Taking a Stance

Right now is such an exciting time to be in education, but it is also a very scary time. There are so many aspects to consider when forming a stance on public/private/charter education and its reform. How can I take a stance when I have no idea where to even begin? Currently I subscribe to a handful of education blogs. Many of the blogs I read probably fall into the more "liberal" stance on education. This is most likely a direct result of my graduate courses that highly emphasize the professional urban and multicultural educator and Vincentian Personalism. I am not a highly religious person, raised in the church, but not an active member since I left my family  home. However, I think the philosophy behind Vincentian Personalism is further reaching than organized religion allows. Sorry for the rambling tangent.

Things that come to mind while trying to discover my stand on education:

1. The information I continue to read is pretty one sided an I feel like I need to read more opinions and research about the corporate takeover structure of schools and education in general. Are these business men doing their due diligence? What do they really know about classroom management, teacher unions, angry parents, social-emotional learning, etc.?
2. There are so many amazing things happening in suburban, rural, and urban schools that need to be spotlighted . If we emphasized the positive more often it will become infectious and inspiring! 
3. While there are exciting things happening, it is very scary with the CPS union contracts being renegotiated. It seems like there is a very real possibility of a strike in the future. What impacts might this have for us entering the field next fall? What will this mean for future union members? What's up with unions anyway? How will this impact the students of today and years to come?
4. I am currently interning at a school with great teachers and heavy parent involvement. Many of these students have more access than imaginable, while others are on free and reduced lunch. How can we help those with less access and opportunity?
5. Do I feel called to work in a school like Northside, Payton, and Whitney or somewhere that has no counseling program, where the need is much greater?

In other news: MSU alum, Magic Johnson has just partnered with a charter school. Why not in Lansing, Magic? Can't support your hometown and home state that has been in economic crisis longer than most? Either way, it's nice to see him making an investment in the future. Edison Learning

A few edu blogs in my Google Reader:

Gregory Michie for Huffington Post
Gregory Michie has been a teacher and teacher educator in Chicago for 20 years. He has published numerous essays and articles about his work with children, and is the author of Holler If You Hear Me: The Education of a Teacher and his Students (2nd edition, Teachers College Press, 2009), and See You When We Get There: Teaching for Change in Urban Schools (Teachers College Press, 2005). He also co-edited City Kids, City Schools: More Reports from the Front Row (The New Press, 2008). He teaches in the Department of Foundations, Social Policy, and Research at Concordia University Chicago.

Education Week's Bridging Differences with Deborah Meier and Diane Ravitch 
Deborah Meier and Diane Ravitch have found themselves at odds on policy over the years, but they share a passion for improving schools. Bridging Differences will offer their insights on what matters most in education.

Chicago Teachers Union Blog 


Ed Week's Why Boys Fail by Richard Whitmire 
Former editorial writer at USA Today and past board president of the National Education Writers Association, is a frequent commentator on national education issues. 

Leave comments on other blogs that are worth reading!

Working for Free, aka, Interning

I started working at my school counseling internship this week. I have been helping with school registration and shadowing counselors helping students adjust their schedules. Many students are taking 3-4 AP classes as juniors or seniors. One dilemma students are having with scheduling is dropping an AP class. Suddenly summer is coming to an end and they realize they may have taking on more than they feel ready for. Others have neglected the summer reading and feel unprepared for classes to begin. Whatever the case, students are not allowed to drop AP classes during registration. They had a fair amount of time in the spring to drop the AP courses. Of course, some will be able to drop the class with an appeal to the department head. The other dilemma students are having is wanting to take a "fun" class that may not be considered as academically rigorous on college applications. These are the same kids who are taking 4 AP classes and will probably graduate high school with enough credits to be a sophomore. My heart went out to the students as I watched them struggling to make these tough decisions. When you're 17 school is pretty much your life and your schedule is a BIG DEAL.

These observations got me thinking about a few things that may lead to future postings.

1. What a lucky problem for these students to have. They have been raised to value education and have been given amazing resources in one of the nation's largest urban and often failing school districts. 
2. I know a strong course load is essential and important for schools to encourage. How do we as school counselors guide students to decisions about dropping APs or taking what some would feel is too many APs?
3. With such a strong emphasis on rigorous schedule, is there time for young people to take fun classes like families and relationships or life skills like I did? How can they explore these types of things? 
4. ...And. these classes led me to my career, in a way, it seems as if the heavy emphasis on some of the APs sends the message that certain careers are not valued as much.
5. It's as if the rat race begins at 14 when you enter 9th grade, or is it 7th, when students are taking the ISATS that will produce scores for high school applications? (It's not really a rat race, because education is not a meaningless pursuit, although it can be endless!)
6. This is the opposite problem we discuss often in class. Typically we talk about how to encourage students to take harder courses and work on closing the achievement gap. 
7. I  need to find a wardrobe that doesn't make me look 50, but more importantly, doesn't make me look 19. I may also need to cut my hair.

Whoa, that was a lot of thinking from 2 days of  handing out schedules! Thoughts?