Failure in its Basic Form

According to the New York Times:

Fewer than half of American teenagers who were asked basic history and literature questions in a phone survey knew when the Civil War was fought, and one in four said Columbus sailed to the New World some time after 1750, not in 1492.

The survey, commissioned by Common Core, asked 33 multiple-choice questions to 1,200 17-year-olds about history and literature drawn from a test administered by the Federal Government in 1986.

Common Core describes itself as a new research organization advocating for more teaching of the liberal arts in public schools, and criticizing President Bush’s No Child Left Behind as having

Impoverished public school curriculums by holding schools accountable for student scores on annual tests in reading and mathematics, but in no other subjects.

While the results are disheartening, it may not be all that surprising – which leads to the Next Question: Can Students be Paid to Excel? If the students surveyed were given the incentive of cash prizes for knowing the right answers, I wonder if there would have been a difference.

This article states:

School districts nationwide have seized on the idea that a key to improving schools is to pay for performance, whether through bonuses for teachers and principals, or rewards like cash prizes for students. New York City, with the largest public school system in the country, is in the forefront of this movement, with more than 200 schools experimenting with one incentive or another. In more than a dozen schools, students, teachers and principals are all eligible for extra money, based on students’ performance on standardized tests.

$500,000 have already been handed out to 5,327 students in 58 schools. Harvard Economist, Roland G. Fryer, who designed the student incentive program, said: “I’m not saying I know this is going to fix everything, but I am saying it’s worth trying. What we need to try to do is start that spark.”

And I believe that that spark is first ignited by teachers. We didn’t expect the teachers to be forgotten, did we? Each teacher can receive a bonus of as much as $3,000 if students show marked improvement on state tests.

Right attitude: “It’s better than a slap in the face. But honestly, I don’t think about it. We’re here every day working and pushing; that’s what we’ve been doing for years. We don’t come into this for the money, and most of us don’t leave it because of the money,” said Ruth Lopez, pictured above.

Wrong attitude: “I tell my students all the time that I can sit in the back and hand them worksheets and get the same amount of money as I do if I stand in front of the class working with high energy the entire time. What’s the motivation there? At least this gives us something to work toward,” said Christina Varghese, the lead math teacher at J.H.S. 123.

Let’s face it: Money makes the world go ‘round. There will be people who become teachers because it’s a noble profession and because they have a firm belief in the endless potential of children -- so thank you, Ms. Lopez. But there will also be people who become teachers for no reason, like Ms. Varghese. Concurrently, however, it is understood that teachers don't make ridiculous amounts of money, so the prospect of becoming a millionaire because of it is unwarranted.

This may come off a little harsh and mean, but I’ll stand by it:

While the success of students reflects the success of teachers, the corollary holds true: The failure of students is contingent upon the failure of the teachers. And quite frankly, Ms. Varghese, if your heart’s not in it, do us all a favor and find something else to do. And with regard to your question about where the motivation lies, riddle me this: You’ve been a math teacher at your school for the last 10 years. Is it safe to assume that before this incentive program, you actually were just sitting in the back of the classroom handing out worksheets? I think it’s a fair assumption that makes a great ass out of just you.

If Common Core continues to advocate more teaching on the liberal arts, and therefore lessening the amount of time dedicated to your subject in an effort to balance the curriculum, who is more in danger of failing?

And something to work toward? What about working toward encouraging your students to excel, or to yearn for something greater than they expect? What about attempting to spark initiative? What about taking pride in knowing that you are a main factor in shaping the minds of your students, thereby determining their path in the future?

How about this: for every question you answer correctly, I'll pay you an apology. But in the meantime, I won't hold my breath.

Peace.