Rafe Esquith: Teacher and Best-Selling Author Discusses the Future of Public Education

RAFE ESQUITH

Rafe Esquith teaches 5^th Grade at Hobart Elementary School in Los Angeles, California

 

• Awarded the President’s National Medal of Arts
• The American Teachers Award
• Oprah Winfrey’s Use Your Life Award
• Honorary Member of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II
• Parents Magazine’s As You Grow Award
• The Compassion in Action Award from the Dalai Lama
• 1992 Disney National Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award
• New York Times Best Selling Author of “Teach Like Your Hair is on Fire”

Often times I am frustrated by politicians who want to change public education in ways I just don’t understand. The reason I get frustrated is that it seems that teachers are never included in the conversation. Part of my premise for this book is that we need to be asking the best teachers where public education needs to go. What are your thoughts?

RAFE: In the latest film Waiting for Superman public education is destroyed. I’m a public school teacher. I know how bad things can be. I know about the horror stories in public schools. What frustrates me is there are great things going on in our public schools that you never hear about. There are fantastic teachers in public schools that you never hear about. I know because I teach with them. I get my name in the paper, but there are people I work with that are just as good as I am that you have never heard of.

     The reason some of our public schools are broken is because our society is broken. We have a drug problem in public schools because we have a drug problem in society. Violence is in our public schools because there is violence in society. Why should we think public schools should be any different? I think we have to start talking honestly about the real factors in education. A film like Waiting for Superman financed by billionaires basically showing a couple of test factories that they say are doing a great job when in fact they are not doing better. They are not doing any better than anyone else. I think if public education is going to get better, we need to be changing the conversation and changing what we believe as a society.   

     There is an old joke that it will be a great day when the army has to have a bake sale to build tanks because the schools have enough money. People who say money is not an issue, of course it’s an issue. My classroom has been leaking for 28 years. Every time it rains I have to bail the room. It damages equipment. Of course money would make my classroom better. Class size is an issue. I have 34 kids this year. I’m not saying it’s the only issue, but if I had 24 I could more effectively reach those kids. But we have had to lay-off a bunch of teachers because we don’t have the money. I think what I would like to tell the politicians are to “Put up or shut up.” They talk, they talk, and they talk, but as long as we are spending billions and billions and billions of dollars bombing other countries, I don’t think we are ever going to have a good public school system. Children are the most important issue. They are the future. But as a country we don’t really believe that it’s everything, NOT really. When we have a country that actually puts public education first, I think it will be fantastic. I know we have great teachers, and I know we have great kids, but the resources are really skimpy right now. What we value as a society is hurting public schools. When more people talk about American Idol more than they do about why Johnny can’t read, of course Johnny can’t read because that’s our value system.

    What I try to do in Room 56 is to create a different value system. What we value in my classroom is different from what our society values. That’s why it works so well. It’s the Huck Finn of going down the river and seeing the hypocrisy, the racism, and the violence and saying I’m leaving and I don’t want to be a part of that society. The higher hero for me since we are talking about literature is Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird) who when he is asked by his children, “Are we going to win the case?” and he says “No.” But he still takes the case. He doesn’t run away. He goes into the courtroom and he fights the fight that he can, which is what I think public school teachers do. I hope that one day our society realizes our awful values. When we change those values, I think public school teachers will win more fights and not have to fight so often.

I think you and other great teachers need to be on CNN in order to have an honest conversation about public education.

RAFE: I would love that but here’s the problem, an honest conversation. I will tell people that public schools have to do a better job. I will tell people that there are people teaching who shouldn’t be teaching. There are some bad teachers in the public schools. That’s a fact. But that’s not the only problem. It’s not a bigger problem than poverty. It’s not a bigger problem than kids coming to school hungry. I’m a lunatic. You can’t expect really good teachers to give up their whole life and to become parent, doctor, and psychologist for every child. That’s unreasonable. That’s what’s being asked of us now. We are going to need the whole society to start pulling together to make teachers more effective. We are in this together. When I look into my classroom the cure for cancer is in front of me. One of those kids is going to find a cure that is going to save all our lives. We should be highly invested in public schools.

DARA FELDMAN

DARA FELDMAN

Dara is currently, the Director of Education for The Virtues Project.

• 2000 Computer World Smithsonian Award in Education and Academia
• 2005 Disney Elementary School Teacher of the Year
• Apple Distinguished Educator
• National Association of Self-Esteem Teacher of the Year
• Master Teacher for the National Teacher Training Institute
• Nationally Board Certified in Early Childhood Education

As an Instructional Coach you work with a lot of teachers. What is the #1 thing you work on with a struggling teacher?

Dara: After relationships, I would say Balanced Literacy. Because I believe that reading is critical. I work in the D.C. Public School System and I have noticed that one of the reasons kids act out is because they can’t read and they would rather get in trouble for acting out than face the humiliation of not being able to read.

 Part of my purpose for writing this book is the presence of so many disconnected ideas in education. Everyone is searching for their own way. Young teachers are often times trying to piece all the strategies together. It’s frustrating that we don’t have a single paradigm in education that we all agree upon.

Let’s talk about the future of public education. What do you think we need to be doing differently in public education?

Dara: We are spending so much time on assessment and loosing valuable instructional time because of the amount of time and focus we are putting on assessment. So actually our kids are learning less than if they would just let us teach them. I’m all for accountability, but things that can be measured are not necessarily meaningful, and the things that are meaningful cannot necessarily be measured. I left a school system that was so focused on academic rigor and assessment that the joy, meaning, purpose, and authentic learning were squashed. When I’m not allowed to take my Kindergarteners outside for 10 minutes because there is too much “learning” to do, I’m done. So I hope D.C is not going to move in that direction. I will stand-up for what I believe in.

You have to be true to your own self.

Dara: Well and true to the profession. Here is one more issue or problem in education. We have all this research but we don’t look at the full picture with the research. We take the pieces that we like and leave the rest. When we look at developmentally appropriate practices and play-based learning and what young children are supposed to do and how they learn we have all the evidence that we need. There is a way to balance play-based learning and balanced literacy in a really meaningful authentic way. Take for example the project approach. We know all about project-based learning. But for some reason when you put the lens of accountability on top of it, it automatically swallows up what is best in education and goes right down to those meaningless data point assessments.

The frustrating thing to me is that you can’t measure the things that you are talking about; the authenticity of relationships, capitalizing on teachable moments, and collaboration. Students have those “Ah-ha” moments that are richer than what can be tested or measured.

Dara: Absolutely, it’s not so much that you can’t measure them but it is much more difficult. It would be measured more through interviews and surveys which are more time consuming. When we look at the future of education, how can we balance the accountability piece, have high expectations for students and teachers, but keep those experiences rich in a meaningful way that allows for the whole continuum of learning which include their interests, strengths, and learning styles.

In your opinion what should a principal be looking for in a prospective teacher?

Dara: First, I would say a willingness to develop nurturing relationships; just genuine caring for kids and colleagues. Second, a commitment and desire for life-long learning is important. Just because a teacher has a teaching degree, doesn’t mean they are finished learning. On the contrary you are just beginning to learn about this profession. Next, the willingness to be a team player and share ideas is an attribute. You can work alone and be a rock star; but share the rock and the stardom. Don’t be a Lone Ranger in your classroom. That’s not good for the students, school, or you. Enthusiasm is an important attribute. Enthusiasm for kids, for the content, and for learning so that your students see learning is fun and engaging if they are willing to work. Reliability is also very important. Reliability must be there. Ultimately an attitude that is striving for excellence is what a principal should be looking for. I think that’s something that comes with time and support. If there is the willingness to be diligent and to refine your craft, and have that life-long learning then ultimately that will come.

Just that constant desire to get better…

Dara: Yes, just striving to get better everyday and the willingness to sacrifice some time. This is not a 9 to 3 job. I don’t care what anybody says.

I agree. It’s more like a way of life.

Dara: It’s life period. It really is. I guess going back to one of the first questions you asked me. When there is something going on with a child, don’t assume you know. Listen and find out. Reach out to their families. You may need to take them for a walk. You may need to go watch them play at their next basketball game so they know that they’re cared about. Do it. Equal is not equitable.