Common Good: Bureaucracy's Effect on Educators


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BUREAUCRACY

ED WATCH: Bureaucracy's Effect on Educators

State Policies Make It Hard for Principals and Parents to Talk Freely
Julia Steiny, Providence Journal, September 16, 2007

Writing for the Providence Journal, Julia Steiny argues that one of the most troubling aspects of education in Rhode Island today is the “principal’s lack of authority and power.” During monthly meetings for a book club of school administrators, she hears stories of how often principals must say to parents: “‘I’m sorry, but the contract — policy, regulation or law — prevents me from doing anything about this.’” She points out that while states like Massachusetts allow principals a good deal of authority, “in Rhode Island, the principal has the same mammoth responsibilities, but only nominal authority. Instead of allowing the principal and her staff to use their brains to solve problems, policymakers have prefabricated many school-level decisions and embedded them in labor/management contracts, state laws, Regents regulations and district policies,” which ultimately create a “compliance-driven” culture that “crushes creative problem-solving.” Steiny insists, “If the governor, legislature and the public are serious about improving schools, they need to admit that a principal’s job is difficult to the brink of impossible.” article »

Filing Isn't Learning
Editorial, Los Angeles Times, September 12, 2007

California schools are currently offering classes during which students perform administrative tasks, such as “making copies, running errands, taking attendance, [and] sometimes grading papers.” The frustrated author of a Los Angeles Times editorial writes, “Teachers are inundated with paperwork -- it's the No. 1 reason they abandon the profession -- and service classes provide unpaid aides. But students shouldn't be denied an hour of learning so that they might work, for free if for class credit, to lighten the load on those paid to teach.” Disproportionately offered to schools in the poorest areas of the state, these classes signify that bureaucracy takes precedence over learning. Los Angeles bureaucrat, Board President Monica Garcia, confirms this sad truth: “[T]he district has bigger fires to put out: Schools built for hundreds serve thousands; children land in the ninth grade with second-grade reading skills. In other words, some problems are just too low priority.” In response, the Los Angeles Times editorial argues: “It is precisely that defeatism and lack of imagination that has stunted the educational lives of Los Angeles' children for far too long.” article »

Begging for Teachers, Many Say, ‘I Quit!’, and 'Crisis' May Be Looming
Rena Havner, Mobile Press-Register (AL), July 15, 2007

Bureaucracy and student discipline problems are driving teachers from the profession in school districts across the country, as revealed by a three-day series in the Mobile Press-Register and an Alabama research study by the Center for Teaching Quality. “Schools across the country are experiencing shortages as colleges are churning out fewer teachers, and a substantial percentage of teachers leave the classroom every year,” Rena Havner of the Press-Register reports. “The profession once viewed as being one of the most noble is now associated with hardships - the paperwork, student discipline problems, and so on.”

Seeking the cause of Mobile ’s “acute teacher shortage,” the Center for Teaching Quality surveyed more than 3,000 public school teachers in the Mobile County public schools. The two factors cited most often as influencing the decision to quit were “Too much focus on testing and accountability” (cited by 75.85% of educators) and “Student disciplinary problems” (73.5%). One teacher in the study eloquently explained how bureaucracy undermines student discipline: “Our students who want to learn and try their best on a daily basis are missing out on quality instructional time while teachers are busy completing the paperwork needed to correct an ongoing discipline issue.”

The study’s results were echoed by many of Mobile ’s teachers. For example, Ashley Strickland, a third-grade teacher, says she “is often overwhelmed by the amount of standardized testing and paperwork.” As fellow teacher Wayne Williams sums up: “I went in [to teaching] for the best of reasons, but I can’t fulfill my goals because of all of the obstacles…I'm very sure that I'm not going to teach much longer."

Series of articles: Begging for Teachers / Many Say, 'I Quit!' / 'Crisis' May Be Looming

So Much Paperwork, So Little Time to Teach
Samuel G. Freedman, New York Times, July 4, 2007

Samuel G. Freedman of the New York Times describes how the “avalanche of paperwork and other assignments” interferes with teaching in New York City. Allison Robenau, a teacher in Harlem, found that “she actually got to teach only sporadically” due to bureaucracy and standardized testing. Robenau’s frustration led her to write a research paper and interview more than 20 teachers about the issue. Teachers reported being “responsible for completing more than a dozen different forms, evaluations, assessments and reports that came variously from the levels of district, city, state and federal government, and grading standardized tests.” As Wojciech Schneider, a teacher in the Bronx, said: “It was a reality check for me, to have the number of students I was supposed to serve and on top of that all the paperwork. It was like trying to swim and stay afloat, and I was feeling this strong pull downward from all the other things that did not entail teaching.” article »

Related: As a part of the All in A Day's Work project, Common Good asked eight NYC public school teachers to keep diaries of their workdays to show how school bureaucracy impacts teaching. report »

Survey is Snapshot of Teacher Opinions about Local Schools
Cindy Shalsky, Sierra Vista Herald (AZ), May 30, 2007

“Having sufficient time and influence over classroom and school decisions are essential” to teacher satisfaction, the administrator of Arizona’s first-ever Teacher Working Conditions Survey has concluded. As Cindy Shalsky of the Sierra Vista Herald reports, the two most important factors affecting whether teachers at local Bisbee High School continue teaching were “teacher empowerment” -- “professionalism, group decision-making processes, parental and community support, selection of instructional materials and setting practices for grading and student assessment” -- and “time,” such as “the amount of routine administrative paperwork that is required.” More than half the state’s educators responded to the anonymous, online survey. article »

Surveys Show Frustration Among Teachers, Parents
Nanette Asimov and Amr Emam, San Francisco Chronicle, April 26, 2007

A study from the Center for Teacher Quality at California State University boldly states that bureaucracy is the single biggest reason why teachers stop teaching, even more important than pay. “When leavers described the features of their working environment that were most problematic,” writes the study’s author, Ken Futernick, a director at the Center, “…the factor cited most frequently as a reason for leaving was bureaucratic impediments. Whether teachers spoke about excessive paperwork, too many unnecessary classroom interruptions, or too many restrictions on teaching itself, these impediments actually prevented teachers from doing their job. These problematic ‘facts of school life,’ assumed by many to be unavoidable, do not just drive teachers crazy; they drive many of them right out of the classroom.” The researchers surveyed more than 1,900 current and former teachers in an effort to understand why 18,000 California teachers quit every year. article », survey », executive summary »

Report Says Public Schools in California Are ‘Broken’
Carolyn Marshall, New York Times, March 15, 2007

A comprehensive, much anticipated bipartisan report concludes that California’s public schools are “‘broken,’ crippled by a complex bureaucracy, flawed teacher policies and misspent school money,” reports Carolyn Marshall of the New York Times. The “scathing 18-month evaluation,” a compilation of 22 academic studies, says that “the state suffers from ‘regulationitis,’ a condition that has schools paralyzed by rules and buried in paperwork.” The report criticizes “highly prescriptive finance and governance systems,” noting that “[c]ompliance with regulations and associated paperwork also takes time away from work with students.” Furthermore, the report critiques “teacher policies [which] do not let state and local administrators make the best use of the pool of potential teachers nor adequately support current teachers,” especially the “theme that emerges over and over again in the studies [of] the excessive difficulty in dismissing weak teachers.” Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger noted that he has “long advocated” for “more flexibility for our education leaders” and concluded: “Today’s studies need to be taken very seriously by everyone in the education debate. If we hope to give our children the world-class education they deserve, then we need real education reform.” article », report summary », press release »

Teachers' Workday Averages 15.5 Hours
Beverly Creamer, Honolulu Advertiser, March 1, 2007

A study from Hawaii provides striking new evidence that bureaucracy is overwhelming teachers and interfering with how they do their jobs, Beverly Creamer of the Honolulu Advertiser reports. “Hawaii's public school teachers are putting in an average of 15.5 hours of work per day, much of it on tasks demanded by federal mandates, according to a first-of-its-kind study… by a joint committee made up of teacher union and state Department of Education members.” These “extra duties” are “mostly administrative” and take time away from teaching. As Karen Shindo, a representative of the Hawai'i State Teachers Association, said: "Our plates are really overflowing, and there's been a clear impact on student achievement.” Furthermore, educators say that bureaucratic requirements are also undermining their relationships with students. As Randall Miura, principal of Leihoku Elementary in Waianae, Hawai’i, notes: "When I first started teaching, after school was the best part of the day to interact with students. But teachers aren't available to the students (after school now) because they're always rushing off to a meeting." article »

Schools Hamstrung by Litigation
Diane Ravitch, Education World, February 21, 2007

When asked recently by Education World to explain the “causes of low achievement” in America’s public schools, Common Good Education Advisory Board member Diane Ravitch pointed to “schools that are so hamstrung by litigation and mandates that they lack the authority to teach and to discipline students.” Ravitch stressed the importance of preserving the authority of teachers to make common sense judgments. “Teachers are the front-line workers of education; they are the ones who are in daily contact with children. It is they who must make minute-to-minute, on-the-spot decisions about the best interests of children. When their knowledge and wisdom are discounted and disregarded, we cannot expect education to improve.” Ravitch also emphasized that “children do best when adults enforce basic standards of behavior, including good conduct, sitting up straight, speaking correct English, and dressing appropriately for school.” She concluded by urging teachers unions to fight for teachers’ “right to act as professionals rather than automatons.” article »

Top Teachers: They're Worth Their Weight in Gold
Tallahassee Democrat (Tallahassee, FL), February 16, 2007

An editorial in the Tallahassee Democrat trumpets America’s educators but bemoans the bureaucracy that causes them to leave the profession. “Students, schools and citizens are extraordinarily lucky that top teachers love what they do and do it well despite many obstacles… [W]e entrust teachers with the responsibility of sparking the imaginations of our youth, moving them, we hope, to become critical thinkers and responsible citizens who one day will run our companies, lead our governments and develop new technologies.” Yet, sadly, in 2003 “almost 16,000 teachers in Florida public schools left the profession.” Looking to the cause of this “crisis,” the Democrat states that “our system of public education remains overburdened by bureaucracy. It forces teachers to worry as much about mountains of paperwork as they do about connecting with kids. It often promotes a culture of ennui instead of innovation.” As the editorial concludes: “if state policymakers and district school board members throughout Florida really want to make a difference, they should focus more on making teaching a more attractive profession… They can start by reducing red tape.” article »

Teachers Head for the Exits
Kate Brennan, Florida Today (Melbourne, FL), February 1, 2007

An article in the newspaper Florida Today points to “increasing amounts of paperwork” as one of the key reasons that novice teachers leave the profession in large numbers. “If first-year teacher Trevor Howard follows the national trend, there's a 50-50 chance he'll call it quits within the next five years,” reporter Kate Brennan writes. “Across the country, about half of all new teachers leave the profession that quickly because of poor working conditions, low salaries, a lack of administrative support and increasing amounts of paperwork. In Florida, about 40 percent of all new teachers quit within that time.” In response to high turnover rates, the local county “has developed extensive training and mentoring opportunities and a comprehensive orientation to keep new teachers, including second-career teachers, in the classroom for years to come.” article »

Work Slow on Schools
Will Sentell, Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA), February 1, 2007

Robin Jarvis, acting superintendent of public schools in New Orleans, has “tried to call attention to time-consuming state rules that have delayed rebuilding of public schools damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005,” writes Will Sentell of the Baton Rouge Advocate. Under current rules, Jarvis said, it can take three or four months to get a contract on a school repair job because of state requirements. New Orelans “had 128 public schools before Hurricane Katrina struck. There are 54 operating now.” Jarvis called on Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco to issue an executive order eliminating time-consuming red tape on school repairs, as she did to accelerate work at the Louisiana Superdome. article »

911 Breach in Son Death Enrages Dad
Jose Martinez, New York Daily News, January 9, 2007

In a tragic example of the tangle of rules and regulations plaguing New York City’s schools, “an 11-year-old boy… died following an asthma attack at a Brooklyn school,” reports Jose Martinez of the New York Daily News. The case illuminates the possibly disastrous consequences when concern about complying with rules overrides the better judgment of school officials. The boy’s father, Shawn Martinez, “has filed a $2 million lawsuit against the city, two nurses and their employer, alleging that nurses at Public School 20 in Clinton Hill didn’t call 911 because they could not find the principal while his son, Shawn, suffered an asthma attack.” Though New York City’s Chancellor’s Regulations require that “school staffers must call 911 in a medical emergency and then find a principal,” according to sworn testimony, “two nurses said they were barred from calling 911 without first alerting the principal.” The confusion over official policy seems to have undermined common sense. As the boy’s father, Shawn Martinez, lamented, “'How can you just do the exact opposite of what you’re supposed to do? I just really, really, really do not want this to happen to anyone else. I really would not wish this on anyone.'”

Principal turnover hits record
More may leave as standards rise; many new ones inexperienced
Deborah Hirsch, Charlotte Observer, November 22, 2006

“Thousands of districts across the Carolinas and nationwide face” a “leadership problem,” writes Deborah Hirsch of the Charlotte Observer. “Principals – who must drive academic achievement, hire good teachers and ensure safety at their schools – are leaving at a record rate… as potential candidates shy away from the growing demands of the job.” Though “[i]instruction should come first,” as Jimmy Poole, former principal of North Mecklenburg High in Huntersville, North Carolina, notes, “You have discipline issues to deal with, then the e-mails and paperwork and ballgames and after-school activities. How do you get… the paperwork done, as well as be there at the school visible to the kids and teachers? You could work 24 hours and never get it done.” Last year, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school district had to hire 45 new principals, accounting for nearly a third of its district-wide principal positions, and 80 percent of the new hires had no previous experience as a principal. article »

NCLB: The local effects
School officials at all levels find frustrations with No Child Left Behind
Elizabeth Martin, Eagle Times, November 11, 2006

According to a local New Hampshire paper, many schools are concerned that No Child Left Behind has increased the time educators spend on paperwork without meeting the Act’s goal of creating more highly qualified teachers. “What NCLB has done is based its belief in paper,” says Wendy Siebrands, curriculum director, whose time collecting paperwork has dramatically increased since President Bush passed NCLB. NCLB emphasizes the importance of “highly qualified teachers,” but Jacqueline Guillette, school superintendent, points out that NCLB guidelines for asking teachers to prove that they are highly qualified on paper do not in fact change the quality of teachers. “…[I]nstead of filling out the paperwork to prove their ability, a better use of their time would be to work on improving,” Siebrands recommends. Guillette and others worry that the increased amount of paperwork is causing too much stress on teachers, not to mention jeopardizing their primary responsibility: teaching. One long-time teacher notes that “young adults aren’t getting attracted to the profession after talking with current teachers who are frustrated.” NCLB, then, could be further hurting a profession already suffering from a shortage crisis. article »

No Excuses or Short Cuts at Atlanta Charter School
Audrey Schewe, CNN, October 5, 2006

Asked to explain the successes of his students at West Atlanta Young Scholars Academy in Atlanta, GA, Principal David Jernigan says: “‘There is no magic bullet about education reform. … Our philosophy is that it's about rolling up our sleeves and working a lot harder.’” But, he relates, it is also about the authority and freedom the KIPP charter school gives him over such matters as budgets, personnel, and discipline procedures. Two years ago, Jernigan let a teacher go as soon as he realized that the teacher “was not a good fit for the school.” Of the situation, he states: “‘In a traditional school, that teacher would have stayed for at least a year. At our school, after three weeks, we got rid of him, found a new teacher and had a great year with great results for that class. Most school principals don't have those freedoms … .’” He adds, elaborating on the advantages of running a charter school: “‘It's having that freedom to be able to make decisions quickly, and execute them quickly in a way that meets the needs of our kids … .’” article »

Klein Halts Plan to Make Schools Take Unassigned Teachers
David M. Herszenhorn, New York Times, September 2, 2006

Of his decision to change course and not “impose a hiring freeze that would have forced principals to fill any last vacancies (in their schools) with unassigned teachers already in the system,” New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein stated that “it was more important for principals to choose their own staff than it was for the city to place potentially undesirable veteran teachers who must stay on the payroll even if no school offers them a position.” David M. Herszenhorn of the New York Times writes that this decision “once again allowed Mr. Klein to portray himself as a champion of autonomy and authority for principals.” Herszenhorn adds: “City education officials said they believed most of the unassigned teachers would find jobs in the system. But Mr. Klein’s move raised at least a possibility that the city could be forced to pay the salaries of as many as 1,500 unassigned teachers, at a cost of nearly $100 million.” During the 2005-2006 school year, New York City “carried 200 to 250 teachers without regular assignments on its payroll.”

Stressed-Out Schools
Michael H. Hodges, Detroit News, August 21, 2006

Detroit News relates that “[f]inancing, mandates and threat of lawsuits” are putting a “squeeze on teachers, parents and kids.” In a piece titled, “Stressed-out schools,” Michael H. Hodges writes: “Were a modern Rip Van Winkle to come back today, he might initially say that schools have hardly changed a whit. But if he were a sharp observer – and had the time to hang around the hallways – he might come to a very different conclusion.” The increase in – and importance placed on – standardized testing, he notes as an example, has put today’s teachers and students under greater pressure than ever before. “‘There is the sense that testing is now driving instruction,’” states Southfield Schools Superintendent Wanda Cook-Robinson. “‘We’re trying to find a balance.’” Moreover, schools’ increased fear of litigation, Hodges relates, has affected everything from recess to interpersonal relations between teachers and students. He writes: “As much as anything, say educators, fear of lawsuits has skewed the way schools do business. … [A]nxiety – lawsuits cost big money – has permeated the whole system. And kids are often the losers.” As evidence of this, he quotes Oakland Schools Superintendent Vickie Markavitch, who states: “‘There are far fewer teachers giving hugs at the middle-school level than there would have been before.’”

Tenure Helps Good Teachers and Shelters the Bad Ones
Maya Kremen, Record, July 19, 2006

Arguing that, despite “[having] the nation’s most expensive public-education system,” New Jersey residents do not “always get the most for [their] buck,” Maya Kremen of the Record shines a light on the Garden’s States faulty teacher tenure system. “Teachers are paid based on how long they they’ve been around,” she writes, “not on how well they perform. And tenure job-protection rights ensure that once they’ve taught for more than three years, it’s likely they’ll be around for good.” On the process of firing a tenured teacher, she continues: “[T]enure rules … require districts to negotiate a complicated and expensive bureaucratic process to prove that a teacher does not belong in a classroom. As a result, it doesn’t happen very often.” The statistics bear her out: Over the last ten years, not one of Bergen County’s 10,000-plus teachers “has been fired via the state’s tenure-hearing process” – and only three “have gone through a full, formal tenure proceeding.” Moreover, in the whole state of New Jersey – employer of more than 100,000 teachers – only 71 have gone through formal hearings since 1997.

The effect of a 1998 state law designed to “streamline” tenure proceedings to seven months has been limited: Hearings can still drag on for years, at the cost of tens of thousands dollars apiece. Quoting Charles Reilly, a past president of New Jersey’s School Boards Association, Kremen writes: “’People want the best for their money in terms of teaching. … Tenure doesn’t assure that. You shouldn’t have to spend a lot of time and $100,000 to say, ‘You don’t belong in a classroom.’’” article »

Settling Parent-School Spats: the Backlash
Washington Post, July 18, 2006

In a follow-up to his June 20th article on parent-school spats, the Washington Post’s Jay Matthews discusses the responses generated by his idea to create an informal system of referees or mediators to resolve such disputes. He writes: “I am sorry to report, most of the people who responded to that column did not see much chance of compromise. Some said there were too many school officials and teachers wedded to their rules and unwilling to consider that parents might have a good argument. On the other side were similarly outspoken readers who thought parents like the Gellises needed to let their children grow up and learn to fight their own battles.” He proceeded to note a few of the interesting stories he received from readers, including one from the mother of a bipolar child who was tired of having to submit a letter each year certifying that her son was still bipolar. She contacted the school about this and received the following response from an administrator bound by legal fear: “I don't apply logic or reason to these decisions. I just follow the rules … . If we don't apply the policy uniformly, you could sue us for discriminating against you.” Again, Matthews encourages a different system of dispute resolution and notes: “I have seen teachers fall too deeply in love with their rules. I have also seen parents push a fight with their school too far.” He acknowledges, however, that convincing schools and parents to accept such an idea may not be as easy as he first thought. article »

Teacher Turnover Spikes in Clarke
Alisa Marie DeMao, Athens Banner-Herald, June 25, 2006

A sharp increase in teacher turnover rates in the Clarke County School District [GA] has some parents and administrators wondering if increasingly stringent state and federal government requirements are to blame. Superintendant Lee Holloway relates: “Do I think teachers are more likely to leave education in these days of AYP (adequate yearly progress) and No Child Left Behind? ...Yes.” Mike Blake, a director of student services for Clarke County, suggests that especially strict special-education guidelines could have contributed to the high-attrition rate among special-education teachers. In this year alone, 45 Clarke County special education teachers asked to be transferred from their classrooms or chose to leave teaching altogether.

Settling Parent-School Spats
Jay Mathews, Washington Post, June 20, 2006

In his weekly education column, the Washington Post’s Jay Matthews examines parent-school disputes, and wonders what would happen if these types of disagreements were resolved by an informal method of conflict resolution that leaves courts and lawyers out of the mix. “Why couldn't we have a friendly referee, or ombudsman, to talk to both sides and suggest a way out that would be less expensive and time-consuming for everybody?,” he asks, about these types of disputes in general, and about one involving 16-year-old, New Jersey native, Ryan Gellis, in particular. “How about all those retired teachers and principals looking for ways to use their experience and people skills? I can even think of one elderly education reporter, me, who might enjoy helping out as a friendly go-between, and for no charge.” In detailing the case of Ryan Gellis, a brilliant, but physically frail high school student who was penalized for missing classes due to illness, Matthews acknowledges that these types of situations can be frustrating for all parties involved, and notes: “from [the parents’] point of view, the educators are stubborn, rule-bound and misguided, and most of the time I think the parents are more right than wrong about that. But the Ryan Gellis story is so convoluted, so full of bad decisions on both sides, and offers so many unexamined solutions that I wonder if it might be better to have an informal system in schools that looks for ways out of these messes, rather than just calling in the lawyers.” Matthews explains what he would have advised in the Gellis matter, had he been given to opportunity to do so. His suggestions are reasonable, aim to please all parties, and the underlying principle is clear: common sense and compromise can help avoid a whole host of confusion, hurt, and acrimony. article »

Mayor to Give More Control to 331 Schools
Elissa Gootman, New York Times, June 13, 2006

As part of his plan to revamp the New York City school system, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has announced that 331 city public schools will be granted more control over key decisions like hiring, teacher training, curriculum, and budgets – provided that they agree to meet specified performance standards. By removing these schools from the control of the centralized school bureaucracy, the city will save approximately $80 million – a savings that will be passed on to the schools participating in the program. “Our public school system is not being run for the employees of the Department of Education,” said the mayor, “It exists and is being run for the students.” The program combines the principles of localized control with accountability, holding the principals responsible if their schools underperform. “Principals have a difficult job, and the best will survive and thrive and make an enormous difference in our society, and those that can’t, it’s a shame, but they’ll just have to go,” said Mr. Bloomberg. Randi Weingarten, president of the United Federation of Teachers, released a statement where she noted that “[t]he number of principals wanting out of the regional structure speaks volumes about the micromanagement they were feeling and that…teachers have been frustrated about for the past few years.”

Where Have all the Principals Gone?
Curtis G. Hier, Rutland Herald, June 7, 2006

In an opinion piece, Curtis G. Hier, a Vermont high school teacher, offers yet another reason to keep education bureaucracy under control. Hier points to the increasing shortage of “high quality principal candidates” in his state and suggests that the current system is drawing these potential principals away from the schools and into bureaucratic positions. “[I]n education,” he writes, “one can advance while staying out of the line of fire, so to speak. Simply put, the education bureaucracy is cannibalizing the talent pool.” article »

Send Help to Stressed Principals
Enquirer, May 17, 2006

An editorial in the [Cincinnati] Enquirer calls for more support for overstressed principals. “In a typical week,” the article explains, “school principals confer with teachers, return calls to angry parents, do paperwork, oversee after-school activities, discipline students, do paperwork and otherwise support leaning in their schools.” The editorial cites a survey by Public Agenda and the Wallace Foundation that found that in a typical workweek of 62.21 hours, “principals spend half their time on parent issues, discipline, community relations, facilities, safety and budget” and only a “measly 16 hours on curriculum development, planning, student assessment and professional development.” The article describes various efforts around the country to lessen the burden on principals, and points to those schools that are empowering their teachers to take over more responsibilities in and outside of the classroom such as “designing curriculum, spearheading research, analyzing data and leading training.”

District Ordered to Shift More Cash to Classrooms
Terrence Stutz, Dallas Morning News, April 7, 2006

A new governor-imposed rule will require Texas’ 1,037 school districts to spend at least 65 percent of their money on instructional expenses by the 2008-2009 school year. School administrators have criticized this “’one-size-fits-all’” approach, which provides very narrow definitions for what can and cannot be considered “instructional.” For example, the guidelines, which were written by the National Center for Education Statistics, include such things as extracurricular activities, but not counselors or nurses. A spokesperson for the Texas Association of School Boards says that administrators are concerned that the current guidelines “’do[ ] not include many costs that are necessary and important to the classroom.’” “‘It suggests Texas school districts are inefficient and not spending enough money on instruction, even though we've seen studies showing that our districts are efficient," they said. Currently, the state’s school districts spend an average of 62 percent of their money on instructional costs. article »

Group's Goal Is Uncommon
Karen Abbott, Rocky Mountain News, April 1, 2006

The Rocky Mountain News reports that "[i]t can take months to suspend an unruly student from a public school in Colorado, and it can take more than a year to fire a bad teacher" according to research done by Common Good Colorado. Common Good Colorado is the first state affiliate of a 4-year-old national organization, Common Good, and "its first target will be sorting out better ways for schools to get things done." Unveiling a chart showing the steps required to fire a Denver Public School teacher who refused to use the science textbooks required by the district or teach the required science curriculum, a process that took 27 months and cost the school district more than $87,000, Elaine Berman, former president of the Denver School Board and a director of Common Good Colorado, said "It wasn't always like this. This is the result of the past 20 or 30 years, where we've layered laws on top of one another."

A "Wedge" for Better Schools
New York Post, March 8, 2006

In an editorial endorsing Schools Chancellor Joel Klein’s proposal to allow New York City principals to bypass more senior assistant principals for assistant principals of their choice, the New York Post mentions Common Good’s efforts to highlight the overregulation of New York City schools. They write, “New York City schools can be a bureaucratic nightmare. For example, Common Good – a New York-based legal-reform group – noted not long ago that public-school principals must contend with more than 60 separate sources of rules and regulations as they go about their daily duties. Schools Chancellor Joel Klein believes that, if principals are to be held responsible for the performance of their schools, they need some operational latitude.”

Schools that Rock: Less Red Tape Will Lure Teachers
Tallahassee Democrat, October 31, 2005

An editorial in the Tallahassee Democrat describes what it sees as the current atmosphere in many Florida schools: “Fear of failure is high. Risk-taking is downright dangerous. Not following the rules, which are numerous, burdensome and ever-changing, is a sacrilege. Turnover is alarming and pay is low.” As the state faces an anticipated shortage of 31,000 teachers, lawmakers are working to improve teacher recruitment and retention. But more rules and regulations only aggravate the problem, creating what the article refers to as a pervasive “culture of bureaucracy” that “discourages prospective teachers, and ultimately puts a damper on learning.” At least one Florida education official agrees with this assessment: “[W]e’ve legislated ourselves into mediocrity.” Perhaps they should listen to Jackie Pons, the principal of award-winning Deerlake Middle School, who offers his suggestion: “Free teachers up to where they have the time to do what they do best, which is teach.”

Let Teachers Teach
New York Times, October 27, 2005

In a letter to the editor of the New York Times, Miriam K. Freedman, a former teacher and school lawyer, advocates for the debureaucratization of our public schools by writing: “I believe that most teachers are good enough to get the job done. But they work in a scattered system; their days are full of interruptions and extraneous requirements. … Remove the burdens of regulation and bureaucratic nonsense. Then let's see what our teachers and students can do!” article »

Everybody Has a Favorite
Anderson (SC) Independent Mail, August 21, 2005

Although paperwork and bureaucratic micromanagement have added burdens to an already-difficult job, many teachers love their jobs too much to quit. An editorial in the Anderson (SC) Independent Mail says, "More than almost any profession ... teaching has changed the most over the years. There's more paperwork, fewer opportunities to work one-on-one with students, fund-raising, budget shortages, dress codes and generally too many things that seem to have little direct effect on the reason they're all there: to teach and to learn. ... But most [teachers] love, really love, going to that classroom every day, despite all the rules and regulations and paperwork and interruptions and unruly students and unbending administrators and, let's face it, tired feet and tired eyes and probably a little hunger because lunch was at 10:30 a.m." It makes one wonder what these teachers could accomplish if the legal system supported, rather than undermined, their efforts.

Teacher Attrition: A Costly Loss to the Nation and to the States
Report, August 18, 2005

Fall is synonymous with "back to school," but not for the many teachers who leave the profession each year. A report by the Alliance for Excellent Education shows that the high rate of teacher turnover comes at a high cost to both the students, who lose out on experienced teachers, and the school districts, which are forced to recruit and train new replacements every year.

From the report:

"A conservative national estimate of the cost of replacing public school teachers who have dropped out of the profession is $2.2 billion a year. If the cost of replacing public school teachers who transfer schools is added, the total reaches $4.9 billion every year."

While many assume that retirement is the number one reason for teacher attrition, the facts prove otherwise. In a study of teacher turnover, job dissatisfaction and the desire to pursue a different career were the top two reported reasons.

The following were cited as common sources of job dissatisfaction among teachers:

Lack of planning time (65 percent)
Too heavy a workload (60 percent)
Problematic student behavior (53 percent)
Lack of influence over school policy (52 percent)

A related study in Texas found the 45 percent of teachers were thinking about quitting their jobs, citing classroom management issues and paperwork as their top grievances.

The Dropout Problem: Not Students, but Teachers
Rachel Proctor May, Austin Chronicle, August 12, 2005

Consistent with reports from across the country, teachers in Texas are quitting for three big reasons: "pay, administrative (or administrator) hassles, and classroom management issues." In a 2003 study of "why [Texas] teachers leave the profession, 61% cited salaries, 32% mentioned poor administrative support, and 24% referred to problems with student discipline." Another survey by the Texas Federation of Teachers found that "45% of teachers were considering quitting. Of those, 58% cited classroom management issues and 34% cited paperwork as influencing their decisions."

Union contracts typically prohibit school districts from paying teachers more based on merit, knowledge of a hard-to-staff subject (e.g. math or science), or willingness to teach in a low-income school. And many teachers struggle to maintain order in the classroom, as the "fear of litigation and administrative overregulation" combine to "limit teachers' ability to punish problem behavior. 'We've almost gotten to the point that for [a] teacher to discipline a child, that teacher has to take an hour from class to fill out the paperwork,' said Texas Rep. Carter Casteel, a New Braunfels Republican and former teacher who earned bipartisan praise this session as a champion of public schools.'"

The Austin Chronicle reports that "[b]y the end of this year, one in five of [the Austin Independent School District's] new teachers will have quit the field. After five years, nearly half will be gone. ... This churning has financial implications--various sources estimate that statewide, teacher attrition costs between $329 million and $2.1 billion a year in recruitment, training, and human resources costs. But just as important are its educational implications, especially because the schools with the most turnover are those with high proportions of poor and minority students. AISD's turnover rate at high-needs high schools, for example, is 32%, compared to 12% at low-needs schools." article »

Trying Decentralization for Real This Time
Janet S. Hansen and Margarite Roza, Education Week, August 10, 2005

A commentary published in Education Week compared today's movement towards decentralization with the school-based management policies of the 80s and 90s. It enumerates four reasons why those early efforts failed:

They "created only minimal changes in authority...constraints on schools were not effectively relaxed, and the rule-based operating environment in most schools changed little."
"Lack of focus...Widely different plans created fuzziness about what the concept of decentralization meant and who was in charge of what."
The absence of a supportive infrastructure or a "consistent decentralization to the school level of authority and responsibility to make decisions on significant matters related to school operations within a centrally determined framework..."
School-based management "wasn't integral to district strategy." Decentralization will be effective only if it is "the centerpiece of a district's reform effort..."

The article encouraged a more developed approach towards decentralization and explained why such changes are still crucial:

"Public education systems are bureaucracies--and bureaucracies, with their codified rules and standardized procedures specifying how work is to be done, are increasingly seen as problematic in environments, such as schools, with shifting circumstances, unpredictable client needs, and a lack of clarity on the links between tasks and desired outcomes. Bureaucracies discourage creativity and innovation and encourage members to focus on compliance with rules." article »

Measure Shakes Teacher Stability
Duke Helfand and Joel Rubin, Contra Costa (CA) Times, August 9, 2005

Over the last ten years, the Los Angeles Unified School District "has attempted to dismiss just 112 permanent teachers--or about one-quarter of 1 percent of the district's 43,000 instructors. ... Some were fired, but most resigned or retired." Principal Faye Banton of Edison Middle School in south LA explains that she can "quickly identify her weakest teachers," but she "can't dismiss them without a drawn-out fight." In California, "school districts can dismiss teachers during their first two years on the job without providing any reason. After two years in the classroom, teachers earn the more protective 'permanent status.' Before dismissing a permanent-status teacher, district officials meticulously must document poor performance over time, formally declare the intention to dismiss the teacher and then give the instructor 90 days to improve." A November voter initiative might "simplify the process ... [by] allowing district officials to fire a teacher after two consecutive unsatisfactory evaluations without declaring their intentions in advance," but some worry that the proposed language "could backfire because it requires two back-to-back negative evaluations. A marginal teacher could remain in the classroom for years by occasionally earning satisfactory evaluations." What's needed is not a better-worded law, but principals with the authority to make reasonable staffing decisions and be held accountable for them.

Related: How to Fire an Inept Teacher in New York City

Beach Teacher Retention Criticized
Mike Gruss, Virginian-Pilot, August 7, 2005

The Virginian-Pilot reports that complicated dismissal policies and overwhelming paperwork may be keeping ineffective teachers in Virginia Beach classrooms. An external audit of the school system found that "turnover among the Virginia Beach teaching staff is abnormally low," which, according to the report, is a "sign that the division is keeping underperforming employees."

Some administrators acknowledge that dismissal can be a difficult procedure:

"'I'm not sure we do get rid of as many teachers are we should, simply because it's a hassle,' said Emma L. Davis a board member and former principal."

The 34-page report recommends a complete restructuring of the division's human resources department, saying that current policies hinder principals from acting effectively and stressing the need for responsible turnover.

Gov. Blagojevich Signs Laws Reducing Administrative Burden on Illinois Schools
Office of Gov. Blagojevich, Press Release, August 4, 2005

Recognizing the need to reduce the burden of bureaucratic rules and paperwork on public schools, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has undertaken a "Less Red Tape" initiative, which has thus far eliminated 400 pages of administrative rules. "We have to get rid of requirements that do nothing to help kids and create piles of paperwork for schools," Governor Rod R. Blagojevich said in a press release. ISBE has also eliminated a "massive teacher certification backlog. ... In looking to prevent any future backlogs, Gov. Blagojevich has signed a law that reduced teacher recertification paperwork from nearly 100 pages to just two or three pages." article »

Wanted: 6,000 Teachers
Baltimore Sun, August 1, 2005

"Like many states, Maryland is busy hiring teachers before schools start in the next several weeks. An estimated 6,000 new teachers are needed--to replace those who have retired, transferred or left to pursue other interests." Nationwide,"[a]bout one out of every five new teachers abandons the profession within three years, and almost 40 percent do so within five years."

An editorial in the Contra Costa Times discusses an informal survey of teachers quitting the profession: "The teachers whom I chose to interview were popular with students, received good evaluations and showed measurable increases in their students' test scores. ... They said they were overwhelmed by their workload and the unrelenting demands of their students. ... Teachers felt that they weren't doing enough for their students. ... They felt that each student deserved more individual attention than they were able to provide. ... Finally, teachers felt isolated in their classrooms. They spoke of feeling a lack of support when managing unruly students and when trying to motivate apathetic ones. ... In short, these teachers felt overwhelmed by the workload, unappreciated and disempowered. Some of those who resigned were newcomers, other were veterans."

Bloomberg's School Reform Pledge
New York Post, July 25, 2005

The New York City teacher's contract is a "mammoth 250-page document [that] ties principals' hands by:

Dictating the lengths of classes at every school.
Preventing the city from paying extra to teachers in hard-to-staff subjects (like math, science and special education) and schools in poor areas.
Giving teachers who have punched their clocks long enough the pick of plum jobs, regardless of merit.
Making it impossible to fire even the most incompetent teachers--including out-and-out criminals--without endless paperwork and an endless series of procedural hearings.

No one expects the teachers to go without a pay raise. But simply dumping more money into the schools is not the answer."

More money is not the answer, and the teacher's contract is not the only problem. Schools across the country are stifled by a staggering burden of law and regulations from federal, state and local governments, collective bargaining agreements, case law, and consent decrees. Philip K. Howard has written, "Before throwing good money after bad, it is perhaps wise to try to learn why school reforms almost always seem to fail. Intractable problems usually have a silent partner, some assumption that everyone takes for granted. In education, the practice of reformers has been to identify a worthy goal--say, safety or fairness--and then to create a detailed legal structure to make sure it happens. Taken alone, each legal requirement seems reasonable. Together, they present an insurmountable legal barrier, blocking even the simplest choices."

Districts Will Feed Needy Kids in Summer with Federal Help
Erika Hobbs, Orlando Sentinel, July 8, 2005

Since 1968, schools nationwide have been offering "free and low-cost summer lunches" to students under a federal program that "reimbursed them for as many as two meals a day for low-income children. ... But the federal program is optional. And until recently, running summer programs had been mired in USDA bureaucracy, which made offering summer fare unpalatable to many districts." Recently, the USDA "streamlined its paperwork process," which encouraged some schools to expand their participation.

Applicants for Principal Drop Despite Higher Pay
Susan Essoyan, Honolulu Star Bulletin, 2005

It seems that even with more money, Hawaii's principals can't be convinced to stick around. Despite a 24 percent pay-raise, nearly one quarter of Hawaii's principals left their jobs during the 2004-2005 school year. Six out of 10 vice-principals stepped-down. Ten years ago, 10 to 15 people would compete for each open principal spot. Now it's three or six. Like most of America's public school principals, their responsibilities run the gamut from personnel issues to building repairs, discipline problems, media inquiries, and now, federal mandates to raise test scores. With the litany of regulations already burdening public schools and their principals (see CG's OverRuled feature), it's easy to see why a higher pay check is little incentive remain in such a demanding and often thankless position. article »

85 Schools Get Reward of Freedom
Tracy Dell'Angela, Chicago Tribune, June 6, 2005

The best 85 public schools in Chicago are being offered "sweeping autonomy in teaching students, training educators and spending money. The decision .... is part of a long-term vision of untangling an entrenched bureaucracy long viewed as one of the most formidable barriers to school reform in the nation's third-largest district." The schools will still be "bound by union contracts, court mandates and state regulations governing everything from special education to standardized testing"--thousands of rules and regulations that no educator could ever hope to fully assimilate. But even this first step at reducing bureaucratic overload might "help draw new talent into the principal profession. 'I can't tell you what a shock it was to learn how to navigate the bureaucracy here,' said Don Fraynd, who became principal of Jones College Prep two years ago after running a Jesuit school in Nebraska. ... 'I am so excited,' he said. 'It will free up time and resources.' ... For many other veteran principals, this list gives the district's official stamp of approval on what is sometimes called 'creative insubordination'--the paths the district's best school leaders found around onerous dictates while creating successful programs."

New York's Revolving Door of Good Teachers Driven Out
Michael Winerip, New York Times, June 1, 2005

Can the hopes of a young teacher survive the realities of an urban public school? Sadly, the answer for many is "no." The New York Times reports that the city had 3,567 certified teachers leave last year--the "most in memory ... and 1,100 above the previous three year average." At P.S. 111 in Manhattan, "[o]nly 21 percent of its teachers have more than five years' experience; 54 percent have been at P.S. 111 two years or less." Nationwide, as the Seattle Times reported in January, "In a given year, almost one-third of the 3.4 million K-12 teachers are moving into, between or out of schools. ... About one out of every five new teachers abandons the profession within three years, and almost 40 percent do so within five years."

While better pay might help reduce turnover, low pay is only one of many underlying problems. Richard Ingersoll, a University of Pennsylvania professor, told the New York Times that "teachers nationally give four main reasons for quitting: discipline problems; lack of administrative support; too little freedom to do their jobs; and, the biggest, money." At P.S. 111, most former teachers "mentioned disciplinary problems as a reason for quitting." And the Seattle Times reports, "Contrary to popular belief, most [teachers] do not leave because of low pay. Surveys suggest new teachers aren't prepared for the range of tasks required of them outside the classroom."

CMS Poll: Teachers Earn Vote of Confidence
Ann Doss Helms, Charlotte Observer, May 10, 2005

Jim Jordan, a father of two children who graduated from the Charlotte-Mecklenberg Schools, told the Charlotte Observer that teachers in the schools "were good at solving problems." But, he added, "they had to go through so many hoops and so many regulations."

When a Teacher's Firing is a Slam Dunk, the Free Money Should Stop
Tom Lyons, Sarasota Herald Tribune, April 14, 2005

A Florida teacher who admits serving vodka tonics to two teenage students and encouraging them to smoke homegrown marijuana--which they did--is still receiving a paycheck from the school. He will continue to receive a paycheck, writes editorialist Tom Lyons, "for as long as the firing process takes. ... It could be over as soon as April 19, the day of the next School Board meeting, but ... [w]ith even the slightest protest ..., he can collect his salary through the end of the school year." If a teacher files a grievance, "[i]t starts a series of grievance hearings, first with the principal, then a human resources officer, then the superintendent. And then the teacher can request arbitration ... [which] can take six to eight weeks just to schedule." Cutting off the flow of taxpayer money to teachers who commit criminal acts--and involve students in those acts--may seem like common sense, but it requires something our public schools lack: Administrators who have the authority to make decisions for the common good, and who are held accountable for those decisions. Florida is far from the only state where lengthy procedural requirements constrain even the most obvious staffing decisions.

Related: How to Fire an Inept Teacher and How to Fill a Teacher Vacancy in New York City schools

IN DEPTH: Is Sunscreen Too Dangerous for Children?
Comments on "Bill Would Legislate Maryland Students' Use of Sunscreen"
Daniel de Vise, Washington Post, April 11, 2005

A survey of 24 Maryland school systems found that four "require a doctor's order for students to apply sunscreen. Eleven require at least a parent's note. Eight systems require students to leave the product with the school health officer." Montgomery County, MD, schools "treat sunscreen as an over-the-counter medicine. A student must bring in a doctor's note to apply it, and only older students are allowed to carry it with them at school." more »

Volunteers Left Baffled After Athletic Projects at Lodi High are Stalled
Scott Howell, Lodi (CA) News Sentinel, March 28, 2005

Poor management and "a maze of bureaucracy" have led to the waste of generous donations and the erosion of community support for improving athletic facilities at Lodi High School in California. "A new stereo sits silent, a new television and video system go unwatched and new lockers sit empty in a team room. ... An adjacent training room is being used for storage ... instead of being used for taping ankles or treating injuries. ... A $6,000 scoreboard sits idle in a Lodi Unified School District storage building while time passes--nearly two years since it was donated to Lodi High. ... The trail to a completed project is often snared with red tape. ... Plans for new structures (anything taller than 48 inches) ... must be certified by the state architect ... [who] reviews about 3,000 sets of plans a year." Lodi Athletic Director Ken Israel says that when he "took over the post a decade ago, the department needed numerous renovations. ... 'When I talked to someone in maintenance about upgrades,' said Israel, 'they laughed and told me it would take 15 years.' ... [Projects lose momentum] due to long waits. Kids graduate. Parents lose interest. Projects die. 'There have been a lot of hard feelings,' [said Lodi track coach Greg Wright.] 'It's frustrating. People are trying to do things for the school.'"

Schools' Future Leaders
Monica Mendoza, Arizona Republic, March 28, 2005

"Nationwide, an estimated 80 percent of school administrators are at or nearing retirement, according to the American Association of School Administrators. In Arizona, officials expect at least 25 openings for school superintendents and five times as many assistant principals and principal posts for the coming school year." But these jobs can be "daunting," and many teachers are "reticent about applying for administrative posts." In a poll, a full 81% of superintendents said that "when talented [principals or] superintendents leave the field, they are most likely to do so because they are 'frustrated by politics and bureaucracy.'" article »

Census: Nation's Public Schools Awash in $250 Billion in Red Ink
Associated Press, March 18, 2005

Newly-released Census Bureau data reveals that public schools "were saddled with over $250 billion in red ink in the 2002-03 school year, up 11 percent from the previous year. ... Overall, the nation's public school districts spent $8,019 per student, up about $400 per student from the previous year. ... Spending varied widely. ... The District of Columbia, New Jersey and New York each spent over $12,000 per pupil. Utah ranked last in per-pupil spending at nearly $4,900." In an editorial, Common Good Education Advisory Board member Diane Ravitch writes that "schools today are being strangled by a ton of laws, regulations, contracts, mandates and rules. If we do not figure out how to restore authority to teachers and principals, then our schools will continue to become ever more expensive and ever less effective." article »

State Legislators Offer Formula for Improving No Child Left Behind Act
NCSL Press Release, February 23, 2005

After a 10-month study, a task force of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) is calling for more "flexibility to meet the goals of the No Child Left Behind Act." Listed first among the key recommendations of a new NCSL report: "Remove obstacles that stifle state innovations and undermine state programs that were proving to work before passage of the act." Task force co-chair Steve Saland, a New York state senator, said the federal government has become "excessively intrusive in the day-to-day operations of public education." While Common Good supports accountability, No Child Left Behind is problematic in that it--like so many other education-reform efforts--works through voluminous detailed regulations, rather than by setting goals and giving educators the freedom to reach those goals. article »

Related: Readers may also be interested in the Utah state legislature's plan to "repudiate the No Child Left Behind Act and spurn $116 million in federal aid tied to it." more »

Judge Orders Billions in Aid to City Schools
Greg Winter, New York Times, February 15, 2005

In the most watched of the nation's many school-finance lawsuits, State Supreme Court Justice Leland DeGrasse has ruled that New York City must spend an additional $5.6 billion on public schoolchildren "to ensure them the opportunity for a sound basic education that they are guaranteed under the State Constitution." Commenting on the case, Common Good chair Philip K. Howard has argued, "All things being equal, more money is always welcome. But no one knows where it will come from. Worse, experience shows that failing social institutions are rarely resuscitated by money alone. ... Before throwing good money after bad, it is perhaps wise to try to learn why school reforms almost always seem to fail." The reason is that reformers too often rely on imposing detailed legal structures. Today, so many detailed laws and regulations have been imposed that educators are no longer free to use their common sense and professional judgment.

State Set to Start Hacking Away at School Rules
Eric Zorn, Chicago Tribune, February 14, 2005

One year after Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich called the rules and regulations of the State Board of Education a "bureaucratic nightmare of biblical proportions," lawyers at the Board are prepared to eliminate some 150 pages--out of 2,800 total--from the rulebooks. They'll have to go through a few procedures first: "Notices. Hearings. Votes. More notices, more hearings, more votes." Among the regulations to go: "The rules that forbid hearing officers who live in Chicago from presiding over Chicago Public Schools teacher dismissals; the rules that require parents to sign for permission for their children to receive free textbooks; ... the requirement that teachers going through a promotion to veteran-teacher status have to seek approval and fill out multiple forms--sometimes more than 100 pages each--for each mandatory professional-development activity," and more. Illinois may have a long way to go, but the state has taken an important first step by recognizing that public schools should be run by educators free to use their intelligence and ingenuity, rather than by detailed rules and regulations that ultimately become a legal barrier obstructing even routine decisions.

Bill Would Help Cut a Teacher's Paperwork
Isabel Mascarenas, Tampa Bay's 10 News Now, February 10, 2005

Tampa Bay's 10 News Now reports, "Teacher[s] often leave the profession because of the low pay, now some teachers are considering quitting because of the excessive paperwork. Fourth grade teacher Patricia Widoff says she stays an extra hour or two after school catching up on all the forms the school, school district and state require teachers to fill out. Many times the Davis Elementary teacher says the paperwork becomes her homework. Widoff says the paperwork is 20 times greater than when she started teaching 34 years ago. 'We're drowning, absolutely drowning in paperwork,' [Widoff said.] 'We want to do what we're here for. We want to teach children. That seems to be forgotten along the way. We're here for the children.'" A bill introduced in the Florida State House would establish a task force to investigate reducing the paperwork overload.

Teacher With Cancer Is Offered Her Job Back
Michael Laris, Washington Post, January 13, 2005

Teacher Alison Yowell asked the Loudoun County (VA) School District for "four months of unpaid leave ... to receive treatment for Hodgkin's disease. But school officials, citing that she is a recent hire, denied the request and told her she would have to resign. ... Officials had argued that they were bound by personnel policies." Yowell's forced resignation represents another instance where rules and regulations overruled common sense and human judgment in our public schools. Superintendent Edgar B. Hatrick III has "promised to recommend changes in medical leave policies that would allow 'greater latitude' in future cases." article »

Lawsuit’s Effects Seen in Schools
Mark Baylis, Lompoc (CA) Record, January 6, 2005

The State of California has settled a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union "on behalf of nearly 100 San Francisco County students," alleging that "schools across the state were lacking in basic provisions, including adequate facilities, teachers and materials." Among other things, the settlement requires every California public school to implement a "uniform complaint process that specifically deals with basic provisions." Schools must post a notice in every classroom telling students "how to register complaints about the adequacy of their school facilities, teachers and materials. ... Students and parents can file complaints, in person or anonymously. ... Principals must fix valid complaints within 30 days. If not satisfied with the resolution, the student, parent or teacher may file an appeal to the school board or district superintendent. ... School districts will provide public summaries of all complaints and their resolutions quarterly."

We completely agree that every student should have access to adequate facilities, teachers and materials, but we question the value of imposing a new bureaucracy to attempt to reach this goal. As Common Good chair Philip K. Howard writes, "In education, the practice of reformers has been to identify a worthy goal--say, safety or fairness--and then to create a detailed legal structure to make sure it happens. Taken alone, each legal requirement seems reasonable. Together, they present an insurmountable legal barrier, blocking even the simplest choices." article »

An Education Reform Agenda for the Next Four Years--And Beyond
Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., Education Week, January 5, 2005

Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., chair of the bipartisan Teaching Commission writes, "[T]he teaching profession remains constrained by arcane and arbitrary rules, regulations and pay systems that tie school districts' hands in the hunt for the best and brightest. It is hard to think of another profession that offers virtually no financial rewards for a job well done or other recognition of excellence ... [and] has hiring bureaucracies that sag under piles of paperwork and miles of red tape." article »

Schools Struggle to Reduce High Teacher Turnover
Sanjay Bhatt, Seattle Times, January 3, 2005

"All of the nation's urban public schools face the problem of teacher turnover: In a given year, almost one-third of the 3.4 million K-12 teachers are moving into, between or out of schools. ... About one out of every five new teachers abandons the profession within three years, and almost 40 percent do so within five years. Contrary to popular belief, most do not leave because of low pay. Surveys suggest new teachers aren't prepared for the range of tasks required of them outside the classroom." One teacher told the Seattle Times, "We all feel pulled to our ends in meetings, committees and all the responsibilities we have in our classroom." Fifth-grader Jessica White, who has had eight teachers--four of them new to teaching--since kindergarten said, "I get this vibe that they meet my class and decide to go away the next year. ... They don't like us or something." article »

Kansas Ordered to Spend More on Schools
John Milburn, Associated Press, January 2, 2005

The Kansas State Supreme Court has ruled that the state "must spend more money on public schools to meet the requirements of the state Constitution." The legislature is required to act by April 12, or the court "could impose specific steps of its own." Unfortunately, judicial intervention in public schools has too often turned to micromanagement, as the Economist reported. And more money will likely not be put to effective use in the current system, in which an excess of laws and regulations sometimes blocks even the simplest of decisions.

Bartleby, Savitri & Me
Sam Swope, Teacher Magazine, January 1, 2005

This insightful article from Teacher Magazine not only demonstrates how the burden of law and bureaucracy can crush teachers' spirits, it also shows that we can dissipate the despair now hanging over many public schools by giving teachers the freedom to use their intelligence and creativity.

Sam Swope was excited to be organizing a seminar for high school English teachers at the New York Public Library; the teachers would have the opportunity to explore "one of the world's greatest libraries" and interact with leading scholars. But when Swope contacted the Department of Education to ensure that participating teachers would receive professional development credits, he found that he needed to complete a "long and involved" application. Swope writes, "Through the years, I've noticed that two distinct languages are spoken in the world of education. One of them, plain and direct, is the language of the classroom, which teachers use to communicate with students. The other, used by academics and policymakers, bears a resemblance to English but is mostly incomprehensible. At best, its speakers use ridiculously large words to describe simple ideas; at worst, they use ridiculously large words to describe nonsense. ... Finishing our 10-page proposal [to receive professional development credits] took a library colleague and me the better part of a day and was a deadening affair to which we could bring none of the joy and creativity we'd brought to creating the program itself."

Then, a blessing in disguise came to Swope's seminar program: the proposal was rejected. In the proposal, teachers' afternoons were to be crammed with "library-related activities"; now unbound by the proposal, Swopes scaled back activities for "various reasons," leaving "several hours unscheduled each afternoon. ... What would participants do? Unaccustomed to freedom, many teachers during the initial seminar were indeed lost, at least in the beginning. A teacher's life is so programmed and structured, every minute so accounted for, that they didn't know what was expected of them, and on the first afternoon, some hid in their offices, feeling guilty. But by the second day, realizing they could use the library however they saw fit, the teachers got to work. They researched authors, explored the stacks, investigated the online resources, and sat in the lounge talking shop. With grateful amazement, they told me, 'You treat us like professionals. This never happens.'" article »

Divide and Conquer
Roger Friedman, Teacher Magazine, January 1, 2005

One school district in Eastern Maryland has hired "school managers" to handle management and administrative responsibilities, thus freeing up principals to "work more closely with teachers and devote more attention to other educational priorities." A survey found that 70 percent of principals think "time constraints and paperwork" are "impediments" to their job performance. Says Joseph Murphy, an expert on educational leadership with Vanderbilt University, "Principals are expected to shift the locus of who they are and what they do from management and administrative responsibilities to education and leadership. ... And if they are expected to make that shift successfully, how can they be expected to do everything they used to?" Unfortunately, hiring separate school managers is a "luxury few cash-strapped districts can afford." And while hiring more personnel, like spending more money, may help in some cases, the only lasting solution will be to free educators from the needless paperwork and complex procedures required to carry out even relatively routine decisions. We need to shift our approach from one that addresses educational goals by creating complex legal structures, to one that allows educators to use common sense and then holds them accountable for the results. article »

Thousands of Flags Needed Under New State Law
Associated Press, December 6, 2004

They may not be tattered or torn, but they still have to go. Fifteen thousand flags in classrooms all across Florida will have to be replaced because they're not big enough to meet the requirements of a new state law. Replacement flags will cost $4 or more a piece. Senator Mike Fasano, who "led the movement for the new law," doubts that any school will have to cover the bill; outside donors will step in. But what is the cost of having educators, already overburdened by laws and regulations, spending their time measuring flags and looking for donors? And as Principal Carl Persis notes, potential donor organizations have "more serious projects" to worry about right now, like "collecting holiday food for the needy and lending a hand to hurricane victims."

Board Members Say They Felt Endangered by Teachers
Rena Havner and Rhoda Pickett, Alabama.com, November 5, 2004

Members of the Mobile, AL, school board say a meeting became "unruly" and "dangerous" when Teacher Cindy Naylor "incited" a crowd of fellow teachers by complaining about excessive paperwork. Naylor's speech was cut short by the board president, and the board members were escorted out of the hall by a security guard. Tensions remain high: Naylor filed a successful lawsuit against the board arguing that her First Amendment rights were violated, and a full 2,300 Mobile teachers have filed a grievance with the board asking for "more pay and less paperwork." Alabama Education Association (AEA) leader Paul Hubbert encouraged the grievance filing and said the AEA will file suit if "no action is taken."

No Real Winners in Aftermath of No Child Left Behind
Jeff Robinson, Algona Upper Des Moines, November 4, 2004

An editorial from Algona, IA, argues that many provisions of NCLB "just don't fit" in rural Iowa. For example, Algona schools share with two other schools $7,500 in federal funds for "safe and drug-free schools" programs. But to continue to receive that money, Algona must establish "a program based on scientifically based research. ... Among the approved programs the district can purchase that will meet the NCLB requirements, some cost as much as $750,000. Even worse, [said Algona Superintendent Harold Prior], is that the district can't spend their federal money on programs its administrators know make a difference in drug and alcohol use, such as After Prom, because they don't meet NCLB criteria."

Teachers Complain About Lack of Planning Time
Dionne Walker, Annapolis Capital, November 1, 2004

In 2003, Anne Arundel County, MD, teachers worked an average of 48 hours a week, according to the Maryland State Teachers Association (MSTA). This year, "the number is over 60 hours. ... No Child Left Behind has teachers inundated with forms and evaluations, said Lissa Brown [of MSTA]. 'They all use the same words: 'I don't have time to teach,' she said." Deputy State Superintendent Ron Peiffer said that "county requirements, not state tests stemming from [NCLB]," are to blame. Either way, it's vital to reduce to legal burden on teachers. Give teachers the freedom to do their jobs effectively; then, hold them accountable for the results.

Life has become especially "hectic" for Carol Petrosky, who "works with 11 disabled students, each needing an individualized curriculum addressing their specific developmental challenges. ... Now ... state assessment tests related to [NCLB] have given [special education] teachers additional duties: They must form 10 goals in reading and math for each student, create a student evaluation method, create data sheets, videotape students completing activities and put everything in a binder for administrative review. 'It gets worse every year,' Ms. Petrosky said. 'One of my teachers told me last week they spent 22 hours just writing the objectives for one of her students.'" article »

Editorial: Chalk Up Another One to Inflexible Bureaucracy
Carolina Morning News, October 22, 2004

K.C. the dog, beloved by the students of Bluffton Elementary School, has been banned, along with all animals "except for fish, frogs, butterflies, hermit crabs and nonpoisonous insects." The reason: "Dogs sometimes bite people. Birds can carry diseases. Etc." This editorial says, "So another rule was put in place. That seems to be the American way these days, to let liability concerns overrule common sense. What would be wrong with letting each principal and even classroom teachers handle the animal issue ...? If a classroom has a hamster that the kids love, and no child in that classroom has an allergy, where's the harm? ... We hope the risk managers never get out to the playground, where children sometimes fall and skin their knees as they play chase." Sadly, readers of our Society Watch know that the risk managers have already descended on America's playgrounds.

Lifting the School System
David S. Seeley, New York Times, October 18, 2004

In a letter to the editor of the New York Times, David S. Seeley, Professor of Education at the CUNY Graduate Center, writes that "[l]earning can be brought to the levels now needed only by basically changed relationships among students, teachers, and families, in which each participant first holds himself accountable for quality performance and then the others for collaborating and support in nonbureaucratic ways. ... What subverts the system is the bureaucratic culture in public schools."

Bad Schools + Shackled Principals = Outsourcing
Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., Wall Street Journal, October 7, 2004

Amid a furor of election-year debate over the outsourcing of American jobs, a Wall Street Journal op-ed by Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., former chairman of IBM and former chair of the bi-partisan Teaching Commission, reminds us that our public schools--and especially teachers--are the foundation of our economy. "The only way to ensure we remain a world economic power," he argues, is to increase teachers' pay in proportion to their economic value and, just as importantly, to demand accountability. We need to break down barriers to both hiring and firing, Gerstner says. more »

30 N.Y.C. Schools Gain Autonomy from Rules by Promising Results
Caroline Hendrie, Education Week, September 29, 2004

Thirty secondary schools in New York City are participating in a pilot project that "sets specific performance targets for schools to meet in exchange for removing them from the bureaucratic hierarchy governing most of the city's 1,300 public schools." "We're trying to create as much space as possible for good people to do good work," said Eric Nadelstern, who is managing the project for the city. Greater accountability should be paired with greater autonomy. Unfortunately, these 30 schools remain subject to "current rules in such areas as teacher hiring or union-negotiated working conditions," and the city is still trying "to figure out how schools could have greater decisionmaking authority in such noninstructional areas as food services, purchasing, and transportation."

More Money for Schools Doesn’t End the Problems
Joanne Jacobs, San Francisco Chronicle, September 12, 2004

This editorial from the San Francisco Chronicle argues that more money isn't the solution to America's education woes. What's needed are educators who spend wisely, set high standards, and refuse to tolerate misbehavior. We would add that for schools to function in this manner, we must de-legalize public education and give educators the authority to do their jobs effectively.

The editorial concludes: "At a San Jose elementary school, a father saw an obscenity scrawled on the entrance wall. A woman in the office told him the district would send a cleaning crew. The next day, it was still there. The dad, who worked in construction, grabbed cleaning materials from his truck and started to remove the graffiti. A staffer ran out to stop him. It was a union job, she explained. No volunteers allowed. If he didn't leave, she said, he'd be arrested. The father left. For two weeks, his children walked past the obscenity to enter their school. It was a four-letter word starting with 'f.' 'It wasn't even spelled right,' the father said." article »

Collective Bargaining Bumping Up Against No Child Left Behind Law
Catherine Gewertz, Education Week, September 9, 2004

Educators struggle daily to balance the demands of the many complex and voluminous laws, regulations, and contracts that affect our public schools. This report from Philadelphia discusses how provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act "mandating profound changes in schools that have not improved enough over a number of consecutive years ... are running headlong into protections promised teachers with seniority."

IN DEPTH: Consent Decrees Undermine Freedom & Accountability in Public Education
August 1, 2004

Public schools are dynamic, ever-changing institutions; consent decrees are inflexible and difficult to change. It's not a good marriage. more »

In Peoria, Students Get a Second Chance if Dog Eats Their Homework
Maggie Galehouse, Arizona Republic, May 14, 2004

The Peoria Unified School District implemented a policy requiring that teachers give partial credit to students who hand in assignments up to 4.5 weeks late--no need for "a valid excuse." But some teachers say the policy undermines their authority. "[T]he district hasn't tracked how many students are taking advantage of the new policy, but teachers say students know their rights.

A Public Agenda poll, commissioned by Common Good, found that nearly 8 in 10 teachers nationwide say students are quick to remind them that they have rights or that their parents can sue. more »

'No Child' Law Leaves Schools' Old Ways Behind
Michael Dobbs, Washington Post, April 22, 2004

Time and financial constraints are forcing schools to focus heavily on the core reading and math requirements under NCLB. One Indiana school has eliminated art, home economics, "most foreign-language classes and some physical education classes." Said one former art teacher, "We felt we enabled more kids to be successful." The arts program, she explained, "was a way of recognizing the talents of academically challenged students." Common Good supports the idea of accountability and uniform standards. We have to know that a diploma means something--which it too often does not right now. But we'd like to see more flexibility: let humans run the schools and then judge their performance. article »

Colleagues Applaud Teacher Who Took Unruly Kid to Court
Mel Meléndez and Pat Kossan, Arizona Republic, April 19, 2004

A teacher in Arizona filed an injunction against a student who repeatedly harassed and abused her in class, sparking a "flood of calls and e-mails to The Arizona Republic from teachers hailing [her] decision to go public." Teachers complain that principals do not support them in disciplinary matters, but principals say "their hands are tied. . . . In Arizona, all children younger than 16 must be in school. Unless a child is caught with a gun or selling drugs, alternative schools will not take them."

'Highly Qualified' Rules Eased for Some Teachers
Ben Feller, Associated Press, March 17, 2004

The Department of Education gave some teachers an additional year to meet the 'highly qualified' standard under NCLB. Rural teachers who handle multiple subjects are finding it difficult to meet the standard--"a bachelor's degree, state certification and proven knowledge in the subjects they teach." article »

The Year of the Teacher
Chester Finn, Education Gadfly, January 23, 2004

Chester Finn writes "2004 could turn out to be the year of the teacher, the year that the bureaucratic, ideological, and regulatory strangleholds under which the teaching profession labors might just be broken." article »

Failing City Teachers Face a Faster Ax
New York Times, January 15, 2004

New York City teacher's unions are proposing cutting to six months the time it takes to remove incompetent teachers, speeding up a process that can now drag on for years.

Academic Freedom
William Ouchi, Education Next, January 2004

A piece on decentralizing education systems by one of our favorite education thinkers, William Ouchi, author of Making Schools Work. article »

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