Thank God for people like Paul Valus , a person who is willing to "raise expectations" and not spend his time blaming others for all the problems within todays public school system. He has a proven background. He has made a difference in Chicago and Philadelphia. He is willing to bring his vision to New Orleans. There are far to few leaders today that are willing to make the sacrifices and put in the effort to make a difference. If not now, when?
Which came first , the chicken or the hen? When Paul says " Lets not concentrate on how we got here, but lets concentrate on raising the expectations of what we expect from our students and school system.
I agree with Paul. I know for a fact that we can all take the easy way out and blame others for all of our problems. I also know that we are always creating. And we create what we think about. That means constant vigilance is needed to monitor the way we think. We cannot afford to be victims of circumstance. Instead, like Paul , let us each see how we can become a part of the solution.
I loved where he thought that the teacher that was negative should find a job in another district. What if all of us did not believe that these problems could be fixed?
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I totally agree. He is not only dealing with the devestation created by Katrina - the physical devestation - but also the emotional devestation. He is up against many who seem to have given up on their students and their students' capabilities! That is probably the toughest challenge he is facing.
What I was so impressed with was his optimism. I SO agree that if you expect high levels of achievement you eventually reach those levels. It is the ole self-fulfilling prophecy idea. If a teacher looks at a class and their past performance and basically says, "There is NO way they are smart enough - or have enough going for them - to do - - -" Then you know what? They won't be smart enough to do it. If you treat students as if they are stupid - guess what? They will prove you right!!! Because that is all that is expected of them. They can see it in your every movement and motion. They can hear it in your voice. They can feel you have no confidence in their abilities - so why even try!!!!
I deal with this at my place of employment. I know teachers who look at PSSA scores - 4Sight scores - probes - etc. - and say - - "Oh, my kids could never do Science because they can't even read!!!" What is that all about!?! (What better way to teach these students to read than through Science - something they just might ENJOY reading more than likely!!!) It drives me crazy. They expect very little and guess what - - their students achieve very little!
I, on the other hand, expect my students to achieve to the best of their abilities - - I let them figure out what that level is - - I do not predetermine it and set them up for failure! Everyone has the ability to achieve at high levels - they just need the confidence - - and must feel that others have that confidence in their abilities as well. It is our job as educators to build that confidence and push them to stretch their abilities to the max!!!
I digress - apology - - Paul Vallas has his hands full!! He is not only dealing with the devestation of the buildings and the community - but as I said before - he is dealing with the devestation of the human spirit in New Orleans. He is up against skeptics, who have been there for many years and whom do not have the vision he has. Those who say they "know" the students - - do they?? Or do they perceive the worst of these children because of their environment - where they come from - what their test scores are?
I loved that movie "Freedom Writers"! She expected the highest performance from her students while all the others (teachers and most of the administration) around her told her they couldn't do it and she was wasting her time!! You know what - they could - - she worked miracles because she believed in a child's inate abilities to achieve at high levels. She believed that every child has the ability to be successful at whatever they attempt - with 100% of their being - to do. She had faith and gave them the confidence they needed to succeed! And so -- - they did!!
That is the attitude EVERY teacher needs to have if they want to create life-long learners! Which I feel is our goal as teachers. Instill in every student the love of learning! That is what I truly feel and try my hardest to do, everyday! The acquisition of knowledge is one of the greatest human abilities. It is just a shame that so many are soured at such an early age by educators who think it is a chore rather than a blessing!!
After watching the video about the United For Success School in CA - - Again, the same thing applies. Those teachers and administrators BELIEVED in the students - they didn't just give up and say, "Well - they come from this awful area of our city so they are not going to succeed." No - they knew that all children have the ability to reach for success. They did everything to ensure their students had that opportunity to change their environment - to change their attitude - to change their outlook on life. They gave them the tools needed to work cooperatively toward a mutual goal! What a great thing!! What a great attitude!! One we ALL need to adopt.
This is what I had blogged about. But I thought it was very pertinent to your response as well!
Diane :)
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