A bit about great schools...

You got 5 minutes?  Let’s talk about great schools…

I met Matthew and his mother Kim in late January 2008.  Matthew’s walk personified New Orleans; it was slow and measured, almost musical.  He walked behind his mother with his head down.  Matthew stuttered when he introduced himself.  He told me later that the stutter made him nervous so he didn’t talk much.  He had been suspended twice that academic school year already and was on day 2 of a 5 day suspension for chronic tardiness and “classroom disruptions.”   Kim recounted Matthew’s educational situation: this was his second time in the 9^th grade at his second high school; he was diagnosed with several behavioral disorders while in Houston after Hurricane Katrina and he hadn’t had an IEP review since returning to New Orleans in the summer of 2007.  Regretfully, Kim had never received any documentation about any of his suspensions.  When we talked, Matthew was genuinely reflective about his schooling and his struggles.  He thought that he could do better and believed that he wasn’t getting the support at school that he needed; he told me that his grades didn’t represent what he could do.  He began to wonder if he was good enough… 

The passage of No Child Left Behind was landmark for our country and ushered in new thinking relative to increasing educational equity and accountability for achievement for all students.  In response to failing schools and the impact on the reputation of the United States as a superpower, this reform education has become a guide post in the legacy of the Bush2 presidency.  The focus of this legislation was on equalizing opportunity for minority children.  Since its passage in 2002, we have seen unprecedented levels of reform: in the choice of school models for students and in the work around school and district improvement for high performance.  However, its impact on overall student achievement is mixed and the highly charged debate about student performance and who should be responsible rages on.  Unfortunately, in the midst of the debate, sometimes we lose focus on the real thing-- creating great schools for each and every kid.  

But maybe that’s the crux of the debate for the so-called reformers- what is a “great” school?  Do great schools leverage adult-student relationships to help young people make good decisions?  Can great schools have high suspension rates?  Do great schools offer alternatives to suspensions and make available multiple sources of support for students? Is it a building with fixed walls and an authoritarian structure with a rigid curriculum and regulated teaching practices?  Maybe great schools aren’t in buildings at all and students work from other places with individually designed curricula? Will a great school have a low student-teacher ratio with opportunities for teacher leadership?  Can a school be great when teachers only teach and principals only lead?  Do great schools welcome innovation in the curriculum or do they have open campuses?  Does a great school have lines on the floor that direct traffic for students? 

We all have opinions about what makes a great school and what kinds of schools are acceptable for our own kids.  Mine is that great schools are learning communities where everyone feels valued and important, where the learning happens for both the young people and the adults.  Great schools find ways to support every student and find ways to keep them there.  In great schools, kids don't worry if they are good enough.

I know there is space on the continuum of what we already have and what we can dream of to accomplish the goal of a great school for every kid.  Matthew’s story, and the thousands of ones like his, compels me every day to work relentlessly to figure out what that space is and make it happen.  Let’s all get to work.