VISION

 I believe the purpose of education is to provide students with skills that will prepare them to live and participate in our democratic society. Schools should serve as the environment in which students are able to practice their intellectual freedom. They should be encouraged to respectfully question the thoughts and ideas that are presented to them. The experiences that students participate in should be authentic enough that their transitions into adulthood are as seamless as possible.

  WORKING TOGETHER

Creating this environment successfully takes a clear vision, which a variety of stakeholders believe in and are committed to. The vision cannot solely reflect the ideas and beliefs of one individual. The process of building vision must be a collaborative effort, which considers and reflects the needs of the teachers, parents, students, and other community members. When the general norms and beliefs of the community are reflected in the school's vision, the school's unique culture will begin to emerge, and the school's character will gain strength. A leading current thinker in education leadership and change is Thomas J. Sergiovanni. In his thought provoking book titled, The Lifeworld of Leadership: Creating Culture, Community, and Personal Meaning in Our Schools, Sergiovanni writes extensively about how the effectiveness of a school is highly dependent on the strength of the school's unique culture and character. Sergiovanni states, "Good schools are unique. They are unique because they reflect the values of the communities they serve" (Sergiovanni, 2000).    The agreed upon vision should be communicated and serve as the basis for all future decisions.  Most importantly, the vision should exist as a constant work in progress, which is revised according to the needs of the learning community. 

TRUSTING RELATIONSHIPS

A solid vision serves as the backbone of a school, yet it does not alone lead to its success. A school's culture is defined by the quality of relationships that exist within its walls, and positive relationships are vital to the success of a school. "Creating a unique school and being part of a unique school helps us feel special and improves our level of commitment.  Shared commitments pull people together and create tighter connections among them and between them and the school" (Sergiovanni, 2000). Shared commitments provide a solid foundation for positive relationships within schools, however they need to be cultivated and nurtured with trust.  Deborah Meier, a modern education philosopher, has written extensively on the topic of building trust in our schools.  In fact, in her book, In Schools We Trust: Creating Communities of Learning in an Era of Testing and Standardization, Meier devotes several chapters to the issue of trust.  My personal philosophy is closely aligned with many of the ideas that surface in this insightful book.  Schools are institutions based on relationships. Relationships between the students and teachers, the teachers and parents, the teachers and the principal, and the school community and the outside community, are the most obvious relationships that exist in schools. The quality of these relationships is directly related to a school's success.

The basic foundation of any positive relationship is trust.  Without trust a relationship is at best superficial. Parents who drop their children off at school for the majority of the day must have trust in the teacher who is teaching and caring for their child. "Parents need to be given the opportunity to feel comfortable that the school's and teacher's intentions are good, that staff members rather like their kids and expect a lot of them" (Meier, 2002). When a parent trusts their child's teacher, they will believe in the teacher's decisions and are more likely to participate in a collaborative effort.  If the relationship between the teacher and the parent is right, they can create a learning environment that extends beyond the walls of the classroom. "To be truly efficient, a child's in-school and out-of-school worlds overlap and sometimes even merge" (Meier, 2002). 

Trust between teachers and supervisors is also vital to a school's success.  Teachers need to feel trusted to make responsible, professional decisions.  If the teacher does not feel trusted, they will teach exclusively what is prescribed, and nothing more. Teachers should have the flexibility to teach and make decisions based on the needs of their unique student population. The supervision style should also reflect this level of respect and trust between the teacher and supervisor. Supervision should be a collaborative effort.  The goal of supervision should be to improve instruction through insight, discussion and reflection. Traditional supervision is aimed at catching and exposing a teacher¢â¡Ás incompetence. This type of supervision creates a great barrier between the teacher and supervisor, which leads to distrust. Ultimately, the distrust between the teacher and the supervisor will affect the quality of education the students receive. 

Perhaps the most important relationship in the school setting is the one between the teachers and the students.  When a student doesn't trust their teacher, they will not take risks in their learning. "Learning happens fastest when novices trust the setting so much that they aren't afraid to take risks, make mistakes, or do something dumb. Learning works best, in fact, when the very idea that it¢â¡Ás risky hasn't even occurred to kids" (Meier, 2002). Without trust, students will not question what the teacher teaches.  This type of learning atmosphere inhibits the students from truly thinking deeply. Students who learn to distrust teachers may never learn how to appropriately question ideas. Students are never given the opportunity to practice their intellectual freedom and experience what it's like to contribute to a democratic society.

Intellectual freedom cannot be experienced in an atmosphere that is modeled after traditional education.  A traditional atmosphere is often very restrictive. Students are seated in rows, remain quiet, and only move when they have been granted permission. This prison-like atmosphere is not very conducive to authentic experiences. In order to provide students with authentic, real-life experiences, schools must first commit to creating an environment in which they can occur naturally. One of education's most influential philosophers, John Dewey, has attempted to communicate the importance of school reforms that move away from traditional practices. Although his progressive ideas have been circulated for decades, education has been slow to change. Dewey states, "Enforced quiet and acquiescence prevent pupils from disclosing their real nature" (Dewey, 1938).

AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES

Students who are forced to attend traditional schools and experience lessons that are teacher directed begin to have feelings of apathy and indifference to their schooling.  When a student feels that their education is meaningless and is not connected to the outside world, they are less likely to actively participate. It is the responsibility of the school to address this current problem and implement a curriculum that is more authentic. Many people feel that customized curriculum lowers expectations and is easier for students and teachers.  In fact, the direct opposite is true. If they are planned and implemented correctly, authentic experiences can be a lot more rigorous than traditional lessons. In addition, students who experience authentic education are more willing and motivated to work hard and learn as much as they can.  In his book, Experience and Education, John Dewey states, "As I have emphasized more than once, the road of the new education is not an easier one to follow than the old road but a more strenuous and difficult one" (Dewey, 1938). I believe that this much is true, however, if we continue to wait to begin our journey toward meaningful change, it will only become more and more strenuous.  The future of our education system is grim unless we commit to change. 

Sources:

1. Dewey, John. Experience and Education, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1938

2. Meier, Deborah. In Schools We Trust: Creating Communities of Learning in an Era of Testing and

    Standardization, Beacon Press, Boston, 2002

3. Sergiovanni, Thomas J. The Lifeworld of Leadership: Creating Culture, Community, and Personal Meaning in

    Our Schools, Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco, 2000