Re: rules, law, and practice
Ken Goodman (kgoodman who-is-at u.arizona.edu)
Thu, 25 Mar 1999 10:01:05 -0700
I thank Jay for his encyclopedic and insightful comments. I think one
thing that is missing however is the politics of power involved in the
writing of laws to micro-management literacy education, teacher
education for literacy education and what may counted as research. Jay
is right in saying that bad laws frequently fade away because of the
difficulties of interpreting and enforcing them. That has been
particularly true of school law. But we are now in an enforcement stage
in California, Texas, Arizona, and other states and rapidly moving into
one nationally. Power is centered in small appointed committees or
statutory bodies such as the State Board of education in California. In
Arizona and a number of other states students unable to pass a phonics
test will not be certified. Teacher educators (myself included) are
being targeted by calls by governors to their University Presidents. A
law in Arizona is being enforced by direct mandates from the State Board
of Education bypassing the department of education.
And of course teachers are feeling the brunt of this enforcement. I'm
collecting horror stories: Just one example: Sacramento Schools- in
violation of state adoption procedures- were pressured into adopting the
Open Court (subsidiary of McGraw Hill) program through a 4 million grant
from the Packard foundation (of Hewlett Packard fame) But the books were
bought with state funds. The grant money is being spent on monitors from
the publishers who are making sure that every teacher in a grade is on
the right page doing just what the program requires.
Bad programs will fail- whether legally mandated or not. When they do-
as recently reported of Slavin's Success for All in Miami- teachers will
blamed for not following the program and even more repressive measures
will be introduced. Even good programs will fail if teachers do not
understand and commit to them. Some of those who have seized power
think they can force change. Some are more concerned with maintaining
power- that's become the bottom line in all of American politics- and
it's well illustrated in the recent history of literacy education.
Ken Goodman
--
Kenneth S. Goodman, Professor, Language, Reading & Culture
504 College of Education, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
fax 520 7456895 phone 520 6217868
These are mean times- and in the mean time
We need to Learn to Live Under Water