So, I mostly agree with all this. And, I want to gently push back. One of the ways that I think inequality is perpetuated is in our accepting mediocrity and not pushing for better realities. I see so much communication aimed at privileged folks like me, essentially saying "it's OK, you're going to be privileged no matter what, why not just be more accepting of mediocrity?" But where does that leave people who can't afford mediocrity? We middle class White progressives are happy to debate whether an elite high school should accept an additional 30 kids of color who score high on standardized tests, but what about the 3,000 kids of color who didn't? They live nearby to working class families whose kids will indeed get a good education, and whose economic prospects are much brighter; are the parents deliberately deciding not to do what those families do? Are we as a society deciding that? Are we just letting it happen, not wanting to be impolite? I know I'm being judgmental when I see a parent letting their toddler watch Netflix on a phone, and there isn't comprehensive evidence proving worst outcomes for kids who zone out at younger ages, but I think those aren't good reasons to stop making the case that parents shouldn't do that. Heck, schools shouldn't do that -- twice, during scheduled school tour days at Brooklyn public schools, the parent coordinator has scrambled to explain away the fact that the kids are watching a movie (and not an educational one). I've seen an overwhelmed teacher turn on Spongebob to keep a classroom quiet for an hour, during an academic period. I kinda do think we need to be jerks about this kind of thing more, to be less reasonable and less accommodating. These media companies have millionaire marketers and content strategists using all their Harvard Business School expertise to wring attention out of our kids. Sure, our kids can take the hit. But should they? Should we? And can other kids take it?
I REALLY appreciate this perspective Ben, which as usual you say so eloquently. I've been thinking a lot lately about something I heard on the Integrated Schools Podcast episode where they discussed Courtney's book (Learning in Public), where their guest, a Black educator featured in the book, calls bullshit on the parents who send their kids to integrated schools and say "don't worry about my kid, focus on the other kids, my kid's gonna be fine." She's like, that's kind of messed up, of course I'm gonna worry about every kid, and you don't knwo your kid's gonna be fine. She also calls out the complacency of educators around Black kids failing, like everyone should be enraged that kids at our schools aren't reading, we shouldn't just say "poverty is to blame and there's nothing we can do" or "my kid's gonna be fine."
Agreed. One thought provoking report I read recently was this one: https://tntp.org/publications/view/student-experiences/the-opportunity-myth Basically, the researchers looked at what actually is happening on an hourly basis within classrooms, and they concluded that when the curriculum and materials that poor kids and kids of color are taught with are chosen well (in particular, are at grade level and part of a deliberate curricular plan rather than just busywork worksheets taken from wherever), they make substantial educational progress and perform comparably to kids who are wealthier and White.
I used to be pretty skeptical of the "just raise your expectations, and students will meet them" idea, which seems myopic and simplistic. But this report suggests that if you could waive a magic wand and increase all teachers' expectations of students of color and students from poor and working class families, those students' education would improve substantially. And if you could light a fire under teachers and schools to demand more deliberate, defensible choice of materials and activities, that would also improve those students' education substantially.
Our friend who sent her kid to CRLS (Cambridge's public high school, where Sarah and I went) said that teachers seemed to talk as though the most important thing is that she and her kid should feel OK and not stressed out -- he was getting B's, and in their eyes, that was pretty good, relative to their expectations for a student of color. She found that maddening.
it's seems like all of this could be filed under the heading of "inappropriate expectations" - we expect some kids to be little CEOs and others to drop out. there has to be a way we can all work towards the same more integrated goal
One of the problems I have with progressive education (not an insurmountable one, I say this as a progressive educator!) is that there's this assumption that if you offer, say, project-based learning, or other activities that don't challenge students in rote ways, everyone will rise to the challenge in a similar way. But when students have very different combinations of background knowledge and experience, there is a "Matthew Effect" where the kids who are already the "best students" get the most out of it.
I think often of Kwaku, who I think was a very smart and creative person, but who did just enough to get by in school, and struggled with schoolwork (and much else in a painful home life). Is there a way that a standard classroom could have been a place for discovery, confidence, creativity and empowerment for him?
I loved this. And, I have thought about this question (kids/screens/my household/screens etc) a lot. Really, for me, it has come down to the same thing re: the kids which is, how do they seem? Yes, they have screens, yes they do seem to be a way to retreat (from big lives and big schedules where they interact, join clubs, take on leadership positions and play sports). So, for me, this really resonated b/c the only place I can really rest in it is how do they seem when they are in their lives? Connected? Calm? Happy? Engaged? This was so helpful. Thank you.
I grew up without a TV (in the true 80s sense of no TV) and I still sometimes feel like an alien because I am missing all of the cultural references from the first two decades of my life. Got one after college and never looked back. Zero qualms about letting my kids watch TV except that I’m very tired of constantly dissecting character motivations for all the various Toy Story toys. Can’t wait till they graduate to The Wire so I can actually enjoy our discussions.
oh man my kids loved the first season of the wire but once we got to the second season they were all "ziggy is not a relatable character mama" and it was all over
Wow, one of those pieces where you name a thing that's been sort of floating around in my semi-conscious, or like five things, and then thread them altogether with humor and wisdom and nostalgia and hopefulness (not the annoying kind, but the breathe easier kind). What a gift.
Love love LOVE Bluey. It's hard to explain how well they balance entertainment for kids with larger discussions of complicated human relationships. Was just watching Double Babysitter last night that was a story about childhood trust in grownups AND being willing to take risks in love at any age. Hoo boy I'd better stop now because I can go on got ages about this show
So, I mostly agree with all this. And, I want to gently push back. One of the ways that I think inequality is perpetuated is in our accepting mediocrity and not pushing for better realities. I see so much communication aimed at privileged folks like me, essentially saying "it's OK, you're going to be privileged no matter what, why not just be more accepting of mediocrity?" But where does that leave people who can't afford mediocrity? We middle class White progressives are happy to debate whether an elite high school should accept an additional 30 kids of color who score high on standardized tests, but what about the 3,000 kids of color who didn't? They live nearby to working class families whose kids will indeed get a good education, and whose economic prospects are much brighter; are the parents deliberately deciding not to do what those families do? Are we as a society deciding that? Are we just letting it happen, not wanting to be impolite? I know I'm being judgmental when I see a parent letting their toddler watch Netflix on a phone, and there isn't comprehensive evidence proving worst outcomes for kids who zone out at younger ages, but I think those aren't good reasons to stop making the case that parents shouldn't do that. Heck, schools shouldn't do that -- twice, during scheduled school tour days at Brooklyn public schools, the parent coordinator has scrambled to explain away the fact that the kids are watching a movie (and not an educational one). I've seen an overwhelmed teacher turn on Spongebob to keep a classroom quiet for an hour, during an academic period. I kinda do think we need to be jerks about this kind of thing more, to be less reasonable and less accommodating. These media companies have millionaire marketers and content strategists using all their Harvard Business School expertise to wring attention out of our kids. Sure, our kids can take the hit. But should they? Should we? And can other kids take it?
I REALLY appreciate this perspective Ben, which as usual you say so eloquently. I've been thinking a lot lately about something I heard on the Integrated Schools Podcast episode where they discussed Courtney's book (Learning in Public), where their guest, a Black educator featured in the book, calls bullshit on the parents who send their kids to integrated schools and say "don't worry about my kid, focus on the other kids, my kid's gonna be fine." She's like, that's kind of messed up, of course I'm gonna worry about every kid, and you don't knwo your kid's gonna be fine. She also calls out the complacency of educators around Black kids failing, like everyone should be enraged that kids at our schools aren't reading, we shouldn't just say "poverty is to blame and there's nothing we can do" or "my kid's gonna be fine."
Agreed. One thought provoking report I read recently was this one: https://tntp.org/publications/view/student-experiences/the-opportunity-myth Basically, the researchers looked at what actually is happening on an hourly basis within classrooms, and they concluded that when the curriculum and materials that poor kids and kids of color are taught with are chosen well (in particular, are at grade level and part of a deliberate curricular plan rather than just busywork worksheets taken from wherever), they make substantial educational progress and perform comparably to kids who are wealthier and White.
I used to be pretty skeptical of the "just raise your expectations, and students will meet them" idea, which seems myopic and simplistic. But this report suggests that if you could waive a magic wand and increase all teachers' expectations of students of color and students from poor and working class families, those students' education would improve substantially. And if you could light a fire under teachers and schools to demand more deliberate, defensible choice of materials and activities, that would also improve those students' education substantially.
Our friend who sent her kid to CRLS (Cambridge's public high school, where Sarah and I went) said that teachers seemed to talk as though the most important thing is that she and her kid should feel OK and not stressed out -- he was getting B's, and in their eyes, that was pretty good, relative to their expectations for a student of color. She found that maddening.
it's seems like all of this could be filed under the heading of "inappropriate expectations" - we expect some kids to be little CEOs and others to drop out. there has to be a way we can all work towards the same more integrated goal
One of the problems I have with progressive education (not an insurmountable one, I say this as a progressive educator!) is that there's this assumption that if you offer, say, project-based learning, or other activities that don't challenge students in rote ways, everyone will rise to the challenge in a similar way. But when students have very different combinations of background knowledge and experience, there is a "Matthew Effect" where the kids who are already the "best students" get the most out of it.
I think often of Kwaku, who I think was a very smart and creative person, but who did just enough to get by in school, and struggled with schoolwork (and much else in a painful home life). Is there a way that a standard classroom could have been a place for discovery, confidence, creativity and empowerment for him?
I loved this. And, I have thought about this question (kids/screens/my household/screens etc) a lot. Really, for me, it has come down to the same thing re: the kids which is, how do they seem? Yes, they have screens, yes they do seem to be a way to retreat (from big lives and big schedules where they interact, join clubs, take on leadership positions and play sports). So, for me, this really resonated b/c the only place I can really rest in it is how do they seem when they are in their lives? Connected? Calm? Happy? Engaged? This was so helpful. Thank you.
I grew up without a TV (in the true 80s sense of no TV) and I still sometimes feel like an alien because I am missing all of the cultural references from the first two decades of my life. Got one after college and never looked back. Zero qualms about letting my kids watch TV except that I’m very tired of constantly dissecting character motivations for all the various Toy Story toys. Can’t wait till they graduate to The Wire so I can actually enjoy our discussions.
oh man my kids loved the first season of the wire but once we got to the second season they were all "ziggy is not a relatable character mama" and it was all over
Wow, one of those pieces where you name a thing that's been sort of floating around in my semi-conscious, or like five things, and then thread them altogether with humor and wisdom and nostalgia and hopefulness (not the annoying kind, but the breathe easier kind). What a gift.
Oh, and I only got to read and comment on this because my kid is currently watching an "educational show."
I mean, depending on what your definition is, they're all educational!
Like, I mean, your kid knows A TON about dragons
Love love LOVE Bluey. It's hard to explain how well they balance entertainment for kids with larger discussions of complicated human relationships. Was just watching Double Babysitter last night that was a story about childhood trust in grownups AND being willing to take risks in love at any age. Hoo boy I'd better stop now because I can go on got ages about this show
I haven't seen that one but I'll probably go watch it now instead of working :)