining intonation, Kodaly has proven most effective. Students build listening and musicianship as they are intellectually listening to intervals, and can visualize the contour of a melody, as the hand signals naturally provide a picture for varying pitches. Orff helps specifically when creating accompaniments and desiring to incorporate various instruments for creating ostinatos and using syllables to identify rhythm patterns. The approach works well and fosters for building of imagination. Reading stories and creating sounds for the stories with rhythm and patterns derives from the Orff approach and is successful for eventually teaching literacy.

My teaching affects my students and strengthens their self-image. In my school choir, my students allow me to shape their voices and are seeing the benefits of diaphragmatic breathing. They are singing in tune, singing with head voices while producing beautiful overtones, and are able to sing in harmony. Building vocal parts helps them to understand interdependence and that each voice part plays an integral role of the group. Through singing, the students achieve high levels of internal satisfaction as they are learning to connect their singing to their spirits. When the students can sing a simple canon “Like a Bird” and find joy in singing, then I have achieved a great personal goal; for them to appreciate and enjoy all styles of music.