Last night,  I heard Diane Ravitch speak at Boston College for an audience of about 200 teachers and local politicians. True to form, Ravitch was brilliant. She clearly and concisely put forth the major streams of her critique of education reform, and she spelled out her recipe for change.

In Ravitch’s view, NCLB set the stage for our current problems in education because of the goal that all students would be proficient in reading and math by 2014 — an unrealistic goal that the architects of the legislation knew was unrealistic. When Ravitch asked about this goal at the time, she was told – "yes, it’s unrealistic, but you have to have goals."

NCLB was intended to address the achievement gap, but the problem is that the sources of the achievement gap are not int he schools – they have to do with the fact that 20 percent of children live in poverty (some estimate that the figure is now 26 percent, said Ravitch).

NCLB has led directly to a narrowing of the curriculum and teaching to the test.

As far as Race to the Top is concerned, Ravitch said, "My regrets to you [Massachusetts], you won." She believes that the Race to the Top money is fool’s gold, because for every dollar a state will get, they will need to spend much more to comply with federal mandates.

Race to the Top requires states to:

raise the cap on privately managed schools

evaluate teachers based on test scores

use test score based merit pay for teachers

and turn around schools using federal models (a. fire the principal; b. fire the principal and fire the teachers; c. turn the shcool into a charter school; d. close the school).

None of the current education erform efforsts are supported by educational research. They are supported by the work of economists, who look at test scores and data points, not the complexity of teaching and learning.

She clarified that she is not against charter schools per se; rather, she is against what charters have become (which is far removed from the intent of the charter school legislation).

Ravitch calls for a serious national conversation about improving the lives of children. This includes:

access to social and medical services so that children arrive at school ready to learn

improvements to the education profession (recruiting and retaining excellent teachers, supporting teachers who need help, and valuing experience — experienced teachers, principals who have teaching experience, superntendents who are educators)

ending high stakes testing – using tests as diagnostic tools only

offering a broad, rich, balanced curriculum at every school (including the arts, history, geography, literature, foreign languages, and physical education to all students)

There are no shortcuts for this work.

She advised us, "Don’t agonize, organize!"

I could not agree more with Ravitch on all of these points. Rather than blaming teachers (like so much of today’s education rhetoric does), Ravitch understands that education is a complex area that currently suffers from systemic problems. She clearly sees not only what the problems are, but what needs to be done to address them.

I sincerely hope that more and more people – and particularly the policymakers — will listen to her. It was a privilege to do so last night.

Race to Nowhere, a film by parent Vicki Abeles, explores two main themes:

a. Stress in children and adolescents that is brought on by school pressures and homework pressures; and

b. Issues in education, including the purpose of education, the role of No Child Left Behind, and the need for more creativity, project-based learning, and critical thinking in schools.

This film is a great companion piece to Waiting for Superman, as it helps to complexify many of the aspects of education and education reform that (in my view) receive superficial treatment in the much more widely released Superman. Taken together, the two films do a good job of stimulating conversation about public education in the United States. My concern is that the very limited release of Race to Nowhere will not make it possible for many people to see it. And I do recommend highly that anyone interested in public education see this film.

Race to Nowhere shows good teaching in public schools and shares a great deal of footage of public school teachers talking about their work and about issues in education. This single aspect of Race to Nowhere is bound to please the vociferous critics of Waiting for Superman, who point to the lack of teacher voices and examples of public school teaching one of Superman’s glaring flaws. In Race to Nowhere, excellent public school teachers and their perspectives on education are celebrated. I fell in love with the high school English teacher in Oakland, California who speaks about the ways that the federal, state, and district-level pressures affected her work on a daily basis. I was fascinated by the teaching footage of the math teacher turned tutor who spoke about tutoring as the way that he felt he could best make a difference with individual students. I practically burst out of my seat listening to the teacher who described the issues with education reform as stemming from our nation’s philosophy on the purpose of education and the nature of success in our country.

Race to Nowhere highlights the role of No Child Left Behind in education by focusing on the pressures that the legislation creates for schools, teachers, and students. There has been relatively little discussion about the ways that the pressures placed on schools to achieve Adequate Yearly Progress in their test scores impact administrators, teachers, and students. Today’s public schools have become obsessed with test score numbers. The curriculum has narrowed to the point where all that students learn is how to answer test questions correctly. And the pressure on students to perform at a certain level on the tests turns into increased demands for homework and classwork that are unrealistic. Waiting for Superman mentions No Child Left Behind, but says nothing of the effect that this legislation has had on school culture, curriculum, teaching, as well as teachers and students.

Race to Nowhere asks difficult questions about what it means to be successful in the US today. According to the students, parents, teachers, administrators, and professors interviewed in the film, the message that students receive today is that success means making attending a highly selective college, making a great deal of money, and living in a large house. This image of success negates such things as doing work that you love, enjoying leisure activities that bring you joy and satisfaction, being happy, being creative, being a part of a community, and having a family. What harm we are doing by sending this message to today’s students.

Race to Nowhere underscores that the  issues in public education today are complex, and that in order to address them, many things must be done on many levels. There is absolutely no “silver bullet” mentality in this film. The complexity of the issues in education is acknowledged in the film, and the difficult and varied work ahead with a number of constituencies and institutions is discussed.

At the same time, I do wish that the film spent a bit more time exploring the role that parents play in the pressures on their children. I wonder about the baby boomer generation of parents and what their role is in terms of the stresses that their children feel. One family in the film speaks about changing their behavior at home by not asking about homework and not asking about grades. Is there something unique to the baby boomer parent generation that has made homework and grades a part of more family conversations?

Overall, I am very glad that I saw Race to Nowhere, and I highly recommend that anyone interested in education see both Race to Nowhere and Waiting for Superman. Together, these films provide food for thought and fuel for discussion about public education in the US today and what we might need to consider as we go forward.

In episode seven (which I believe is the final installment in this series), Tony Danza refers to himself as “just some shmo who thinks he’s a teacher.” In my view, this is an accurate description of Tony Danza as we have seen him throughout this reality TV series.

Episode seven focuses on Tony’s inability to stand firm behind deadlines. He told his students that he would not accept late homework, and now the students don’t do their homework. He assigns an essay, and many students do not pass it in. He responds to this situation by being loosey-goosey with extensions for a little while (right up until when his grades are due). Once again, Tony has trouble being an authority figure and incorporating authority into his teaching.

But what was perhaps most difficult for Tony in this episode was hearing from his principal that he is not connecting effectively with all of his students, and that some students report feeling invisible in his classroom. All along, Tony has seen the value of caring for his students – perhaps going too far in that direction by becoming more of a friend than a teacher. But he doesn’t seem to treat his students equally. In particular, he tends to connect more closely with students who remind him of himself – often boys who tend to get into trouble. But all of Tony’s students need him. They all want a relationship with him. They all want him to care about them.

At the end of the episode, Tony says, “I love this job.” He may love it, but he has a long, long way to go if he wants to become an effective teacher.

In this episode, we see that Tony continues to struggle with his role. Towards the end of the show, he says that there are so many things that one can be with the students – mentor, teacher, guidance counselor, friend – but that he believes that “you gotta be the teacher first.” While Tony talks the talk about the teacher role, he doesn’t yet have a good grasp of it. Specifically, he does not act as an adult authority figure with his students. Instead, he acts as a loving friend. A good teacher combines these two roles, but Tony can’t seem to find a way to take on his position of authority.

When he suspects two boys of cheating on a test (one boy was texting the answers to the other boy), Tony does not handle the situation like a teacher. He does not provide swift, logical consequences. He says that he wants the boys to admit that they were cheating – which they do not do – and he assigns them a report on the test material. Cheating on a test should have immediate consequences for the students involved and should not be handled in a namby, pamby way. There should be zero tolerance for cheating. Tony doesn’t have the tools to handle this situation.

In another very telling scene, Tony leaves the classroom in tears after the students do not settle down. He walks out of the room, leaving the students alone during their class period. He stands in the hallway and cries. The students exit the classroom at the end of the period, and many of them stop and ask Tony if he is all right. This is not acceptable. Tony should not put himself in a position where his students are taking care of him. He is the adult in the classroom, and he needs to pull himself together and not let the students see that their behavior is affecting him so deeply. Several of the students later say that Tony’s tears were not appropriate. The incident results in the students creating a card for Tony where they say that they are sorry. When they present the card to him the next day, he is visibly moved. Clearly, the students care about Tony and feel that he cares for them. But they do not respect his authority, and Tony has not exerted his authority appropriately.

Tony has a lot to learn about being the teacher first and what that means.

In episode five, Tony struggles with caring for his students. He cares very deeply about his students, as we have seen throughout the show. And he desperately wants them to know that he cares. But the problem is that Tony goes about his caring in the wrong way.

1. He tries to be their friend. One student who reminds Tony of himself at that age (and we have learned that Tony was a real troublemaker in school at that age, and that he made a lot of mistakes at that time in his life) is a boy named Matt. Tony has been trying to bond with Matt over boxing – he has been giving him and a few other boys boxing lessons, and he has shown particular interest in Matt’s boxing. Matt clearly has some talent for boxing and is interested in getting better at it. The problem is that Tony has approached this boxing bonding as a friend-to-friend interaction. He hasn’t made it clear to Matt that the boxing lessons have to do with boxing as a sport, not with developing skills that he can use in fights or altercations. When Matt ends up in a fight at school, we can’t help but wonder along with Tony’s instructional coach, David, whether Matt is confused about Tony’s boxing lessons and their purpose. Tony says that, in his own life, when he learned how to box, he learned how to control his temper and aggression and not use boxing in altercations. But he hasn’t done a good enough job of teaching that to Matt, because he is interested in being Matt’s friend, not Matt’s teacher.

2. He talks instead of listening. Caring about your students means listening to them. When another of Tony’s students ends up in trouble that has to do with the fact that his Ipod was stolen, Tony asks the student why he didn’t come to Tony about that situation. In fact, the student did go to Tony. He tells him that he did, and we see the footage of him doing so – telling Tony that his Ipod was stolen. Tony didn’t listen to this student. If he had listened better, he could have helped him as a teacher, and perhaps the bad situation that developed would have been avoided. Once again, Tony needs to learn to talk less and listen more.

Tony does genuinely care for his students. His struggle right now is to figure out how to care for them as a teacher, and not as a friend.

Episode four focuses on this theme in a number of ways. We get to know Tony’s student Eric, an Asian boy who says that he feels a great deal of pressure from his parents to succeed academically. At the same time, when he feels bored and unable to engage in class, Eric does something else — he plays with and makes origami or he lies on his desk. Tony tries and tries to engage Eric, but it doesn’t seem to work. Eric tells him that he does not like it when Tony goes off topic. That gets Tony thinking about his flustered moments in the classroom and the way that he responds to them by talking and talking about anything, just to talk.

Midway through the episode, Tony meets with a new teacher support group. One of the other teachers, Joe, a math teacher, notes that he feels most successful when he talks less and gives the students the opportunity to do more for their learning. Tony takes this to heart.

The next of Tony’s lessons that we see is a group activity where students write and share their own myths in teams of two. The entire class is clearly engaged and learning. Tony is not in the foreground. Even Eric demonstrates that he is on task and learning.

At the end of the episode, Tony summarizes what he has learned: “Getting them to teach themselves is key.” That’s right, Tony – good teaching is NOT about what the teacher is doing. It is about what the students can do so that they can learn.

It looks like Tony Danza may be learning a thing or two himself.

Last week, I had two opportunities to reflect on why I am doing the work that I do. I was interviewed by a writer for the alumni magazine from my graduate school. She asked me why I have dedicated my professional life to developing the next generation of music educators. Later in the week, I attended a workshop where we were asked to tell stories about our advocacy for the arts.

For me, it all goes back to the summer of 1980, when I was about to be a freshman at Randolph High School in Randolph, Massachusetts. I could hardly wait to become a part of the thriving music program at the high school. Several choirs, competitions, and show choir – heaven for a young singer. Music was always an escape for me from the pressures of my young life, and I couldn’t wait to take advantage of the opportunities that awaited me.

Unfortunately, that fall, Proposition 2 1/2 went into effect. This meant extensive cuts in everything from school bus service to athletics to arts programs across the state. Randolph was not immune to those cuts. Music teacher positions were eliminated and consolidated, and ensembles were removed from the curricular offerings.

My high school music teacher, Charlotte Browne, did not let those budget cuts and union rules deter her. She continued to work with her students – going as far as holding show choir rehearsals in my basement on her own time, since the district would not pay her for that work. Because of her dedication, I had musical opportunities that shaped my life and passions to this day.

I have devoted my professional life to music education because I have witnessed first hand the remarkable power of outstanding, committed music educators. I have seen what they can do for students and for a music program, as well as for an entire school community. Today, my students and alumni are making a difference in the lives of young people around the world by providing an excellent music education and meaningful musical opportunities to their students. I am extremely proud of and deeply moved by their accomplishments.

I haven’t seen Charlotte Browne in decades, though I have heard that she left Randolph and went to teach at a nearby private school. I know that she has continued to influence dozens and dozens of young people through her teaching. I am grateful to her for everything that she taught me – musically and otherwise. I only hope that I can make a difference in the field of music education that does justice to the difference that she made in my life.

I have decided to let go of two related ideas that I have held onto for far too long. They are illusions that I have about the world around me. They are ways that I delude myself.

If I could just make it through X, everything will get easier. I find myself saying this very often. As a busy person, I like to say to myself (and to anyone within earshot) that all I need to do is get through something – a particular project, a particular time of year, etc. – and then everything is going to get easier. The funny thing is that I haven’t seemed to learn after all these years that even when I make it through whatever I’ve been talking about, it doesn’t get easier. Other things come along. They always do. So this is a completely unrealistic illusion that I create for myself about my life.

Aside from that, I don’t think it’s productive to conceive of one’s life as a series of challenges to get through, either. That isn’t the most positive, powerful way to position oneself in the world. It should not be about getting through things – it needs to be more about what I can do and how I can contribute meaningfully to the lives of other people and make a difference in the world. Even if it makes me very busy to do so.

Once I take care of X, I will finally be caught up. Admit it. The state of being caught up does not exist anymore. Not in today’s technologically advanced, globalized, fast-paced world. I will never, ever, ever be caught up. And that doesn’t mean that there is something wrong with me. Or something wrong with the world. Rather, it means that I am involved. Connected with other people and organizations. Interacting with individuals, groups, and ideas. Embedded in the real world. This is a good thing, not something to complain about. Rather than thinking of myself as running as fast as I can to catch up, I need to relish the connections, the involvements, the interactions, and the embedded-ness.

I hope that ridding myself of these illusions and delusions will help contribute to a healthier attitude and a more realistic stance towards myself and my life.

Episode Three of Teach: Tony Danza aired last night. There are two main lessons to draw from this week’s installment of the show.

1. It’s difficult to establish/maintain healthy boundaries as a teacher.  Tony finds himself overwhelmed by having made too many commitments to the students and the school community. As says, he has trouble saying no because “everything’s a good cause.” He’s right. Everywhere you turn in schools, there are worthwhile causes that you can become involved with – working with students and parents, meeting with teachers and administrators for various projects and initiatives, and so on. The challenge is how to be dedicated to your work and your students without overextending yourself. At one point in the show, Tony remarks that he woke up that morning with all of his students on his mind. He cares very, very deeply about the students in his class, and he wants desperately to reach them and to help them succeed and grow, both in English class and in their lives. These impulses and good, but for his sanity, Tony has got to find a way to turn off his preoccupation with his students for some of the time in the day/evening so that he can recharge and have a more balanced life. He needs to create appropriate boundaries, while still remaining a caring, dedicated teacher.

2. Teaching is not something that you can dabble in. The impression that I get from Tony is that in most of the other areas of his life (acting, dancing, playing music, etc.), he is a sort of dabbler. He tries things, learns some about them, and then incorporates them into his show. Teaching is not something that one can dabble in. When you are teaching, you need to give it your full attention. Tony and his instructional coach notice that his teaching is suffering – regressing to what it was like early in the semester, when he was all over the place, talking too much, etc. – when he is overly busy with outside commitments. Teaching demands more than that in order to be effective. Tony has got to prioritize his teaching job if he wants to make a real difference in these students’ lives and be the most effective teacher he can be.

There were some lovely moments in this episode. One of the girls who had been struggling in Tony’s class and had been reluctant to participate is shown participating in a class discussion. One of the boys whom Tony is having trouble reaching realizes that Tony really does care about him. Another boy who is contemplating leaving the football team has a terrific game (a couple of great tackles), and Tony is there to support him and provide encouragement for him. We do see positive effects of Tony’s work with some of his students. I’d like to see much more.

Many student teachers and new teachers find themselves worrying about the wrong things. Here is a list of things that you should NOT worry about if you are a new music teacher:

1. That you didn’t cover everything you planned to in a single class/rehearsal session. Most new teachers overplan – they pack far too much into single lesson/rehearsal plans. And then they beat themselves up when they don’t get to it all in the space of one session. Remember that good teaching is not determined by whether the teacher can check off all of the plan as completed. Good teaching is determined by whether/how the students learn. If it takes your students longer to learn what you planned for them to learn on a particular day, and you take that time to help them, then you should feel good about your teaching, not bad. I tell my students all the time, “We are teaching the students, not the material.” Student learning is our objective, not (as Saphier, Gower, and Haley-Speca would say) coverage.

2. That you don’t have a fully formed, ready-to-go system of assessments in place. Developing assessments takes time. You need to think long and hard about what you want to assess, how you want to assess it, and what information you need in order to evaluate student learning and get feedback on your teaching. Assessment is very complex. It takes years to develop effective assessments. You will begin teaching without having all of your assessments in place – in fact, probably without having many assessments in place – and you will develop them over time. This is normal, not something to worry about. Be realistic and work gradually over your first few years of teaching to develop your assessments – and be sure to tweak them and improve them as you go.

3. That you don’t have a fully-formed, ready-to-go curriculum in place. Unless you happen to work for a school or district that has a music curriculum waiting for you (which is much more rare than you might think), you won’t have a curriculum that tells you what to teach on Monday morning at 10 at your disposal when you begin a new job. This is the challenge and the opportunity of being a music educator – you get to plan your own curriculum, within the guidelines that you are given by your employers. Enjoy this opportunity to create a sequence of materials, activities, assignments, repertoire, and skill development that is meaningful to you, age appropriate, appropriate for your school context, in line with the State Frameworks and National Standards, and in accordance with whatever materials/guidance you are given in your school. Relish in the change to make changes to this curriculum as your interests and ideas change, and as you get to know your students and school community better.

4. That you make mistakes. Teaching is a very, very complex profession. Teachers are required to make dozens of decisions every class period, and probably hundreds of decisions a day. Sometimes, because we are human, we make mistakes. We handle things in a way that we wish we had done differently. We don’t know the rules/procedures in our new schools yet, and we brush up against the system in ways we wish we hadn’t. We say something in class in a way that we wish we hadn’t. Or, what might feel even worse, we make a musical mistake in front of our class.

Let yourself be human. Humans make mistakes. It is not the end of the world. It is what happens after a mistake that is most telling. Just like when we are playing at a performance and we make a mistake – it is how we recover that demonstrates our true musicianship.

If you make a mistake as a teacher, admit it, apologize, correct it, and move on. How we handle mistakes in front of our students helps to create the atmosphere in which they will make mistakes as part of their learning process. If your actions demonstrate that it is safe to make mistakes, then your students will feel safe to make mistakes in your classroom.

I hope that this post eases the troubled minds of new music teachers and student teachers in music classrooms. We have plenty to think about and be concerned with as educators – we do not need to worry unnecessarily.