We are all familiar with the phrase- "drinking the koolaid". It's a reference to the followers of People's Temple founder Jim Jones, who willingly drank poisoned fruit punch (Flavor-Aid brand) in response to his command that they commit suicide as a 'revolutionary act'. In the end, over 900 people died in the Guyana jungle where Jones had hoped to establish a Utopian community.
Well, in the effort to create a Utopia in our schools, an awful lot of poisoned punch is being served up: data-driven decision making, test-based accountability, 'rigor', high standards, Common Core, high-stakes tests, 'school choice', charters, vouchers, and more. One of the worst has to be the rah-rah sessions referred to as "Professional Learning Communities". The term comes from the work of Rick and Rebecca DuFour and others. Ostensibly, a group of professional educators comes together on a regular basis to learn and share. They are supposed to set their own agenda, their own goals, and formulate their own plan to achieve those goals.
In daily practice in my district, PLCs are just another meeting with agenda dictated from above and predetermined outcomes. Exchange of ideas is not welcomed, and dissent is actively discouraged. Anyone with ideas or opinions not in line with the agenda and outcomes is to be silenced by whatever means. In other words, drink the koolaid, smile, and be happy about it. Yesterday I just about hit my limit.
Please, sir, could I have some more? NOT
No comments:
Post a Comment