At a previous job, besides teaching my middle school students all day everyday, I ran the school’s outdoor program. This gig had some bright spots; had some less bright spots; and provided some truly remarkable moments. At one point I contemplated wearing a GoPro the entire time on each trip just to capture some of the more unbelievable moments.
Near the top of my list of unbelievable moments would be the high schooler who struggled with his breakfast. For 10 minutes I watched him go between confusion and anger when he couldn’t figure out how to get cereal from the box into his bowl. At long last he asked a peer for suggestions and they showed him how to open the box and liner. He was truly mystified and intrigued by all of this and his newfound cereal pouring skills. Evidently teachable moments exist all around us.
Usually the teachable moments happened in more mundane scenarios. One that popped up a few times each semester centered on using can openers.
Can openers provide some interesting teachable moments. How an individual responds when they struggle to operate said technology is most telling. Usually someone in the kitchen crew would say something along the lines of, “The can opener is broken.” “These cans won’t open.” “Let’s have something else for dinner.” Soon students would gather around to assess the problem. What followed would resemble ‘how many middle schoolers does it take to open a can of beans?’ On a few occasions an argument would break out over the proper use of can openers. Some groups would alter the menu to avoid opening cans. Others would ask for the opener on my multitool. Yet every once in a while someone would flip the can over to help the can opener find purchase and release the contents held within.
This morning I struggled to open a can of refried beans. After a week of school choice articles and avoiding conversations on the topic, fiddling with the can opener reminded me of the ‘debate’ around school choice.
I use quotes around debate to signify that using the term debate in this case is much like when my parents would say they want to ‘discuss’ something when it really meant they would do some loud talking and I would sit there. School choice discussions tend to devolve quickly into political mudslinging before venturing into some shade of crazy.
Generally I stay out of the fracas. Yet since I run a microschool people tend to ask my opinion on the issue. So here it is - the current ‘debate’ is ridiculous. While conservatives blame liberals and Democrats shade Republicans, the needs of students quickly get lost in the mudslinging and tantruming.
Everyone is to blame for the state of education in this country. The political agendas of various constituents undermine all hope of moving forward in a reasonable and effective manner. Some conservatives only want choices they approve of and really would like to see the American public education system dismantled. Some liberals have afforded the teacher unions way too much power over the last few decades and now it is these same unions who block effective reforms and innovation.
I do not shy away from my critiques of the state of schooling in the US. The system, in many places, is bloated and ineffective. Something has to change. But even in my younger days when I advocated for burning the system to the ground, I have always believed in the power of public schools. Education enables students to change their worlds.
However, the current ‘debate’ is really about power and money. Some adults want to control the various narratives; while others want access to the financial resources deep within the administrative coffers of different states and philanthropic organizations. At some point reasonable people with different perspectives need to sit down to craft solutions that put the needs of all students ahead of the needs of the so-called adults in the room.
Unfortunately the school choice ‘discussion’ looks a lot like my former students who couldn’t figure out how to open a can. Someone has to be brave enough to flip the can over and try a new approach.
PS. In an effort to keep this missive brief, I chose not to get into deep detail around school choice. Down the road I’m happy to discuss using economic forces to reshape institutions or the power of innovation to encourage reform. The truth is, I’m in the process of rethinking and untangling this mess. But really, right now, I really just want to teach, learn, and make Do.Think.Learn the best school possible.