My Response to the Oregon Education Investment Board’s 2 Question Survey
Recently the OEIB sent an email asking me for feedback. Here were my thoughts.
My Response:
Q: The OEIB has had many discussions about incentives in education. One of the questions that has been asked is “What kinds of efforts help to incentivize teachers to be innovative and creative?” Will you please take a moment to answer this question?
A: This question operates on a false premise that teachers are not already working hard to be innovative and creative. Perhaps a better questions would be, “What kinds of efforts woud help to incentivize the legislature into taking action to fully fund education? Or, failing at that, funding education at the level it was 5 years ago?”
Q: What (if any) barriers are in the way of you being able to be innovative in your teaching?
A: Three things, and all stem for not fully funding education.
First, large class sizes make it harder to do innovative work. Innovative work requires the teacher to be much more hands on and it’s hard to do when there are many students who need help.
Second, a lack of technology. There are so many things that can be done to help individualize education and make it more relevant, but these steps require regular, and reliable computer access. I am so tired of treating the computer lab like it’s a special trip. Nowhere in business do we treat using a computer like it’s special. It’s the way we do business, unless you’re in a school. It’s hard to plan for big things, or routine things if you don’t know if the lab is going to be available on the days you need it, or when the one lab available to 250 students is block scheduled for Oregon OAKS testing.
Third, a lack of classroom assistants to help students get caught up. This applies to students in special education who could use more attention in the classroom and those students who fall behind for any number of reasons. It damages the progress of the whole class if we stop to get every student caught up. This is especially frustrating when a few sessions with a classroom assistant would help that student get caught up with the class.
As an aside: Simply reallocating money will not fix this problem. Resources are so scarce that hoping that shifting money into different funds for different programs will not fix the problem. Taking the approach that funding, “is what it is” would be like an ER doctor focusing on the breathing of a patient and ignoring the failing heart because there wasn’t enough equipment. The OEIB needs to place pushing the legislature to actually fully invest in education as its number one priority. Then and only then should the OEIB talk about investments.
Where were you when I had to fill in my appraisal form? I love how you offered to rephrase the first question.
Thanks! I hope they listen to some of what I had to say.
Paul, you spoke so eloquently. Thank you. As I read this survey, I think I remember getting one tailored to board members. I also had plenty to say. Aunt Sal
Are the classroom assistants people who are paid or are they volunteers?
They are paid workers.