Five ways to improve our education system

Most of us can agree that our education system should be turning out literate students who enjoy--to some degree-- reading, writing, and knowledgeable verbal engagement. Students should be acquainted with a general timeline and prominent figures in history, know something about science, and, at the very least, be able to apply basic arithmetic. Yet for various reasons, including some circumstances beyond their control, schools haven't been successful in ensuring graduates have mastered even these basics. In suggesting these five ways to improve the system, I realize that our schools have many problems, and I'm not under the impression that these ideas will solve everything. Also, I'll distinguish between factors that schools have control over and those they don't. These ideas have been on my mind as I've subbed for about ten years total in public schools, taught for a couple of years at a small private school, and currently work in a support role with teachers.

School Factors:

1. Hire "floater teachers" instead of substitutes, especially for elementary schools. Substitutes vary widely in their commitment to teach as well as they can for a day, but even the most conscientious sub is flying blind upon entering a new classroom, and yet is expected (or should be expected) to be effective in managing the students, giving instruction in each subject, and keeping the class on schedule. What ends up happening in elementary, if a teacher is sick for a few days or has a family emergency or a day's training, is that the students' education is interrupted and kids are instead given lessons in getting away with things and manipulating adults for an entire day, or at least have to put up with some degree of confusion and noise. Our fallback when teachers are absent cumulatively wears away at student learning opportunities and social development. Calling on familiar and more dependable individuals to step in can help, but a.) the practice is still disruptive; and b.) when there are shortages of substitutes, it's common for schools to get a "warm body" to supervise the unhappy children for a day.

Floater teachers, on the other hand, would be at school daily and immersed in the culture, spending time in every room getting to know that teacher's expectations and routines, as well as establishing relationships with the kids. The floater could be fresh out of college, receiving all this exposure and honing while not having to take on the full responsibility of his own classroom quite yet. Then when a teacher is absent, one of the floaters can step in with no need for students to lock eyes with a stranger, sizing up the challenge, or to give the message young children communicate with a look: "Who are you, and what have you done with my teacher?" This small change in procedure, the absence of days of uncertainty in strangers' hands, would make a big difference, especially for our youngest students.

I know it would be expensive to hire additional full-time teaching staff, but perhaps student teachers could be assigned the role, and be allowed to learn while doing the job--currently, some states may have rules about student teachers not being paid--in exchange for their professional on-site support. In my experience, children having the benefit of familiar, competent staff around them every day of the year would increase the quality of their experience and thus their education.

2. Prioritize classroom management in teacher training. Students respond best to teachers who are warm/strict or "warm demanders." These teachers are kind, yet consistent, with high expectations. Because of a high degree of structure and daily routines, things get done: kids are taught, struggling students catch up, and individuals with behavior problems in other contexts step in line, despite difficult family backgrounds or diagnoses. Expecting all your students to participate and work hard (within a fun, encouraging culture) can be the best way to serve them all.

Yet many classrooms have kind teachers who let behaviors slide by. They may state and display rules, but when these expectations are challenged, either nothing happens, or the teacher gives another verbal warning. Although the class gets by and learning takes place, the culture of the classroom becomes a bit messy and a little loud. Neither of these traits are helpful to the developing student.

Of course, talking to teachers about being warm/strict is one thing; following through as a school is easier said than done. There are complications with very difficult kids, strong teacher habits, and perhaps a lack of models for teachers. There is also an instructional philosophy that leaves teachers feeling guilty for asking students to sit in rows and work quietly, which I'll address in the next item. But there are also great resources for school leaders to support teachers in growing toward excellent classroom management skills, and strong daily management will likely make the teachers' days much better in addition to improving student learning. (See here, here, and here for a sampling of the best resources.)

3. Confidently teach students an agreed-upon body of knowledge using interactive direct instruction, guided practice, and application. What else would teachers do?

For decades, there's been a push for teachers to stop talking so much, to be the "guide on the side" instead of the "sage on the stage." Students need more experience in real-world problems, the argument goes, instead of sitting at desks politely raising their hands and learning to be compliant factory workers. Our young digital natives, it's argued, should be immersed in figuring out 21st-century skills; students can always look up what they need to know.

Yet while there is a time and place for kids to enjoy a variety of educational experiences, students subjected to "project-based learning" long-term, especially the ones who are already behind, will have gaps in their knowledge base. You cannot learn everything you need to know through implicit instruction. Furthermore, young children struggle in less structured environments--they need explicit, step-by-step instruction and daily training, even in how to pair up for reading or conduct a productive one-minute "turn and talk." Just letting kids loose to work together without ongoing guidance leads to fights, tears, and wasted time. They also need guidance in using technology, which is far from the silver bullet it's been touted to be, as we saw in 2020: kids need to know how to find what they're looking for, use research in their writing, document sources, stay on task, avoid sites that aren't kid-friendly, take breaks, opt for paper and pencil, etc. Over-reliance on technology may be having a negative effect on student literacy.

However, because of this push to cease the "teacher talk," teachers can feel hesitant about using traditional teaching methods. They get up and teach anyway, while feeling guilty. Teachers' confidence in structuring their classrooms and being the instructional leaders in their classrooms (even if they do include some pair work, teams, and projects) can be bolstered with the work of Barak Rosenshine, Daniel Willingham, Dave Stuart, and others.

4. Provide more read-alouds and reading time during school hours. Schools have done an admirable job in promoting reading and read-alouds, but prioritizing reading time even more wouldn't hurt. Besides literature being enriching in itself, students who listen to stories grow in their vocabulary and knowledge, and thus develop their reading comprehension. And besides growth in literacy, a nice bonus for students who listen and comprehend is that they grow in their appreciation for books.

Home Factor:

5. Parents need to provide their kids with rich, daily conversations and plenty of reading. In a way, every parent needs to homeschool. If most children were prepared with vocabulary and love of books, there would be fewer who struggle from the start and seldom seem to catch up. Some parents are limited because of work hours, lack of funds, survival mode, or inability to engage young children. In response to those obstacles, a library of children's books can be built for under $20. Also, the task of providing enrichment can be delegated to those so inclined, to grandparents, friends, or even to recorded stories from the library. Ditching the tech for old-fashioned books can give a child a strong start in life. Prioritizing literature while limiting tablet time, if accomplished on a large scale, will by itself lead to strong student achievement.