Theory of Change

A nation or civilization that continues to produce soft-minded men purchases its own spiritual death on the installment plan. -- MLK

           

Studying education in college all of the answers seemed so clear. If teachers just did this… If parents just did that… I was energized by all of the possibilities. By four months into my Teach for America experience I thought I would have some answers, but instead I only have questions and disillusionment. Our system is so broken. We as a country do not meet the needs of children and families living in poverty. I know now that the problems go far beyond the classroom. I know that education should be seen as an opportunity, not a requirement.  

            What is the achievement gap? The standard definition accounts for the academic differences among different groups of people in the U.S. The reality is that the achievement gap is just one symptom of a system of injustice. Instead of focusing on how we can “fix” the achievement gap, we should be focusing on what is causing the achievement gap. Different people have different theories: schools, teachers, parents, curriculum, educational approaches. All of these possibilities are both the cause and the effect of the systemic inequalities in our country, but in reality our biggest challenge is racism. People of all colors are still suffering because of systematic structures of inequality, and in education it becomes even more visible than in any other aspect of life. Until everyone in our country accepts the truth about racism in our country, we will continue to ignore the biggest challenge that we face. Are we ready to commit to quality education for everyone, regardless of race or socioeconomic background?

            What can we do right now to help students living in poverty areas? On most days, the challenges facing students today feel like too much to me. My students struggle with violence, lack of food, poor sleeping conditions, and insufficient adult support. Their basic needs are not being met. On those days I crave a radical new system. A system that does not rely on test scores as a measure of student achievement, but rather uses data to strategically plan for success. A responsive environment where schools in poverty areas are seen as social equalizers, tasked with helping students overcome the daily challenges that they face. Schools that operate more like community centers, working with parents to help their children succeed. Are we ready, as a country, to invest in all of our students?

            Is education enough? Programs like Teach for America show us that students can be lead to success within the current educational system by an extraordinary teacher. Are those gains lasting? Is all of the hard work worth it? Instead of creating more programs like Teach for America, where inexperienced young adults exhaust themselves in service for two years and then leave, drained, why are we not looking to eradicate some of the bigger problems with education in the U.S.? Why are we not asking what would happen for that classroom, with that extraordinary teacher, in an extraordinary education system?  More importantly, what is our vision for children in America? How important are our children? What do we want for them? The only thing scarier than radically changing education in the U.S. is the place our children are going to be in 20 years if we continue on the same destructive path.


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* Please forgive the long post. This is an assignment that I completed for TFA, and I thought it would be helpful to share.