The Message

I recently had the privilege of serving as a panelist at a Diversity and Equity Summit entitled, "Eliminating Inequalities in Academic Achievement." It was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education's Appalachia Regional Comprehensive Center at Edvantia.

I have to admit that before this conference I was nervous. My mentor Mike Mallory, Executive Director of the Ron Brown Scholar Program, told us that we were going to be asked to provide honest feedback about our experiences in American public schools.

As a teacher I most certainly had feedback about American Education. I had just never been in a position where anyone actually asked me to share it. I wanted to ensure that my responses were diplomatic and measured and I asked Mr. Mallory how much I should share and how much I should hold back. His response was that I had a responsibility to share my experience and that I shouldn't hold any of my observations back as long as I had viable solutions to present as well.

And so I did. And it was an incredible experience. I have to admit that before this conference I, like many educators, wasn't sure that federal and state governments had a full understanding of the daily realities and pressure facing teachers and administrators, most of whom work tirelessly to fulfill the many requirements put upon them. School Improvement in particular is most assuredly a trying process. As the only practicing teacher in attendance I was unsure of how my message would be received.

What shocked me thought was how absolutely hungry state and federal administrators were for this message. Many, particularly at the state level, had considerable classroom experience. But few had experience this tail-end of NCLB where schools are literally fighting for survival, by any means necessary.

Last year I taught 3rd grade, the most heavily tested grade in Virginia. The constant state, district and building-level monitoring and incessant remediation planning scarcely left time for teaching or sanity. It always felt like we were being asked to accomplish the impossible with very little time and even less support.

But that wasn't the intent of this legislation at all. This summit helped crystallize my realization that School Improvement and many federal education policies in general are a lot like a game of telephone. By the time the mandate travels from the federal level to the state to the district to the building level, the original intent of the message is not only lost but also often terribly distorted. Moreover, each level of the telephone adds its own restrictions, requirements, rules and regulations so that by the time it reaches teachers and finally students, the weight is absolutely crushing.

The most miraculous finding that came from this meeting of the minds was my own personal revelation that these state and federal administrators were not only willing to listen, but that they also cared. I felt valued and that they were really taking my words to heart.

My coworkers laugh at my changed attitude. But I understand now that the implementation of any new process is sometimes imperfect. Effective communication is always key. There was a palpable synergy and exchange of ideas at the Diversity and Equity Summit. I am grateful to have been a part of it. I definitely hope that the work of the Apple Tree Network will create even more of these exchanges.

~Kelle Stewart