The Breakfast of Champions

Ed Policy Breakfast Series

NYU Steinhardt, Lipton Hall

So, there was a really interesting connection between this event and the last event I attended, but this one was by far better.  First of all, the breakfast was much fancier!  I also recognized a few faces, such as deans and professors and other well-know people in the field, such as the head of the Children's Aid Society (I worked there).  

The first event I attended was run by educational/public policy researchers, and spoke about the statistics of public housing student performance.  This breakfast gave some context and provided opportunities, from both a phycological and pedagogical standpoint, to understand these statistics.

The first speaker was a new professor in the applied phycology department.  He was great.  He presented his research that focused on the stressed levels that many students already come to school with (like NYCHA students!!) as compared to the optimal level of stimulation of learning.  We learned that this is a balance, and we must make our classrooms as calm but intellectually stimulating as possible, all done with sensitivity to our population.

While both breakfasts called for changes of policy that relate to our schools, there were clear, distinctly different messages.  While the last called for the need to be open-minded to privatization, this one called for learning how to be more effective for less money, but still keeping it in the public sphere.

I think the main divide here come from really thinking about who trusts teachers.  The policy makers, the policy ponderers...they seem to want to teacher-proof, and in doing so, they wash their hands from any responsibility.  Yet the policy do-ers, the teachers, they seem to understand the need and are longing to make changes.  They are just struggling to find out how, are begging to be given opportunities.  Instead of passing on the passion and responsibilities of educators on to business people, we should be providing educators with what they need to make the changes themselves.

Also, just wanna put this out there.  I love President-Elect Obama and I could not be happier.  However, I am very tired of people thinking everything will be ok now and putting all the responsibility on him to solve all our problems, just by his presence.  This is not true.  If I ever got one clear message from Obama it is that we ALL need to work together, do all that we can, to help each other and make changes, not depend on him.   He can support, provide the right climate, but we need to be the real change makers.