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As some of my classmates also selected, the quote, "When a novice teacher is in the snare of a toxic, dysfunctional system, the system will win every time" (3) felt like someone was able to articulate (concisely too) my feelings and concerns. For another class, I spent time researching and investigating teacher burnout and compassion fatigue, and the staggering number of educators who leave within the first five years of joining the profession. Many of the educators who left, or seriously considered leaving, acknowledged systemic issues including lack of support, unrealistic work expectations, and a lack of connection. 

My research motivated change in my role as an educator. I became a union representative for our building to advocate for my colleagues as we ask for a better system. I work with our administrators to help mitigate concerns and issues and prevent them from becoming toxic. This, however, has become a bit more challenging with the realities, pitfalls, and stressors of Comprehensive Distance Learning. Additionally, I became a mentor teacher to help new educators gain experience, complete their student teaching, and transition into the profession. 

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I wanted to begin this week's response with a quote that is mentioned early on in the text but was too saddening to avoid sharing, "When a novice teacher is in the snare of a toxic, dysfunctional system, the system will win every time" (3). Although I hate to admit it, and hope that this is not my reality, I have heard this to be true. A majority of teachers work well beyond their contracted hours, deal with pressure from their administration to push their students and often times have to support students as they navigate hardships such as poverty and trauma. This job is not easy. There is not enough professional development training to prepare a person for a career in teaching. For those novice teachers who are passionate about beginning an adventure in this career, quotes like these are saddening to read. I believe that despite the hardships that teachers face each year, the support of their staff plays a large roll in their ability to move forward. I have been lucky to experience having a very supportive staff behind me when making decisions and trying new things. Not everyone has this. I believe that teachers in schools across the globe should continue to support one another and push through the tough times (such as administration pressure) in order to remain sane and stay in the profession.

Aside from administrative pressure and the lack of support teachers may feel, leading them to pursue another career, the physical school building is another important factor. "The physical condition of a school affects its emotional environment...These things make a tremendous difference in how schools are experienced  by those who work and learn there as well as by visitors" (11). I wanted to include this quote as well because it helps paint a more clear picture about the unequal levels of funding each district receives. I have walked into schools that did not have a "welcoming" atmosphere due to lack of decor and dark hallways. If the learning environment isn't positive and uplifting, both teachers and students will have a hard time making this space feel comfortable, which can take a toll on mental health.

We can fix this!! Although school funding has a huge impact on the finances behind the physical "look" of a school, teachers can decorate their classrooms with lots of color and inviting images. Teachers CAN work together to combat the harsh conditions of their physical school or pressure from administration to reach an unattainable goal. It is not an easy journey nor do these solutions alone fix every problem, this is at least a step in the right direction.

Questions to consider:
What has your teaching experience looked like in regard to quotes I referenced above?

How would you suggest physical buildings make improvements without more funding from the Government?

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I would like to begin this week’s reading response with a Nieto quote I found fairly interesting. When in reference to how testing companies both design the tests and set the standards, Nieto cites Thomas Newkirk’s comparison, “Newkirk asserts this is comparable to asking pharmaceutical companies to write health standards” (Nieto, 6). I found this analogy interesting for two reasons.

The first reason being how true I find this statement. Testing companies like Pearson, Mcgraw-Hill, and Harcourt Education, are companies not a part of the public education system, and yet they hold a huge power over it. It goes beyond simple tests. The tests they create and we distribute have huge repercussions if students do not pass them. Repercussions such as student success, federal funding, and educators’ job security. It has led to  educators teaching to the test, which in turn creates a lack of teaching more abstract skills like creative problem-solving, social skills, or developing emotional intelligence. The public education system is being controlled by a handful of companies with the intent on testing students on skills they feel will one day be economically viable. It is extremely reflective of A Nation At Risk and the era of education that began following the release of that report. After the release of A Nation at Risk we saw education not only develop a stronger need for “accountability culture”, but we also saw education take a scientific management approach (Mehta, The Allure of Order, p60). The scientific management approach makes the entire education system feel more like a capitalist business. Education was not meant to run like a business. Children are not products, and their success should not be defined or determined by tests made by business people. Not to mention these tests have been proven to be riddled with poorly written questions and unclear essay question grading standards. For those interested in getting some more information on what I mean by this I will provide a link below:

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2012/04/20/151044647/the-pineapple-and-the-hare-can-you-answer-two-bizarre-state-exam-questions

The second reason I find this analogy interesting is because it is reflective of how many of the parents I work with view western medicine. Many of these parents turn to holistic medicine and eastern remedies that are not scientifically proven because they feel the pharmaceutical industry is duping them into buying medication and snake oil treatments. These companies do not write our health guidelines, but testing companies are doing something similar beneath their noses without realizing it. If parents really knew how much of education is determined by groups like Pearson and McGraw-Hill, they would feel upset, and may even create distrust between them and the education system. A distrust, might I add, that educators have been trying to rebuild since A Nation At Risk and the Reagan era.

Three questions I would like to ask is:
1. Do you feel public education should have their standardized tests outsourced to education companies?
2. Do you agree with Thomas Newkirks comparison? Why or why not?
3. Did you have any experience with standardized tests growing up? What was that like for you?

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“A graphic example of the blame game is the ubiquitous term ‘achievement gap’ that has found its way into every debate over the deficiencies of public education. The term is used as if students alone were responsible for their failure to learn, while little attention has been paid to the context in which this failure occurs” (Nieto, 2013).

I chose to focus on this quote for a few reasons. First, I agree with the author about the ubiquity of the term ‘achievement gap’. I have heard this term spoken about in formal and informal spaces. I have uttered this term when speaking about education. Of late, given that I just began this graduate program, I have had occasion to write this term and expound upon its meaning. Perhaps due to my position as a student of education, the term never struck my ears as code for blaming students for their failures. I always received the term as it was, perhaps, intended, a way to describe an outcome of our systemic failures. However, I take Nieto’s point. To someone situated outside the field of education, I can see how the term may sound as she describes. Language matters and we may do well to find a better way to describe what we see happening in our schools.

Which brings me to the second reason I chose the above quote: I really liked the quote immediately following it in which Jacqueline Irvine suggests focusing our language and attention on root causes as opposed to student outcomes. I agree that it is more instructive to speak about the gaps that lead to low achievement among students, such as gaps in teacher training, school funding, economic inequality, and school integration, among others. I am not sure how this list can be fit into a snappy news blurb about our failing schools (which is one of the problems we need to solve) but I like it much better than the omnipresent ‘achievement gap.’ As a single educator, my ability to change the system is negligible but, I can do my best to ‘teach to the gaps,’ so to speak. I can be responsible for the quality and training I bring to my classroom. I can help my students with the nutrition gap. I can fill in some of the digital divide gaps. I can integrate my curriculum even if my school is segregated. Where I am unable to fill gaps, such as income inequality and housing, I can only hope to mitigate damage by arming my students with as many skills as possible, to the best of my ability.

Finally, I chose this quote because it scratched my persistent brain itch regarding systemic thinking. I see how the term ‘achievement gap’ might be misleading and that we need to be looking at achievement gap root causes. I am drawn to material that makes me consider structural problems. Jacqueline Irvine’s list of ‘gaps’ is on the money and I enjoy thinking about how to start addressing the issues she mentions. One thing that we could do to ease school inequality is to disentangle school funding from property taxes. The property tax system is patently unfair and has inequality built into its foundation. Another step I would like to see taken is to move away from ‘top-down’ reform and policy implementation. I am not sure if the education of this nation’s children should be left to the whims of a presidential cabinet appointment via the Depart of Education. I am not sure what to replace these systems with, but at this point, can it get worse?

My questions for further consideration:

1. If not through property taxes, how should we fund schools?

2. If not the Department of Education, who should oversee the public-school system in this country? Should any one entity oversee all public schooling?

3. How can we address school segregation? What methods would you propose to create integration?

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The quote “Although he has had challenging students every year, he views these challenges in terms of something his stepfather, a skilled carpenter, told him: ‘There’s never a bad piece of wood. There’s only wood that needs extra planning. You have to find the right purpose for the piece of wood’” (46). I often would feel defeated when I had a harder than usual day because of a particular students’ temperament/behavior. Although easier said than done, with quick critical thinking, you can usually change that student’s behavior in a small wall. Some things I found myself doing were keeping them in close proximity to me or making a class challenge and acknowledging their hard work in trying to win. Similar to Roger in the text, events like this showed me that students just wanted to be seen and cared for more than what I was giving them. While Roger’s methods of providing care for his students were unconventional (or better suited for his teaching career in the 80’s) 1) how do you demonstrate that teaching is an act of love? 

Similar to Roger, Angele used a different approach and shared her main reason for entering the education profession. She shared how being young Hispanic and female shows students they can be the same way. I can remember multiple teachers in my youth who were positive role models growing up and this was definitely a factor I considered when teaching. 2) What made you decide to do the challenging work we do? While Angele is Puerto Rican and her students are Mexican American, she constantly fights the stereotype that all Hispanics are alike. While teachers of multiple backgrounds are responsible for teaching all students, “Many teachers have had little personal or professional experiences with the population they teach.” (17). 3) How do you ensure mistrust, miscommunication and discomfort doesn’t build between you and your students of different backgrounds?

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One quote that really stood out to me from Nietos’ Chapter One was about the Expectation Gap. “The expectation that students will perform based on others’ perceptions of their backgrounds rather than on their true ability” (Neito 2013, p. 12). This supports my belief about students who live in poverty and do not receive or have access to resources necessary for their education. I see this and have learned this is happening often for students of color. Most people I have come to notice have this perceived notion that all African American/Black students do not care about heir education. Negative ideologies such as Black students are not teachable, do not pay attention and just come to class to be a class clown to name a few. These ideologies about black students I have heard throughout my life as an African American/Black individual. I are seen as hard-headed, stubborn, and students who simply are a waste of teaching. This then shows in a lot of Black student work. This quote connected to my beliefs about teaching because a few not so nice teachers and society put this in the minds of students of color, as well as those who live in poverty, so it shows in the classroom and in their grades. The expectation gap is very real. One of my favorite quotes from Nietos’ Chapter Three was right at the beginning. “Start where the kids are at” (Nieto 2013, p. 33). As I went on to read the chapter, this quote summed it up for me. As someone who is currently learning and training to become a teacher/educator, I have always believed and help on to the thought that we should figure out where the students are as far as learning and their knowledge to see where we need to start. It helps to teach the students as individuals, rather than making them all be seen as one person. Each student is different and comes from different backgrounds and different life experiences so why teach them as if they came from the same place, had the same experiences and live the same lives? Starting where the students are at is an inviting way of saying I care, I hear you, we can do this together. It a great way to show students you are really there to help them grow, improve, learn and help them take control of their education.

From what I have been learning as a student and about myself, I believe I can positively impact the current conditions of education by learning all that I can, become knowledgeable about how to teach diversity and acceptance in my classroom, how to my classroom environment welcoming to all, and how to best support my students in a way that helps me learn who they are and what they need individually. I feel this will help with making my students in charge of their learning, motivate them, and give them a role model. This will help me as a teacher/educator to make those important relationships with my students through the bonds we create. This will also create a safe and comforting learning environment to where students will feel open to sharing, participating and engaging in the classroom and with their peers. Nieto mentioned in chapter one on page 12 that school environments do have an impact on both the students and the teachers. Nieto also states that “Policies and procedures enacted in school as a whole and in particular classrooms determines environment” (p. 12). In order for an environment to be welcoming and inviting, as well as comfortable for all learners, classroom rules and behavior needs to be demonstrated and enforced as such. Doing this and helping other teachers along the way can make more classroom welcoming. I believe it starts with making the environment for teachers to collaborate and converse together is where it starts. This will also aid in equalize opportunities for all students. A structural change that can equalize opportunities for all would be to get rid of racialization of ability. Nieto described racialization of ability as, “Results in permanent placements hat are almost impossible to change as the years pass, even if they have been made on the flimsiest of evidence” (p. 13). An example of this was that African American and Latino/a students are offered AP classes, gifted or talented programs at far lower numbers than White and Asian students (Nieto 2013, p. 12). African American students on the other hand are more likely to be placed in special education classes more so than any of their peers. Getting rid of the racialization of ability will provide all students with equal access to these programs and AP classes without being put in programs they do not need to be in.

3 questions:

1. What are your thoughts on Racialization of Ability? How do you think it is impacting students who live in poverty?

2. What other ideologies have you come across about students that have an impact on their learning?

3. What is something that frustrated you about the readings this week? This can be new information you learned, a quote you read, etc.

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The first quote I would like to consider from this week's reading is: "We can only hope that the Common Core will result in better outcomes than either the NCLB or RttT and that policymakers will not once again blame students and teachers for the longstanding and intractable problems of poverty, racism, and structural inequality...Gaps by race, ethnicity, and income have remained significant and persistent" (Nieto, p. 7).  I teach at a Title I school with a population 95% of whom qualify for the free lunch program.  Furthermore, there are over 40 different languages spoken at home throughout my school.  Needless to say, my school population is the exact demographic to which this quote is referring.  These conditions are exacerbated during the time of distance-learning.  As an educator for my students, I remain empathetic for the conditions in which my students are learning.  I also maintain high-expectations for my students, giving them a goal for which they must strive; stretching their potential, not milling about in the expectations set forth by societal stereotypes (a concern brought forth later in the chapter).  Supporting quote: "Students too, especially the most vulnerable, are blamed for their failure to learn, with little mention of the meager resources and lack of opportunity..." (Nieto, p. 8).  My second quote has to do with achievement gaps.  Although the chapter seemed to prefer to use the term opportunity gap, a term that I would not disagree, I want to focus on achievement gap because of the current state of affairs. "The term [achievement gap] is used as if students alone were responsible for their failure to learn, while little attention has been paid to the context in which this failure occurs" (Nieto, p. 8)  I wanted to call attention to this term because of what I see to be a future catastrophe in our educational system.  I agree with the recent decisions regarding distance-learning.  Distance-learning is NOT a good solution, but it is the best-bad solution that we have.  I see bright dedicated students flourishing in my virtual classroom.  Unhindered by distractions of a conventional classroom, these students can focus and thrive.  Students who struggle with school, but have support-systems at home to lend a hand, or keep them accountable will fare-well in this environment; maybe not as well as in a conventional classroom, but they are at least learning.  My biggest concern is the easily-distractible, or students without supervision to keep them accountable.  These students are not engaging as they should.  Without the non-verbal communication of physical classroom, it has been quite difficult to identify gaps in lessons requiring further explanation.  Although the text prefers opportunity gaps, not achievement gaps, I am very concerned that the current educational climate is going to make a huge problem insurmountable for the years to come.
My questions:
1)How are you identifying the needs of students who are not responding to, or showing up to lessons, and ensuring that they are not falling behind in the grand scheme of things?
2)The chapter discussed the correlation of student success and the satisfaction teachers have with their career.  Considering the potential struggles facing the school system, how are you going to make sure that you are maintaining your enthusiasm and passion for teaching your students?
3)Beyond: poverty, healthcare, housing, and employment (outlined in the chapter) can you identify another influence, other than the system itself, that negatively impacts YOUR students' "failure to learn"?

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One quote that I connected with in the readings this week by Nieto is "Two of the most damaging (and unfounded) societal ideologies are that students' social and cultural identities and backgrounds determine their intelligence and ability, and that intelligence is fixed and unchanging" (p. 12). I think this quote hits home because our educational system does believe this. For my personal beliefs I do not determine my students' intelligence based on where they come from. However, I do believe educators should be sensitive about the students cultural backgrounds and social identities. These differences should be celebrated. The second quote I chose is in chapter 3 Nieto mentioned " the best piece of advice I received during my teacher preparation program many years ago 'start where the kids are at.'(p.33)." I think this quote is relatable to all educators. I think I am making a positive impact on current conditions in the education system, is I treat students like they are people. I try to understand where they are coming from in any and all situations. I wonder how can we educators better understand our students? How can we relate and connect with our students and be mindful of where they from and their cultural? How can we as educators create an environment where all students are celebrated?