Who gets to tell the new year story? Those of us who will live it or those selected by NPR Ed? “In 2014 we’ve covered education as the world-changing story it is and you’ve been along for the ride. And so at year’s end, NPR Ed reached far and wide to bring you a set of provocative predictions for the education world in 2015”
NPR: “Kindergarten Entry Tests and More Education Predictions for 2015.”
According to NPR, education is “the world changing story” and they have determined who gets to tell it. They “searched far and wide,” yet each person they selected represents what looks like a narrow range to me—agendas related to digital school and assessment, and a prediction to support that agenda. There are no actual practioners in this group—other than one ‘math educator and author,’ only people who work in policy, academia, initiatives, government….are these the central players in education now? Does the media make them the central players?
There is no mention of the children–nothing about addressing an increase in issues of hunger, poverty, homelessness, economic and social instability…nothing about the professionals–teacher and principal turnover, teacher evaluation and support… nothing about actual instruction or curriculum. Most glaringly missing is any word about community and relationships, joy or life experience for young people in our country.
It is a dry, sterile picture for school life in 2015 that reminds me of science fiction worlds where humanity has been lost.
Why didn’t they ask any anyone doing the work? And why didn’t they ask Linda Darling Hammond, Deborah Meier, Pedro Noguero, Diane Ravitch, Lisa Delpit, bel hooks, George Wood, Kenneth & Yetta Goodman, James Banks, Anne Lieberman, Karen Lewis, Anthony Cody, Elliot Washoe, Dennis Littky, Elliot Washor, Mike Klonksy, someone from Rethinking Schools, National Equity Project, Coalition for Community Schools, School Reform Initiative, Coalition of Essential Schools, National Urban Coalition, Expeditionary Learning, Buck Institute, a teacher, a principal, an instructional coach, a superintendent…?
Deborah Meier and I are joining together to issue a call to expand the narrative of education for 2015. If you will share a prediction — in general for the field or specifically in your building or district, we can create a more representative story.
What do you expect to see in the coming year?
What do you see as most urgent?
What do you hope we will see?