Is School Choice a Bad Thing?

 Recently, I read an article in Civil Beat about the closure of small private schools in Hawaii.  I agree with the author that for some students, these schools are right for them, and they have opportunities they might not have in larger private schools. And yes, we need students to have choices in the kind of school that best meets their needs.

I have been thinking about school choice for awhile now. I know those words bring on strong negative feelings because generally speaking, it means allowing parents of children in “failing” schools to choose another school to attend, often a private for for-profit charter school. The thinking behind school choice is that “failing” schools will have to improve or they will eventually have to close down. The reality is that the neighborhood public school is often the only option for families. There are too many barriers to transferring or registering children and taking them to another school, but there can be choice within the public school system. I don’t believe in using “school choice” as a way for money to go to private schools; it needs to stay in public schools. 

We, in Hawaii, are fortunate that we have a statewide system that does not rely on county property taxes to fund our schools. Our system is more equitable than other states in the country in that funds are distributed using a weighted student formula. So schools that service students in lower income areas or who have a higher number of English Language Learners, for example, receive more funding per pupil to address challenges. Unfortunately, though, the equity divide still exists. We only have to look at schools in higher income areas; they receive much more support from their families, and students have many more opportunities than those in low income areas. I remember the disparity between fundraisers at different schools I worked at; the difference in the amount raised was eye-opening. 

When I was a principal, there were three elementary schools in our military community. I often dreamed about how we might provide our families with choice. The focus would depend on input from the school and the community, but as an example, one school could focus on STEM, another on the arts, or dual-language instruction, or blended learning. Teachers could transfer to the school that matches their area of expertise, and families could choose which school would be the best fit for their children. Unfortunately, we never  had that discussion, we got so inundated with other tasks, and principals came and left for other schools.  

I’ve often thought about why we couldn’t fit the student to the school and not expect all students to fit in at their school. Some will need a smaller environment to gain confidence and to thrive. Is it better to be a small fish in a big pond or a big fish in a small pond? It really depends on the student and what they need at that moment in their life. Students have many options when they choose a college or university to attend. Why don’t they have that option in elementary, middle, or high school? 

I realize that there is no easy answer to this question of school choice, but in this time of changes, maybe we need to have that discussion. Although charter schools do offer choices to parents, they do not necessarily address the needs of a school community or complex area. Let’s stop thinking of school choice in the way others have portrayed it, as a way to steer money from “failing” public schools. Let’s think about school choice as a way to address the needs of students so they can be confident contributors to our community. 

Let’s Talk about Burnout

Earlier this week, I had an opportunity to participate in a virtual presentation to school leaders here in Hawaii. The topic was “Avoiding Burnout.” Since the pandemic began a year ago, I know that many educators, especially school leaders, have been feeling stressed as the requirements of their job have changed drastically and will continue to change. 

Burnout is defined as the emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by stress. No doubt, many school leaders have been on the verge of burnout during these challenging times. My presentation to the school leaders was not about data or studies about burnout; rather my suggestions were based on my own experiences as a principal.

First, we can’t pour from an empty cup.. I remember those days when I forgot to eat lunch or munched on unhealthy snacks when I was hungry. Instead of drinking water, I would get a soda from the vending machine. As I was getting ready to leave for home, I’d realize that I hadn’t made a dent in my goal of taking 10,000 steps each day. At night, I would toss and turn as thoughts raced through my head about what I needed to do, and on the weekends, I would go to the office because I knew it would be quiet and I could get things done. Sometimes, we get so caught up in the responsibilities of our job that we forget to take care of our basic needs - eating healthy, drinking water, exercising, getting a good night’s sleep, and relaxing. We need to fill our cup throughout the day, every day. Remember, we can’t pour from an empty cup.

Second, we all need a support group or network of colleagues whom we can call on when we have a question, a concern, a challenge, when we want to share something exciting happening at our school, or when we just want to talk. Connecting and sharing information is especially important during these challenging times. The principalship can feel like a lonely job because there’s only one principal at each school. But there are 287 public schools in Hawaii, and each one has a principal, and there is lots of expertise amongst our school leaders. Just as we ensure that our teachers have opportunities to collaborate and to support each other, our school leaders need to have those opportunities as well. And we need to share; don’t keep good ideas to yourself!  It doesn’t have to be in-person; my go-to for professional development is Twitter, and I’ve learned so much from colleagues, not just in Hawaii, but throughout the country as well. Make time to learn with and from each other.

Third, prioritize. Being a principal meant understanding what was best for our school. I encouraged our staff to be innovative and to think out-of-the-box and then to share with their colleagues. How do we balance our own vision of what our school could be with statewide directives or complex-wide initiatives? I compare this to a buffet line where everything looks good so we take a little of this and a little of that, and by the time we get to the end of the line, there’s not much room for the main dish. Our plate is so full that we can’t possibly eat everything. I learned to prioritize and to advocate for our school. What is the priority for your school community at this time? It may mean putting an idea on hold until later, or it could mean delegating a project to a vice principal, a committee of teachers, or even a committee of students. As a principal, we should be looking to build the leadership capacity of others. This is a great opportunity to do so.

Finally, take care of yourself . This part of my presentation was very personal as I shared about our son Jarand who passed away in May 2018 from Chronic Kidney Disease caused by high blood pressure. (Read about it here: Aloha, Jarand.). My husband Randy and I have made it our mission to share Jarand’s story and to remind people about taking care of themselves. As Randy says, “Superman and Wonder Woman are comic book characters. You are not a comic book character, and you are not invincible.” So take care of yourself so you can take care of others. 

I ended with a call to action to all of the school leaders. Now that schools were forced to change due to the pandemic, this is the perfect time to discuss how to make schools more relevant in this, the 21st century. We need to ask some tough questions: How will we ensure that ALL students have access to a quality education? How will schools reconfigure teaching and learning now that we know there are other options besides face-to-face, in-person learning? How can we ensure that our student learners have opportunities to create their own learning, learning that is meaningful and impactful to them? Is there a more reliable, less costly, and less time-consuming way to rate our school besides high-stakes tests? And perhaps most important, how can the voice of the principal be heard to make meaningful changes in our educational system? We need to have these kinds of discussions. Our world is changing rapidly, and we cannot keep teaching the way we were taught in school. Schools should be preparing students for their future. As John Dewey said, “If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow.”

The Beauty of Poetry

 I remember my parents reading their favorite poems to us kids. Mom would read “Oh, Captain! My Captain!,” “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere,” and she would recite “Flanders Field” which she had to memorize when she was in school. Dad’s favorites were “Sea Fever” and “Casey at the Bat.” To this day, I have fond memories of those poems. 

My teachers probably read poems to us when we were in elementary school, but my earliest memory of actually studying poetry was in my junior year of high school. Our teacher was young, and she had us work in groups. We chose poems and led the discussion about what those poems meant. I remember that our group brought in lyrics to some songs by Simon and Garfunkle - “I Am a Rock,” “Sounds of Silence,” “At the Zoo” - and we had a great discussion about what the songs meant or symbolized. I realize today how forward-thinking that teacher was; we were so much more engaged in the discussions because the poems were chosen by our peers. 

As a mom and a teacher, I made sure to introduce poems to my sons and to my students. I selected the ones I liked from anthologies - A Child’s Garden of Verses was my favorite - and we laughed together when I read them poems by Jack Prelutsky or Shel Silverstein. One of my favorite book of poems was Hailstones and Halibut Bones by Mary O’Neill. We read a different color poem each day, and that book inspired some of my students to write their own color poem. I marvel at any poet’s ability to use language and words to convey vivid pictures in my mind or deep emotions. 

I admit that I did not teach my students to write poetry. I exposed them to different poetry forms, but there was never an assignment to write a poem. As someone who had never written poetry, I never felt comfortable asking my students to do so. When I became a principal, I saw poems that some of our students wrote, and I was amazed at their insights and their use of words to convey a mood or an idea. I wondered whether I had denied my students an opportunity to try their hand at poetry.

I was mesmerized when Amanda Gorman read her poem, “A Hill to Climb” at the Presidential Inauguration. How, I thought, can a 22-year-old write such mature thoughts at such a tender age? Her poem gave me hope for our country, if only we work together. Then I received a book called Voice: Poetry by the Youth of Kalihi, written by English Language Learner students at Farrington High School here on O`ahu. The students’ voices were evident in their poems, and their words, their thoughts, their feelings were heartfelt. I can imagine the pride these students and their families feel about seeing their poems in a book. Like Amanda Gorman, the voices of these ELL students give me hope. Their optimism, their goals for the future, and their pride in themselves is evident in their poetry. By publishing this book - not an easy task - the teachers gave voice to their students, but they also gave them confidence that their ideas are worthy of publication. If you have an opportunity, go and check this book out.