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SPEAKOUT: 'We' are committed

By Peter Huidekoper

Published August 11, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Last year in Denver Public Schools, the Bruce Randolph School triggered a series of requests - soon followed by Manual High and Montclair Elementary - for greater freedom from district and union rules.

Randolph teacher Greg Ahrnsbrak said his school had made some progress, but: "We were thinking, 'How can we take it to the next level? What are the problems we are having?' " And that led to a review of district policies and the teacher contract.

Manual's principal, Rob Stein, explained his school's interest in the waivers: "We don't have enough control of our own decisions on-site - how and when we hire teachers, determining our own schedule and calendar. I could go on and on." Montclair teacher Kyle Kimmal said, "We want to have control of our building."

Notice their use of the pronoun we.

Not they.

Pronouns are telling.

All too often one listens to principals and teachers in larger school districts explain, or complain, that they are implementing a new program in reading, math or science, or are carrying out district assessments three times a year because "this is what they want us to do this year." It is a clear sign of trouble.

This is a fundamental difference between public and private schools. Or to be more exact, between public schools in districts where the educators look over their shoulders, worried about how well they are conforming with what they have prescribed, and effective charter and independent schools. In the latter, the key pronoun is we - as in, "We decided this is what serves our mission," or "We chose these books and curriculum, or this behavior code or this structure to our schedule because it fits best with our beliefs of how we can serve our students."

They equates to following and complying; surrendering to the authorities, even though they don't know your kids, or what has worked, or what you as a faculty are learning and what adjustments you are making to improve. Which then often leads to passive-aggressive behavior: "I'll sort of do what they told me to do, even if much of it doesn't make much sense to me." Such resentment, of course, impairs any true commitment.

We equates to responsibility and accountability. The principal and faculty are responsible for both the intangibles - the culture and values honored at the school - and for the educational program. We is accountable when students aren't learning. We doesn't shake its head at what some outside force dictates. We shakes its head at its own mistakes, struggles with its failures of omission and commission, knows it always falls short of meeting each student's needs but tries hard to get better, tries never to lose sight of what we committed to do: to serve every young person in the school as well as possible.

They cripples.

We stands up. We takes ownership.

Denver School for Science and Technology, the much- praised new charter school,uses we. It wants to maintain high standards and shoulders the responsibility for strong student achievement.

Of the 125 freshmen in 2004-05, 26 students were held back in their freshman or sophomore year. "We don't lower expectations," DSST principal Bill Kurtz says. "We increase support. If we don't succeed, we do something different . . . and not something next year but something different now. Whenever a kid doesn't pass ninth or 10th grade, our first comment to parents is that 'we failed you.' "

Yes, it's unfair to blame people who enter a large district and find the culture supports this top-down mindset, and who conclude: Well, this is just how it is. The power lies at the central office, not at the school site. A principal's and teacher's job is to submit, to follow along.

But this is not how it is in small districts, charter schools and private schools. I've taught in all three. Educators there are not immune to outside pressures. But you seldom hear them blame problems on what they imposed.

And these educators laugh at the notion that a distant board "could make them accountable." We wake up feeling accountable. Our successes and failures are largely of our own doing, thank you very much, and we'll work as hard as we can to make our school better. WE. OUR.

A salute to Bruce Randolph, Manual, Montclair . . . and to many more eager to demonstrate self-reliance, eager to say: Allow us to figure it out - in our building and our classrooms - serving our kids.

Let the school year begin!

Peter Huidekoper teaches in Parker.

Comments

  • August 11, 2008

    8:35 a.m.

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    jacka writes:

    Unions at their best ... blocking progress, reform and self-determination.

  • August 11, 2008

    11:17 a.m.

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    fmln1976 writes:

    This is actually one of the most inspiring things happening in the Denver labor "movement". It's teachers taking back their union from an ineffective leadership/bureaucracy, putting their heads together and figuring out what's going to work best for them as teachers/workers AND for the well-being and education of their students. *This* is what democracy looks like folks.

    Bruce Randolph could be the start of another Edmonton School District (Alberta, Canada) where each school was given autonomy and the teachers/principals figured things out so well that they've virtually (if not entirely) put the private school system out of business in the district. Hats off to the DCTA members who are taking their union back!

  • August 11, 2008

    11:35 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    BetterEducated writes:

    Dear Peter,
    When my husband (who served DPS as a classified worker over 23 years before tendering his resignation) told me of events and occurrences on his job, he used the words "they" and "them" to such an extent I got infuriated!
    "WHO?!" I would ask in frustration. "THEY told you?! --WHO told you?" "It was what THEY wanted?--Who ARE they??!" Names eventually emerged like so many precious secrets.
    This being the case, I was amazed you would center on the same issue today. THANK YOU! The phenomenon was profoundly symbolic of his experience at DPS.

  • August 11, 2008

    5:24 p.m.

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    BO writes:

    jacka-
    Do you enjoy earning what you make? If so, thank the unions!

    I'm not a big fan of everything that goes on in unions (I worked in UFCW Local 7 as an employee of King Soopers for many years), but none of us, whether you're in a unionized company or not, would make what we do if there had never been unions. By all means, if you want to make well below minimum wage, and show those big unions how you despise them, then go ahead.

  • August 12, 2008

    8:52 a.m.

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    agrantco writes:

    I notice that he refers to top down decisions and their effect on school success. The majority of the problems are not with teacher's unions, but the administrations of the school districts, the people who are the most removed from the classroom. They are the ones who think they have all the answers. The administrations continually neglect to include the teachers in their decisions and choose to mandate programs and curriculum that may or may not prove to be effective.
    Unions consider the working conditions of the employees and their welfare which have a direct impact on students' learning environment and welfare. Their focus is on the 'we' that the author mentions.

  • August 13, 2008

    2:04 a.m.

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    p_myers661 writes:

    Oh yes. unions are so wonderful. In 2002 both my husband and I suffered heart attacks and were transported to the hospitals by ambulance. In spring of 2003, I was asked by the ambulance companies to get them copies of the bills for the ambulances. I asked where to deliver them and was told to just take them to the union hall. I did so, twice. Each time I tried to get an address to submit the bills to the insurance carrier and was told to just take them to the union hall. Last month we were summoned to court for those bills. I went to the union hall with copies of the original bills. Once again they refused to give me an address or location for the insuror. Today they called. Seems the insurance company never got a copy of the bills so they aren't going to pay.
    Thanks unions. Hello lawyer. I know and kept a copy of when I got the copies of the billing in 2003 and finally found the original documents I had signed when I dropped them off at the union five years ago. My lawyer is going to have a ball. So are the lawyers for the ambulance companies because they have billing records where they sent the bills to the union after getting the same song and dance. I think I'll be keeping one union very busy this election season.