Can we really legislate education?

What I’ve read of the Miller-McKeon proposed changes to NCLB I like. They call for measuring student growth and progress, not just percentages meeting standards, which is a fairer way to assess schools. They acknowledge the negative consequences of what was probably a well-meant law and call for such changes as a broader curriculum, more support for teachers, attention to high schools and adequate funding. Even the performance pay sections — a topic that raises hackles among teacher unions — recognize the need for union collaboration and for career ladder advances as a basis for performance pay. Under its provisions our lead teachers and teacher mentors would get additional pay.

But as I wrote in an earlier post, the political capital may just not exist in Washington right now to get NCLB reauthorized with the extensive changes that it need. Even with a concerted push by Miller and other Democrats, there is still so much fear and ignorance around education reform, still such a visceral distrust of inner-city teachers and students, that it is likely the progressive ideas contained in Miller-McKeon will never make it through Congress, never mind Bush.

The danger then is that it’s reauthorized with no changes, and as Jackie Bennet wrote here a few days ago, that would mean a terrible narrowing of curriculum and a continuation of worst practices that have justly brought the wrath of many onto this badly flawed act.

So what to do? Be practical. A full-fledged reform is unlikely but the most negative provisions should be halted or amended. First, changing the accountability system to credit student progress is do-able. Many states including NY have such systems in place now and there is a dawning understanding of why they are better than the current NCLB measures. Second, it is essential to switch from blaming teachers to supporting teachers. If our own recent Citywide survey results [pdf] are any gauge, parents and the public have far more trust in teachers than most administrators do, and provisions to support teachers would win endorsement. Third, let local districts negotiate their own teacher compensation systems. Washington cannot legislate education anyway. Fourth, listen to the research and implement sound education practices instead of mandating “teacher-proof” or mindless curricula that kill students’ interest in school. And lastly, make the feds fully fund the law, which they never have.

Can we really legislate great education? Of course not. But if these basic changes can get made then perhaps the law will work well enough to survive and ultimately improve in other ways. The UFT is calling on members and friends to send a fax or letter to your legislator calling for these basic changes. Take a second to contact Congress, and do what you can to subvert their madness.

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