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In a recent article in “Wired” magazine, an article about medical research and the need for more autopsies caught my attention.  In medicine, the rate of autopsies has declined to below 10%.  This is significant because in predictive medicine, the screening test is vital to distinguish between what is a normal range of parameters and dangerous risk.  The use of technology, lack of time and costs of research were cited as the main reasons fewer examinations through autopsy are performed.  Bottom line, doctors are too quick to treat an abnormality as a disease indicator, when it really may be within the range of ‘normal’.

It seems to me that this is what we do, too.  We take a student who is having a certain level of frustration and failure, and instead of allowing the student to work their way out of the predicament, we may step in and try another activity that may confuse their thinking.  Or, the parent may insist that they be tested for a learning disability, prompting more inquiry that takes focus from the original problem.  Or the student, with little teacher support, becomes so frustrated they percieve no reason to continue.  In each case, their struggle for learning may have been within the range of ‘normal’ behavior…behavior we just don’t study enough.

“The object of teaching is to enable the young man or young woman to get along without their teachers…To provide them an independence of mind and soul, without an arrogance of spirit or self-deceptive sophistication.”  Creighton W. Abrams, circa 1970. “The leader must become a servant and a debtor…The signs of outstanding leadership appear primarily among the followers…Leadership is a concept of owing certain things to the institution…Leaders should leave behind them assets and a legacy…”Max DuPre, Leadership is an Art, 1989. These quotes embody my personal philosophy of leadership.  It is a philosophy learned from experiences in difficult situations, hard decisions and from the wisdom of insightful mentors.  In my philosophy, the words leader and teacher are synonymous.  A teacher must be a leader.  A teacher / leader may also be a good manager, but a good manager is not, by definition, a good leader.            There is a large difference between a good leader and a good manager.  A manager manages things, a leader leads people.  People cannot, and should not, be managed.  As an example, take any student from kindergarten through college.  They will barely tolerate a teacher who is uninterested in them as a person, and only wishes to manage their time in class.  However, a student who perceives that the teacher has their best interests at heart will go to great lengths to be successful, despite the difficulty or interest in the subject.

Leaders make the biggest impact when the people they lead say, “Look what I’ve done!”

Trends in Texas – Implications for Education

            According to the Center on Education Policy, lack of money and delayed guidelines are undermining states’ efforts to comply with the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2002.  In Texas, the task is further complicated by a school population that is increasing in size and diversity, a shrinking population of teachers, a growing disparity in income, and a decline in the supports of home and family.  While these issues may not be unique to Texas, they compound President Bush’s (and his successor’s)challenge for all of us.

            Class size is growing through immigration from many directions, not only via Mexico.  Northern states have been decreasing steadily in population over the last ten years.  As Texas has grown in population, cities and districts also grow.  This may bring community prosperity, but districts do not grow as rapidly.  School boards do not move as rapidly as private developers.  Even the districts in the wealthiest areas cannot build to accommodate the numbers of students enrolled, and five-year plans do not benefit this years’ 2^nd Grader.

            A heterogeneous population is, by itself, a challenge to teach.  Most countries and a good portion of the United States are not concerned with multiple cultures, languages and educational backgrounds residing within single classrooms.  The teacher is required to use advanced skills of communication and organization in order to reach each student.

            The teacher population, both the number of current teachers and the number of potential teachers is declining.  The current population is getting older, nearing retirement age.  Combine this with their substantial (comparative) salaries, and districts are under pressure to meet budget goals.  The alternative, to hire younger, less costly teachers, is also a struggle, since fewer teachers are entering the profession.  A single positive trend is the increase in alternative certification candidates, although the numbers will likely fall short of the actual need.

            The economic gap between families, as well as the basic makeup of those families, indicates more splintered families with little economic alternatives other than those offered through government programs, like public school.

            These trends indicate that public education in Texas will evolve into a variety of education alternatives.  Public schools will become larger, minimally staffed and less likely to support individual students.  Private schools will also become larger, but the attendance will be by a more financially stable population that can afford the tuition.  Additionally, home schooling, technology-based education and technical programs will grow in response to the increase in population and the community’s need to educate its children.