Education is the issue dominating political talk as the presidential campaign season begins. The good news is that presidential candidates are calling for better schools and improved student performance. The bad news is that often their conversations are narrowly focused and do not get to the heart of what is really needed to ensure quality teaching and learning.
When elected officials use only political rhetoric and campaign strategies to frame their education reform agendas, they risk getting sidetracked from what most people believe really needs to happen for our schools to improve. In short, politicians frequently fail to engage the people most involved in the education process—parents and educators—in a dialogue about school reform.
Take school vouchers, for example. Many politicians focus on the fact that some polls show increased support among parents for the right to send their children to private schools using public money. This is significant, yes. And yes, it might be considered a wake-up call to public schools. However, other polls show overwhelming support for public education. Perhaps what parents are really signaling is that they want the best education for their children wherever available—but preferably within the context of top-quality public schools.
What education issues do educators consider critical for successful schools? Early results from the 1999–2000 ASCD issues survey show that our members—across the entire education spectrum—consider educator quality and professional development essential to effective teaching and learning.
The ASCD member survey is part of the Association's issues process, which will culminate at ASCD's Annual Conference in New Orleans, March 25–27. However, the initial findings only confirm what parents and educators have long known—better teachers mean better schools. Yet, although politicians demand more accountability from teachers, they seldom address ways to improve—and fund—teacher education. This is largely because the effects of improved teacher education and professional development are not readily measured or even quickly apparent during a politician's term in office. Unfortunately, many elected officials decide that long-term solutions of this nature might be good policy but bad politics.
The most effective way to build better schools is to start with what we already have. Our schools are full of thousands of dedicated educators who will understandably become demoralized as limited resources are channeled into new and often untested solutions such as school vouchers. If educators do not have the resources to excel, students are the ultimate losers, regardless of their learning environment.
With professional development support in both subject content and pedagogy, teachers will be better equipped to achieve the universal goal of quality public education—and success for all learners.