Quality in Education

ur blog is realy informative, one cannot work properly with having so much conflics in his mind. so work should be done in scheduled form with proper planning.

This is right but the solution is not too simple. The academic environment makes it difficult to have specific goals, and development of strategies. Things change sometime very quickly in spite of all that i agree that we should prioritize our goals.

Dr. Ahmed,

If it were simple, we would have accomplished it already, right? I agree with your statement that "things change sometimes very quickly"... it is indicitive of the world we live in.

Thanks for the comments.

Jay

Yes, but teachers have (or seemingly think they have) little latitude to "weed the garden" when administrators are breathing down their neck. My question is, "How do we empower teachers to make the necessary changes for continuous improvement?" while maintaining integrity and not adding more to the plate. Tough.

brad

Brad,

You raise one of the biggest obstacles to weeding the garden... teachers "think" that have little lattitude. I believe schools need to create a culture of innovation, risk-taking and focus on the "critical few" goals that will make a difference in student achievement.

Your comment of "administrators breathing down their neck" was interesting and a result of "the system". For instance, it seems that expectations, sanctions and pressures roll down through the system... NCLB impacts the State Departments of Education, which pressure local school districts, which lean on central office leaders, which pressure school leaders, which impact school improvement plans/expectations, which directly pressure classroom teachers to deliver on the promise of high expectations for all learners. (This is my rendition of the heavy breathing of administration :-)

I like your question of "How do we empower teachers to make the necessary changes for continuous improvement?" while maintaining integrity and not adding more to the plate? What are your thoughts? How might we go about doing this in a meaningful way that will have a real impact?

This might be a good follow-up blog entry to raise the issue and seek input from other educators.

Jay

This column reminds me of a colleague who is trying to get teachers in this country to PLAN, nothing beyond a nice lesson or two. When she approached a teacher in the Staff Room to inquire about how her planning was coming the reply was, "Oh, I don't have time to plan. This is my "down time". This teacher has three academic classes and three periods of "down time" each day and can't find the time to plan. Do we need to question why reform in education is a slow process in this particular country?

Dr. Baker,

I can sense you have some of the same concerns that I have... Several months ago I posted a blog titled "The Pace of Continuous Improvement: Are You Frustrated?" ( http://www4.asq.org/blogs/edu/2006/02/the_pace_of_continuous_improve_1.html )

I've selected a paragraph that captures the essence of my thoughts- "Change occurs over a period of time. The pace of the change process is irregular and inconsistent with the most common pattern seeming to consist of occasional spurts of learning or change, separated by longer periods of apparent stability. I believe it is during these periods of stability or "inertia" that frustration can set in. As leaders in education, it is our responsibility to demonstrate patience, endurance and fortitude during these times while maintaining the focus on continuous improvement."

I believe one way to help others through the change process is to model for others the attitude and behavior of continuous improvement. What are other ways we can help others embrace change?

Thanks for your comments.

Jay

It would interesting to see the perspective via # of years experience. Perhaps segment the Baby Boomers, Gen X, and Gen Y. You may want to look at a Staff Kaizen event (determine what tasks are performed, number of hours per week, and then determining if the work is;
Value- Added (customer willing to pay and adds to the process)
Type I (customer not willing to "pay" for it but required) or
Type II waste (customer not willing to pay and no value)
Do the teachers now what is critical and how to prioritize?