Deconstructing a culture of failure

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“It is the premise of the framework for teaching that it is important for students-all students- to acquire deep and flexible understanding of complex content, to be able to formulate and test hypotheses, to analyze information, and to be able to relate one part of their learning to another.” Charlotte Danielson

Failure is not an option that public school officials should contemplate as an acceptable result of the redefined socioeconomic landscape. In fact, as the social construct is redesigned one must look beyond the current malaise affecting public education. A thorough analysis of [student] test data reveals that establishing relationships with students remains an important factor in developing a positive learning community. Increasing rigor in the classroom is certainly a daunting task to develop in a low-performing high school but it is not impossible. Low-performing schools must revisit the schools mission if one expects to create a positive learning culture focused on high academic success. While high-achieving public schools have clearly established a cult of personality that demonstrates success. Conversely, low-performing urban schools established underachievement as the common denominator. To foster an environment where academic success becomes the norm, urban high schools must have courageous leadership. Dr. Martin Luther King once said, “the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. Courage faces fear and thereby masters it; cowardice represses fear and is thereby mastered by it.”

Highly successful leaders who turn failing schools around demonstrate an unwillingness to accept failure as an option. Consider that Donaldson notes, “low-performing schools demonstrate a leadership resistant architecture where there is a conspiracy of busyness that leaves little time to convene people to plan, organize, and follow through.” The reality is that leadership is often a lonely role many people are unprepared to assume, in fact, those charged to lead public schools must lead by the heart if they expect success. Lee G. Bolman and Terrence E. Deal write, “leadership is a relationship rooted in community. Leaders embody their group’s most precious values and beliefs. Their ability to lead emerges from the strength and sustenance of those around them.” Those who lead urban public schools must make decisions that change the lives of the young people while, assuring sustained high academic achievement.

As we deconstruct the framework of the large comprehensive urban high school and reconfigure the complex impersonal bureaucratic system with small learning communities we will create academic opportunities of greatness. Pedagogic  issues should dominate the national discussion however, the national conversation cannot move beyond high stakes testing as the model without first establishing positive and caring relationships with students. The paradigm shift from a teacher centered educational focus to that of a student centered learning environment which employs research based strategies. Ultimately, the redesign will improve academic achievement and the facilitate the reconfiguration of a large high school into small learning communities.The recentering of the national educational focus from the high stakes testing mania poses a daunting challenge for those who view ones academic journey as opportunities to develop inquiry based.