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@ 1997 Public AgendaIlnauthorized duplication of this report is a violation of copyright.Design and layout: Giovanni Design Associates

ISBN: 1-889483-47-8

DIFFERENT DRUMMERSHow Teachers of Teachers

View Public Education

A Report from Public Agenda

By Steve Farkas and fean fohnsonW¡th Ann Duffett

Consulting Editor: Chris Perry

Founded h 1975 by social scientist and author Daniel Yankelovich and former U.S. Secretary of State QrrusVance, Public Agenda works to help average citizens better understand critical poliry issues and to help thenation's leaders better understand the public's point of view. Public Agenda's in-depth research on how averagecitizens think about policy forms the basis for extensive cilizen education work. Its citizen education materials,used by the National Issues Forums and media outlets across the country, have won praise for their credibilityand fairness from elected officials from both oolitical parties and from exDerts and decision-makers across thepolitical spectrum.

The authors of Dffirent Drummers would like to thank these individuals for their support and assistance duringthe preparation of this report:

Public Agenda's Communications Director, Margaret Suzor Dunning, and her associates Vincent Calabreseand Sara Clough, who skillfully bring our work to the attention of a broad audience.

Our Public Agenda colleagues Michael Buryk, Joanna Cohen, Caroline Corbin, Will Friedman, MichaeldeCourcy Hinds, Steve Immerwahr, Kathie Johnson, Zarela Maldonado, Joanna McHugh, Keith Melville,Janet Polokoff, Alex Tlilling, and David White, who are always willing to lend their good humor, support,knowledge, and creativity.

David G. Imig, Chief Executive Officer of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, whoprovided thoughtful counsel and gracious assistance throughout the research process.

Daniel Yankelovich, who joined with Clrus Vance more than two decades ago to found Public Agenda. Dan'sinsights and his wisdom provide the intellectual backbone of our work.

Deborah'Wadsworth, Public Agenda's Executive Director, whose energy and intelligence, deep belief in educa-tion, and ongoing support made this project possible.

A 1997 Public Aeenda

Introduction............. .......7

Finding One: One Vision Of Learning................ ..............9

Finding Tlvo: In Theory, In Practice ................13

Finding Three: At Odds With The Public....... ................15

Finding Four: Lingering Uncertainties............ .................17

Finding Five: Standards And Curriculum....... .................20

Finding Six: Standing By The Public Schools..... .............24

Afterword: Inspired, But Poorly ArmedBy Deborah Wadsworth............. .....28

Supporting Thbles.... .....30

Methodology.............. ......................37

Endnotes.. ......................38

Related Public Agenda Publications.............. ...................39

DIFFERENT DRUMMERS: How Teachers of Tèachers View Public Education

In the summer of 1997, many Americans sat beforetheir TV sets mesmeri zed bi live pictures of theplanet Mars sewed up by NASAs ivfars pathfindermission. Those concerned about the state ofAmerican education may also have been captivatedby another aspect of the broadcasts: a parade ofcapable and articulate scientists and enqineers whopersonified the traits that most of us - ñhutev"r ourspecific views on education - expect our schools toproduce.

These scientists and engineers clearly knew ,,their

stuff." They commanded an impressive store ofdetailed, factual knowledge and put it to use with anaccuracy and precision well beyond that expected inmany professions. They displayed the values thatmany of us want our educators to emphasize - theywere persistent and hardworking, able to face set-

display for all to see, were men and women whopossessed knowledge, discipline, and an unmistak-able, almost contagious, love of learning.

THE FRUITS OF EDUCATION

Few would disagree that these traits are the hoped-for fruits of education, whether the lield is science,business, government, or the arts. But there issignificant disagreement on how schools and teachersshould achieve these results. The public, alarmedby what it sees as a widespread lack of skills andmotivation in today's students, advocates a time-honored approach: Tèach children how to read andwrite; help them master grammar and spelling;teach them to calculate; give them the story of their

them develop diligenceile they're at it, passinghurt either.

To the public, teaching children to master these"basics" is putting first things first. Students willthen be free to achieve and explore - to makewhatever they can of themselves.

But others question the public's approach, fearingthat its emphasis on basics, discipline, and traditionalteaching methods will not produce the inventive,flexible thinking that modern times demand. For this

group, educators must use new strategies and teach-ing techniques better suited to a rapidly changingworld. These strategies and techniques include:emphasizing problem-solving exercises; criticalthinking skills; use of the Internet and other tools tofind and process information; teaching students towork in groups; and, perhaps most important,teaching children to "learn how to learn."

WHAT WORKS

These general philosophies about what works havereal consequences. Inevitably, they lead to differ-ences in what teachers and students do on a dailybasis - what students are exposed to, how they aremotivated, how teachers plan and conduct lessons,how theyjudge a student's progress, how schoolsare organized, and how we as a society measure suc-cess. Deciding what creates an educated person is atthe core of many, if not most, debates about thepublic schools.

TEACHERS OF TEACHERS

Over the past several years, Public Agenda hasexplored the perspectives ofparents, teachers, stu-dents, leaders, and the general public on manyaspects of this very question. Now we turn ourattention - and ourresearch - to a group that,perhaps more than anyother. is in the business ofdefining what education isand should be: professorsof education fromAmerica's colleges anduniversities - the teache¡sof our teachers.

Their convictions andbeliefs, it seems, shouldhave particular significancesince they are the source

What educationprofessors teachabout learningand schoolsshapes the goals,expectat¡ons, andpriorities of thenation's teachercorps.

of a chain reaction. Assuming that they are atleast reasonably effective, what educationprofessors teach about learning and schools shapesthe goals, expectations, and priorities of thenation's teacher corps. At the same time, what theydon't teach either doesn't get learned or must belearned on the iob.

DIFFERENT DRUMMERS: How Teachers of rþachers view public Educarion

THE RESEARCH

lb find out what the teachers of teachers thinkabout education and the public schools, PublicAgenda surveyed by telephone 900 professors ofeducation during the summer o1 1997. Beforedesigning the survey, Public Agenda interviewed a

number of education experts and opinion leaders toobtain their suggestions forinteresting lines of inquiry,and conducted focus groupswith education professors infour cities - New York.Chicago, Boston, and LosAngeles.

Public Agenda would partic-ularly like to thank theThomas B. FordhamFoundation, which providedunderwriting for the study.As with all such projects,Public Agenda is solely

responsible for determining the lines of inquiry,designing the questionnaire, and interpreting andreporting research results.

Public Agenda's 1997 study of high school students(Getting By: What American Tizenagers Really ThinkAbout Their Schools) found teens unequivocal insaying that classroom teachers have the mostsignificant impact on their desire and ability tolearn. But high school students are not alone inmaking the judgment that teachers are the center-piece of improved student learning. Virtuallyeveryone agrees that good teachers are the mostessential ingredient of good schools.

VOICES IN THE WILDERNESS?

As revealed in the following pages, professors ofeducation have a distinctive, perhaps even singular,prescription for what good teachers should do - onethat differs markedly from that of most parents andtaxpayers. To a surprising extent, the professors'views also differ from those of most classroomteachers. Some readers will undoubtedly beinfuriated by the professors'views, while others willbe heartened by them. But what the professors sayabout education and teaching, and about childrenand learning, is important - arguably evenobligatory - reading for anyone aiming to improveAmerica's schools.

Some readerswill undoubtedlybe infuriatedby the professors/v¡ews, whileothers will beheartened bythem.

@ 1997 Public Agenda

Teachers of teachers envision classrooms as places where teachers and students areactive,,life'lort_g learners; education is a collaborative enterprise; and the piocess ofstruggling with questions is far more important than knouing túe right airswers.

THE SOUL OF A TEACHER

"The soul of a teache¡ is what should be passed onfrom teacher to teacher," a Boston profeisor saidwith some intensity. "You can be a ñfeJong learnerand learn the things you don't know in terris of thecontent, but you have to have that soul to be a soodteacher." A Chicago professor outlined his visiõn intlis wayl "I expect [graduates of my program] ro beable to think critically and process information, tobe effective communicators, effective collaboratorsand cooperators. And finally, I expect them to haveeffective habits of mind - that they think for them-selves and have some sense of identitv.,,

DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH

prospective teachers. These overwhelming majoritiesstand in sharp contrast to the 47Vo who believe it is

absolutely essential to produce teachers "trained inpragmatic issues of running a classroom such asmanaging time and preparing lesson plans." Otherqualities - such as expecting students to be neat, ontime, and polite; or emphasizing correct spelling,grammar, and punctuation - draw even less support.

As will be detailed later in this report, the public'schief concerns lie precisely in these other areas.Prior Public Agenda studies have identified gaps inthinking between ordinary Americans and leadersor experts about a host of issues, but it is unusual tofind disparities of this magnitude about suchfundamèntal goals, and involving an issue - publiceducation - that is so close to the public's heart.

Nor are these disparities confined to disagreementover broad education goals; they also appãar wheneducation professors describe where they invest theirteaching energies when working with prospectiveteachers. For example, only 3 in 10 educationprofessors (30%) say thei¡ teacher education programsemphasize teaching prospective teachers how tomanage a rowdy classroom - a predicament manypublic school teachers, both new and veteran, say túeyface. Similarly,3 in4 members of the public (74%),and more than 8 in 10 teachers (82%), consider it'absolutely essentiMeanwhile.6SToing on tests and atheir school.l Butsay their programs put a lot of emphasis on trainingfeachers-to-be on how to handle such situations.

CHART 1.

Qualities that are "absolutely essential" to impart to prospective teachers:

Being lifeJong learners and constantlyupdal.ing Lheir skills

Being committed to teaching kids to beactive learners who know how to learn

Having high expectations of all theirstudents

Maintaining discipline and order inthe classroom

Stressing correct spelling, grammar,anq Duncluatron

Expecting students to be neat,on time, and polite

37Vo

l9%o

l2Vo

DIFFERENT DRUMMERS: How Teachers of reachers view public Education

THE PROFESSOR'S PRESCRIPTION _ACTIVE LEARNING

Education professors have a clear response for howto deal with disorder and lack of discipline, whichhead the list of teacher and parent concerns. It is

often when teachers fail to encourage activelearning, the professors say, that they face order anddiscipline problems in their classrooms.

About 6 in 10 education professors (61%)believethatwhen a public school teacher faces a disruptiveclass, he or she has probably failed to make ìessonsengaging enough to capture the students' attention."Effective motivation that turns kids on to learningis a positive way of dealing with discipline," said aLos Angeles professor, "and I think you need to dothat instead of just controlling them." A Chicagoprofessor said much the same thing: "We teachstudents how to become active learners, and I thinkthat relates to the discipline problem...When youhave students engaged and not vessels to receiveinformation, you tend to have fewer disciplineproblems."

Underþing these attitudes seems to be a sense thatchildren have an innate love oflearning that can beused to hamess anywayward or mischievous impulses.The belief that tapping into this innate love oflearning will capture the devoted attention ofstudents is powerful among education professors, so

much so that many seem to question the need foracademic sanctions. In fact, most professors of edu-cation (59Vo) believe that academic sanctions suchas the threat of failing a course or being held back agrade are not an important part of motivating kidsto learn. The age-old incentive kids have always hadfor studying and working hard in school - the fearof getting a bad grade - is unnecessary and inappro-priate, the professors say.

PROCESS OVER CONTENT

The intellectual process of searching and strugglingto learn is far more important to education profes-sors than whether or not students ultimately mastela particular set of facts. The primary that processholds over outcomes is indicated by this finding:86Vo of education professors saywhen K-12 teachersassign students math or history questions, it is moreimportant for the kids to struggle with the processof seeking the right answers; only 12% consider itmore important for kids to end up knowing the rightanswers.

As long as students know where to find the informa-tion they need and how to access it, many educationprofessors reason, why force them to demonstrate

and no longer needs to be on the tip of theirtongues.

"Giving people tools is probably more importantthan all of that information - which they can now geton the computer," said a Boston professor. 'i{nd [it's]more important than passing those doggone stan-dardized tests, which probably are not showing whatthat student really knows." From the perspective ofeducation professors, technology could help free kidsand teachers from teaching and learning techniques,such as memorization, that in their view turn leam-ing into a hated chore.

Professors of education are not totally indifferent tocontent. More than hall (57Vo) say it is absolutelyessential for teachers to be deeply knowledgeableabout the content of the subjects they will teach.And occasionally a professor in a focus group

CHART 2.

When teachers assign kids specific questions insuch subjects as math or history, is it moreimportant that:

Kids struggle with the process

of trying to find the right answers

Kids end up knowing the rightanswers to the questions or problems

For all charts, numbers do not total 100% because "don'tknow" responses are not reported and because of rounding.

10 @ 1997 Public Agenda

voiced concern that prospective teachers lacked ah their subject matter.ece. I teach science meth-I that the two science

courses theyting a job anbehind whatprofessor.

WHAT'S 7+5?

to useprofessorsto lose,such tools is

7 ¡thing. The ques-titi iåïïiåí,äiì;know the multþlication tables, but I wouldn,t hold akid back from doing other stuff if they didn,t.,,

For their part, ordinary Americans and publicschool teachers seem far more concernei that kids

FACILITATINC LEARNINC

Education professors thus define the essence ofteaching to be showing students how to learn. Askedwhether teachers should see themselves as facilita-tors of learning who enable students to learn ontheir own, or as cenlighten student forthe former by an rgin.

This view of the teacher-as-facilitator was a domi-nant theme in all fothis study. It was neregardless ofwherewere held, whether the teacher educators worked atthe college or university level, or whether they wereprimarily researchers or instructors. "[Tèachersneed] the ability to foster self-confidence in studentsand to develop independence of learning," said aChicago professor. "They should see themselves notas transmitters of knowledge, but as allowing stu-dents to learn how to learn themselves." A Bostonprofessor said, "Just like there are many wavs toclimb a mountain, I think it is liberatine fo.îr to

CHART 3.

W_hich is closer to your own philosophy of therole of teachers:

Tþachers should see themselves asfacilitators of learning who enable theirstudents to learn on their own

Teachers should see themselves asconveyors of knowledge who enlightentheir students with what they know

DIFFERENT DRUMMERS: How Teachers of rþachers view public Education '11

teach our future teachers the variety of ways thatproblems can be solved, that sometimes there areno correct answers - that the process is sometimesmuch more important than the end result."

NO "SACE ON THE STACE"

Under this perspective, the learning enterprisebecomes a partnership and collaboration, and notonly between teacher and student, but among teachers

themselves. "To be a facili-

teach collaboratively rather than to prepare them toteach alone. A Boston professor's comment reflect-ed this thinking: "We have to think differently abouthow you assemble a group of caring' passionatelearners. Children happen to be part of the team oflearners. Trying to load it all up on one teacher todo it all in the classroom is just not the way to thinkabout it. It is like putting together an orchestra."

The professor's vision contrasts sharply with theexperience many frontline teachers encounter oncethey are on the job. In earlier Public Agendaresearch, teachers routinely complained that teachingis an isolated and isolating experience.3 Thiscomment, pulled from a focus group of publicschool teachers, was typical: "There is no career as

isolated as mine. I can go all day without talking toanyone over 2'l' years old. We don't see other teachersat work."

Professors of education further believe that collabo-ration should extend beyond school walls. Theyenvision "communities of leaming" where teachers,parents, and community members team up, shareôbservations, pool resources, and coordinate effortson behalf of students. "It takes a whole village tohelp a teacher," said a professor in Los Angeles. "Ifschõol districts don't help them, if communitiesdon't help them, if we don't get public policy thatsays we value teachers . . . we can't do it alone."

"We have to thinkdifferently abouthow you assemblea group of caring,pass¡onate learners.

Children happento be part of ateam of learners."

- Boston professor

tator of learning is muchmore difficult than beingthe sage on the stage," saida Los Angeles professor,"and to be effective, youneed support. The supportsystem these new teachersneed...[so]theycannetwork, they can talk,these kinds of things."

Education professors reportthey prepare prospectiveteachers to teach in schools

where partnership and collaboration - not isolation -are the norm. By an overwhelming margin (88%vercus 7LVo), education professors think it is moreimportant for their programs to prepare teachers to

12 A 1997 Public Agenda

Teachers of teachers want to discard what they see as crude and outdated tools ofteaching_and managing classrooms - techniques the public often sees as part-and-parcel of good schooling. They resist approaches that rely on competition, iewardand punishment, memorization, or multiple-choice questions.

Professors of education regard teaching as an elabo-rate, highly evolved craft practiced by specialiststrained in the latest techniques and supported bythe latest research. As a consequence, they see littlejustification for using such "old-fashioned" methodsof teaching as memorization, multiple-choice exams,competition for academic honors, and rewards forgood behavior.

NO STARS FOR COOD BEHAVIOR,NO HONOR ROLL

About half the professors of education surveyed(52Vo)would like to see less reliance on prizes thatreward good classroom behavio¡. "Giving a child areward on an occasional basis is fine." allowed aChicago professor, "but when you have a system ofdoing for rewards, I react very viscerally. I don't likehearing about a kid who's high-achieving [and]doing things in the classroom for stars."

Moreover, the majority of education professorsdislike academic competition as a rway of mofivatingstudents to learn. Only one-third (33%) considercompetition for rewards such as honor rolls a valuableincentive to foster learning, while 64Vo think schoolsshould avoid competition. Some would go furtherand switch from grading students according to theirindividual effort to giving students grades for groupeffort. When asked to choose between two distinctways of motivating kids to learn, 47Vo endorse teamprojects where the group shares a single grade andthe team demonstrates what it learned, while 46Voendorse individual projects where each student isgraded individually and must personally demonstratewhat he or she has learned.

MEMORIZATION : HAZARDOUS TOYOUR HEALTH?

For professors of education, perhaps the mostegregious violations of their vision of learning occurwhen students are expected to memorize facts or takestandardized exams. In focus groups, they oftentalked about such tools with particular disdain.

Fully 6 in 10 education professors (60%) would liketo see less reliance on memorization in today'sclassrooms. When pressed by the focus group mod-erator as to whether there was really nothing thatought to be memorized, they occasionally conceded

that memorization might sometimes be appropriate.But they would immediately insist, as this Bostonprofessor did, that memorization "has to be con-nected to concepts, because," he explained, "memo-ry for its own sake is dangerous, politically danger-ous. You think about when people have to memorizeand spout back and you think about autocratic soci-eties." Or, as this Chicago professor explained, evenwhen memorizing, the how ís more important thanthe what: "Knowing \Mays to memorize is very impor-tant. The thing you're memorizing in itself maynot be important, but it's important to know howyou can memorize things."

STANDARDIZED TESTS: SERIOUS FOLLY

Standardized tests relying on explicit right andwrong ansvr'ers are seen by education professors asmore serious folly. Fully 78Vo wanL less reliance onmultiple-choice exams in the schools. "It's not just abase ofknowledge so that they can read and know,recite and pick the right answer," insisted a Chicagoprofessor. "They need to be able to apply thatknowledge to something else."

The idea that filling in a circle could measure learn-ing seems improbable to most education professors.They don't believe stan-dardized tests demonstratelearning, nor are they wiJlingto place high stakes on theresults of such exams. "Thefact is that all of the datasay standardized tests don'tpredict what they areintended to. They just don'tdo it...There is no stan-dardized test that is good,"said a Boston professor.

Just as they were almostcontemptuous of multiple-choice tests, some profes-sors of education could not

"When you have asystem of doing forrewards, I reactvery viscerally. I

don't Iike hearingabout a kid who'shigh-achievinglandl doing thingsin the classroomfor stars." -Chicago professor

easily bring themselves to answer the closed-endedquestions in this study. The notion that they wouldbe forced to commit to one word or one choice thatsummarized their views - without the possibilitv ofexplanation and elaboration - was unpalatable.Public Agenda staff fielded an unusually high numberof calls from respondents who wanted to elaborateon their views, or explain why they could not, ingood conscience, participate in the survey.

DIFFERENT DRUMMERS: How Teachers of Tþachers View public Education 13

"The researchshifts and peopletake a moreextreme positionthan they needto...and then youget polarization."

- Los Angelesprofessor

JUST FILLINC OUT BUBBLES

In sharp contrast to multiple-choice tests, educationprofessors embrace portfolios as a vehicle thatallows students to demonstrate what they haveabsorbed and learned. "It shows you know by doingit, not filling out bubbles," said a Los Angeles

professor,'Authentic assess-ment provides a way to seedifferent ways of knowing,more ways of solvingproblems ... [but] parentsand politicians like scores,because they're simple,"Nearly 8 in 10 professors(78Vo) call for more relianceon portfolios and otherauthentic assessments. ANew York professor said,"I'd like to go with perfor-mance-based assessment as

the most important catalystfor change, to move away from standard answers orthe one right answer - for children to display,perform, demonstrate what they know."

BACKED BY RESEARCH?

In the focus groups, education professors oftenexplained their preferred teaching methods byreferring to research that supports their methods.Many expressed disappointment and some exaspera-tion that so much current educational researchseems to be ignored or dismissed by the public. Butother comments suggested that acceptance of thecurrent body of research is not monolithic, nor areprofessors always pleased by how research is utilizedin "real life." In Los Angeles, one professor who wasclearly an irside critic of his field voiced seriousdoubt about the rigor of education research - and itspoliticization: "The problem with a lot of the researchis that it creates cults," he said. "Education is aprofession that brings in a lot of people who thinkthey know what is going on...Research on learningstyles, for instance, is very flawed."

Interestingly, his observation led another professorto comment on the whole-language issue that hasgenerated so much controversy, especially inCalifornia. The research, he said, was often subjectto political spin-control: "The research shifts andpeople take a mo¡e extreme position than they needto or believe in to counterbalance something else,and then you get polarization. That's not reallyappropriate. We've gone through this with wholereading and Ebonics."

14 @ 1997 Public Agenda

ublic education that seems fundamentallvi, students, and the public. While the puÉ-lnd good behavior in the classroom,ch goals.

THE PUBLIC'S PRIORITIES

Ordinary Americans, along with teachers andexpectations ofsafe, orderlymaster basic

skills, develop good work habits, and learn such valuesas honesty and respect. Each group may express aslightly different ordering of priorities and èriti-

over,

ïstates or districts. To be sure, this "mission list', isnot the sum total of the public's expectations, but itcaptures its minimum requirements.

Like ordinary citizens, public school teachers placea premium on discipline and order at school, some-

rooms where disorder often reisns. About 7 in 10students say that too many disruptive students are aserious problem in their school; another 7 in I0(68%) point to cheating a andhalf complain that too ma withbeing late to class and not ork.5

Not only do ordinarynegotiable" objectivesalso are alarmed that

teachers deal with discþline in their classrooms.6Nearly half say a high school diploma is no guaranteethat the typical student has learned the basics.T

STRIKI NC LY DI FFERENT VIEWS

But ask the professors of education - the teachers ofteachers - what they seek to transmit to their student

maintaining order in the classroom - educationprofessors put the public's priorities squarely at thebottom of their list. Only 12Vo consider it "absolutelyessential" for teachers to expect students to be neat,on time, and polite. OnIy 797o believe it is"absolutely essential" for graduates of educationprograms to stress correct spelling, grammar, andpunctuation in their teach-ing. Slightly more thanone-third (37Vo) say ítisabsolutely essential todevelop teachers trained tomaintain discipline andorder in the classroom.

Of the 40 education profes-sors interviewed in the focusgroups, only two spoke aboutthe importance of disciplineand order in the classroom.One of the two, a Chicagoprofessor, said, "I believediscipline is a prerequisite

Seventy-ninepercent of theseteachers of teach-ers say /the

general public hasoutmoded andmistaken beliefsabout what goodteaching means."

to teaching, and our [teacher-] students have to betaught how to control classes." His peers respondedwith a telling silence.

IDEAL TEACHERS

Students naturally have strong feelings on thequestion of what makes an effective teacher, andsome items on their list of key qualities wouldresonate with education professors. Broad maiori-ties of high school students - near or above 70% -say that good teachers make lessons fun and inter-esting, are enthusiastic and excited about their sub-ject, and rely on hands-on projects and class discus-sions. But if education professors were to askhigh school students to grade teachers on attainingsuch qualities, the reports they would receive wouldnot be comforting. Students make it clear that suchteachers are not commonplace: Fewer than 30%ósay most of their teachers display each of thosequalities.s

What's more, high school students say they learnwell in a school environment in which teachers arestricter and more directive than education profes-sors suggest. Almost 8 in 10 teens (79Vo) say moststudents would learn utinelyassured that kids wer d theirhomework.e Six in 10 classwork checked regularly and being forced to redo it

DIFFERENT DRUMMERS: How Tþachers of rþachers view public Education 15

until it is correct would get them to learn a lot more.l0When intewiewed in focus groups, teens oftenremembered "tough" teachers with fondness: "I hada math teacher [who] was like a drill sergeant. Shewas nice but she was really strict. Now I don't haveher this year, and looking back, I learned so much."

A QUESTTON OF EMPHASTS?

A closer look does suggest some common groundbetween education professors and the public. Ninein 10 members of the public want schools to putmore emphasis on making learning enjoyable andinteresting to students.ll The public also mildlyendorses using essays or portfolios instead of multiple-choice tests (54%o), as do some public schoolteachers (47Vo).r2

of the factory model," said a New York professor."There's a subject, there's a skill, you teach it tothem, and they get it. That's not really the way we'relearning that kids learn, nor is it the way thatteachers learn."

A colleague extended the discussion to a concreteexample: teaching grammar. "Some people outthere may be convinced that they learned to writethrough rote grammar ilstruction, when in factresearch suggests that is not the case. The public,"he concluded, "carries these wrong theories aboutwhat's going on." In Los Angeles, an education pro-fessor's comments reflected the same frustration:"One of the problems that teachers face is publicperception of what is the right thing to do and whatisn't. Parents come from, 'We need to learn facts,'but my contention is we need to learn how to learn.I want to teach children to know how to indepen-dently learn things, and parents disagree."

COMMUNICATINC WITH PARENTS

Only 27% of the education professors surveyedreport that they or their programs place greatemphasis on teaching prospective teachers how tocommunicate with parents. But even when educationprofessors do talk about improving communicationand increasing parental involvement in the schools,they have a very distinct picture in mind. In NewYork, for example, communicating with parents wasdeemed important because parents needed to be"brought up to speed," to be educated or reeducatedabout how learning ought to happen in today'sclassroom.

"We're seeing the need to make more crucial,reflective alliances with parents," said a professor."There's never much talk about the processes ofteaching in public school. So people will carry awaystories about public education that don't really fitwith what happened ...And nothing's going tochange unless we bring the public in when they havetheir kids i¡ school and say, 'Look, this is what we'redoing."'

But other respondents voiced a different kind ofwish - that the public simply stay out of the educa-tion business: "'What bothers me is for the public tomake the decision of what I, the teacher, should doin the classroom. I really tesent that," complained aLos Angeles professor. "They're getting into method-ology, and what methodology [you can teach] they'regoing to tell you by law."

Education pro-fessors believethat withoutactive, engagedlearning in theclassroom, disci-pline will proba-bly be a prob-lem; the public,teachers, andstudents thinkthat orderlyclassrooms are aprerequ¡s¡te thatmust be in placebefore learningcan take place.

And for their part, educationprofessors are not totallyinattentive to the disciplineissue. While only 37Vobelieve discipline is"absolutely essential" (ascore of 5, on a 1-to-5 scale),an additional 38Vo give it arating of 4. So perhaps thegap is a function of emphasisand salience. Or perhaps it isa result of different assump-tions and starting points:Education professors believethat without active, engagedlearning in the classroom,discipline will probably be aproblem; the public, teachers,and students think thatorderly classrooms are aprerequisite that must be inplace before learning cantake place.

WRONC THEORIES

Interestingly, professors of education are often quiteaware that the public is focused on priorities differentfrom their own. But they are not fazed by this gap,believing that the public is not up-to-date on findingsfrom research or especially competent to judge goodschooling. In fact, 79Vo of these teachers of teacherssay "the general public has outmoded and mistakenbeliefs about what good teaching means." "Thepublic is still thinking about teaching in the context

16 @ 1997 Public Agenda

Even as they advocate an ambitious teaching agenda, education professors harborequately preparing teachers to succeed inhave been out of the classroom for manv

e too detached from today's schools. Vfoöt'ospective teachers in their programs.

TRAPPED IN THE IVORY TOWER

set

Education professors worry, for example, that theymay be too distant from the daily realities of the

"l really have tomake an effort toget out into theschools sometimes.I get trapped inthe ivory tower.And I don't likethat." - Bostonprofessor

;r,* ffi *i'tråi"j:'"îiiJ ifj, ,.would be better for me if we had better partnershipsbetween schools and universities."

Some also doubt that the teaching techniques theymodel with the prospective teachers enroied intheir programs will actually work with young kids,who are in school because they have to be. ¿I have

public schools. More than 8in 10 (84Vo) believe mosr pro-fessors of education shouldspend more time in theK-12classroom. Many suspecttheir detachment from thepublic school classroomsharms their ability to prepareprospective teachers for thechallenges they will face. "Ireally have to make an effortto get out into the schoolssometimes," confessed a

25 or 30 [teacher-] students in the classroom whopaying good mone¡" pointed outr. 'And they can't think, ,I,mgreat techniques that I love as a

student, and I'm going to be able to do that with

CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE . . .

LONC AGO

There are compelling indications that educationprofessors have reason to be concerned aboutbeing detached f¡om theK-12 classrooms and theday-to-day responsibilities of frontline teachers.Seventeen percent ofthose surveyed report thatthey have never been aK-I2 classroom teacher.The experience of those who had been K-12teachers is perhaps more striking: About half(57%) say it has been more than 15 years sincethey were in that position. A recent New yorkTimes article about the closing of the Uniyersityof Chicago's School of Education linked thatsituation to a disconnect with "day-to-dav involve-ment with teacher training and schools" ãnd agrowing focus on the purely theoretical aspects ofeducation.13

CHART 4.

Have you ever been a K - 12classroom teacher?

About how many years has it been since youwere a K - 12 classroom teacher?[Base: education professors who had been class-room teachers, S3o/o of samplel

34Vo

Xììr------

Ztt"a'-ar less than 5 6-10 11-15 16-20 more than 20

Years

DIFFERENT DRUMMERS: How Teachers of reachers view public Education 17

Moreover, education professors report there is littleincentive or capacity in the higher education systemto steer them into K-12 classrooms to practice whatthey preach. While talking about time he had spentin classrooms, a Chicago professor admitted, "Itdoesn't happen too much, but it should." But heexplained, "There's no mechanism to do it. Theydon't know how to pay us, we're on different pensionsystems. We have different licenses, there's liabilityinsurance. It's very complex." Other education pro-fessors pointed out that the demands they face - the"publish or perish" requirement, their supewisoryobligations, and their teaching duties - makeanything more than brief school visits impractical.

A LOW-STATUS PROFESSION

The doubts education professors acknowledge aboutthemselves often extend to their student body, theprospective teachers they train. "Historically," said a

Chicago professor, "teaching was dominated bywomen, and it was considered a low-status thing todo . . . there's a ioke that there are three reasons to

go into teaching: June, July,and August. Sometimes weget students who are pickingteaching as a career for thewrong reasons."

Fully 7 in L0 professors ofeducation (72Vo) say theyoften or sometimes comeacross students they seriouslydoubt have what it takes tobe a teacher. In the LosAngeles focus group, muchof the talk concerned theclass-size reduction law nowin effect in California, a lawwhich has created an enor-

mous demand for new teachers. Several participantsworried about the quality of people entering theirprograms in response to that need, feeling thatmany new entrants lacked the passion or skillsneeded to be good teachers.

"There are a lot of people who don't fit our idea ofthe good teacher coming in," said one professor."There are teachers in classrooms with contracts,and my gut feeling is they're not qualified. They'renot academically qualified; they don't have the class-room management techniques." Another said, "Youcan only do so much with current material; we needto emphasize growing teachers at lower levels. Andit's going to take a while."

WEEDINC OUT UNSUITABLETEACHERS

Education professors report some tell-tale indicatorsthat their student body is far from ideal. The verysame issue that troubles the public - too many kidsgraduating without the basic skills - troubles educa-tion professors about the prospective teachers theyteach. Three out of every 4 education professors(757o) complain that too many of their studentshave trouble writing essays free of mistakes in grammarand spelling. A Chicago professor talked about herresponse to prospective teachers who have writingproblems: "I really try to refer them to places wherethey can get help . . . I also refer them to grammarbooks. This is a constant battle for me and these

students because they say to me, 'This is not anEnglish class, that's not what you're supposed to bedoing."'

Only 4Vo of education professors report that theirprograms typically dismiss students consideredunsuitable for teaching. Most (67%) say thesestudents are counseled to reconsider their careerchoice, while another 20Vo say such students arereferred to remediation.

Ultimately, an overwhelming majority - 86Vo - admitthey need to do a better job of dismissing unsuitableteachers. "I think we have to do a better job of theweeding-out process," volunteered a Boston professor.

"Not everybodywho enters my college who thinksthey should be a teacher should be a teacher. We have

to be more hard-nosed about who that person is."

A few seem reconciled to some mediocrity, seeing itas the inevitable result of having to ptepare so manyteachers. "We're aware that our profession attractsstudents who are at the less capable end of the aca-demic scale," one Chicago professor stated. "But so

what? We have 3O-some thousand teachers inChicago. Does anyone think they're all geniuses?

Give me a break!"

TEST THE TEACHERS

When asked to identify the biggest challenge facingteacher education programs, the recruitment ofquality teachers was named by more professors(247o) than any other factor. And in what is perhapsan indication of their concern about teacher quality,67Vo of the education professors surveyed endorsewithout reservation a proposal to require teachersto pass tests demonstrating proficienry in key sub-jects before they are hired.

Three out ofevery 4 educationprofessors (75%)compla¡n that toomany of theirstudents havetrouble wr¡t¡ngessays that arefree of mistakesin grammar andspelling.

18 @ 1997 Public Asenda

"You can only doso much with cur-rent material; weneed to emphasizegrowing teachersat lower levels.And it's going totake a while."- Los Angelesprofessor

Almost as many (63%) ftankJy admit that educationprograms often fail to prepare teachers for the

challenges of teaching inthe real world. "I heardthe latest figure is thatwithin 5 years half thepeople who started outteaching are no longerteaching," said a Chicagoeducation professor. Yetan ovenvhelming majorityremain convìnced that thestudents their own pro-grams produce are readyto succeed. Nearly 7 in 10(68Vo) say that mostprospective teachers who

graduate from their program come close to therrideal vision of the classroom teacher, suggestingthat perhaps their doubts center on teachers gradu-ating from other institutions' programs.

FOLLOWINC MY HEART

A natural question is whether the doubts they them-selves admit to - their concerns about the quality ofthe teacher pool, their fears that they are detachedfrom real classrooms, and their fears that prospec-tive teachers are not prepared for the real world -lead education professors to reexamine their idealizedand elaborate teaching agenda. In focus groups, themoderator asked if their doubts suggest the pursuit ofgoals more in tune with reality. In other words, arethey letting the perfect be the enemy of the good?

The response was almost instinctive resistance andrecoil. In the words of one Chicago professor, "Ifwe weren't the idealists, who is going to be?" In LosAngeles, a professor said, "It's my obligation as a

teacher trainer to follow my heart, and I don't thinkthe expectations can ever be too great, becausewe're talking about our future. It may sound idealis-tic, but that's what keeps me going as a teacher."

DIFFERENT DRUMMERS: How Tþachers of Tþachers View Public Education 19

Education professors support a corebut often balk at requiring studentsple academic skills and knowledge.

YES TO STANDARDS _AT LEAST IN CONCEPT

Perhaps the most influential reform working its wayacross the nation's education systems is the standardsmovement - an effort to specifr the skills and knowl-edge youngsters ought to know, measure whetherthey've mastered them, and hold schools, students,and others accountable for what is learned.

The public evinces very strong support for higheracademic standards, motivated in large part by anattempt to guarantee that high school graduateshave a grasp of basic academic skills and knowledge.To the public, demonstrating the basics is anabsolutely essential starting point, and manyAmericans - nearly half - suspect that a high schooldiploma today fails to guarantee that "standard."1aThus, the public follows its support for higher stan-dards with support for school policies that imposeconsequences and academic sanctions if studentsfail to achieve the standards.

Education professors also support such standards, atleast on a conceptual level. Two-thitds (66%) say

Only 55%would requirekids to demon-strate they knowproper spelling,

Srammar, andpunctuationbefore getting a

diploma.

today's public schools expecttoo little of their students whenit comes to academic achieve-ment. Seventy-two percentconsider it absolutely essentialfor prospective teachers tohave high expectations of allstudents. Seventy-one percentbelieve that setting up clearguidelines on what kids shouldlearn and teachers shouldteach in every major subjectwill improve education. "Thenational standards in science

education are going to do a lot; I'm putting a lotinto that," said a New York professor.

Education professors expect higher academic stan-dards to produce positive results. Two-thirds (66%)say kids would pay more attention and study harderif the public schools adopted higher standards.Seven in 10 (70%) say kids would actually learnmore as a result. Many also believe there will becosts associated with this reform, with almost half(47%) predicting that more kids will drop out.Another 27% say that as a result of higher academicexpectations more students will dislike educationand resist learnins.

curriculum and higher academic standardsto pass tests that demonstrate relatively sim-

RELUCTANT TO TEST

But while supporting standards in concept, profes-sors of education seem reluctant to put into placeconcrete, high-stakes tests that would signal whenkids are meeting the standards or at least heading inthe right direction.

Raising the bar of academic requirements for youngerchildren garners only tepid support from educationprofessors. Six in ten (60%) do support what stan-dards advocates regard as crucial - requiring kids topass tests demonstrating proficienry in key subjectsbefore they can graduate, But only 49Vo believeraising the standards of promotion from gradeschool to junior high and letting kids move aheadonly when they pass a test showing they've reachedthose standards, would do a great deal to improveacademic achievement. In sharp contrast, the per-cantage reaches 70Vo among the general public.ls

And while 76% of education orofessors would notatlow kids to graduate from hìgh school unless theyclearly demonstrate they can write and speakEnglish well, many balk at requiring kids to demon-strate specific language skills. Only 55Vo wotldrequire kids to demonstrate they know properspelling, grammar, and punctuation before gettinga diploma.

Education professors show similar discomfort withanother test of common knowledge: Just 33% wouldrequire kids to know the names and geographiclocation of the 50 states before getting a diploma."Why should they know that?" asked a Los Angelesprofessor. "They need to know how to find outwhere they are. When I need to know that, I can golook it up. That's the important piece, and here iswhat's hard to get parents to understand."

EXPLAININC THE CAP

On the one hand, education professors support theconcept of higher academic standards and expecta-tions; on the other, they seem reluctant to place tan-gible stakes on their achievement - to put teeth inthe standards. What accounts for the gap?

For one thing, as we have seen, professors of educa-tion question the reliability and value of standard-ized tests - generally a major component of i¡itiativesto raise standards. What's more, many professors ofeducation believe that oublic concerns over the

20 A ß9'l Public Agenda

basics are wildly overblown, and that schools havethe basics well in hand. Said a Boston professor, "Itmakes good press to say that students graduate andcan't read and can't write, but 90% fsic] of the stu-dents who graduate can." The pursuit of guarantee-ing the basics may seem too modest a goal to theseteachers of teachers. Yet it is interestins to recalllha|T5Vo of education orofessors themJelves com-plain about too many eãucation students having"trouble writing essays free of mistakes in grammarand spelling."

A¡other reason teacher educators resist concretetesting for standards is a concern that it would refo-

"Standards isnothing to get realexcited about.They put a lot ofmoney into it. lt issomebody's qu¡ckand dirty solutionto a very compl¡-cated problem."- Boston professor

cus the energy in classroomson the tests and away fromtheir definition of goodteaching practices. "Helpingpeople respond to standardsis a good thing," remarked a

New York professor, whoalso issued a warning aboutsuch standards: "If they'renot adhered to or achievedin the right way, they stiflecreativity. I know this fromtalking to students in sec-ondary education. I say,'Try

this innovative approach, try to get the students todo a little cooperative learning.'They say,'No, theteacher's got to get this in through the Regents

[standardized exams New York high schoolers takefor their diploma] and we've got to get this donebecause we have to reach this standard that thestate has imposed."'

MANY VARIATIONS

And perhaps because professors of education havethought long and hard about many of these issues,their views are often nuanced and comolex, In thefocus group discussions. the education professorswere often equivocal about any reform proposal:hedging, specifying conditions, and requiring elabo-rations. It is far easier, therefore, to gain their assentto broad conceptual proposals than to concrete ones,to which all sorts of exceptions and conditions popup in their minds. A New York professor tried toexplain her hesitancy about standards this way:"When you say what sttdents should learn I thinkwe would all agree on certain concepts, ideas, expe-riences that all students should have in common.But rvhen you say when fhey should learn, and howthey should learn, then there are many variations."

Nor is it uncommon to find education orofessorssupporting goals for the schools but deìlining tomake them a concrete part of their own teaching

agenda. They support, for example, having schoolsemphasize "such work habits as being on time,dependable, and disciplined" by a wide margin (78%).But, as seen earlier, only l2Vo believe it is absolutelyessential for public school teachers to expect studentsto be neat, on time, and polite.

SUBJECT TO ABUSE

Moreover, since education professors do not believeacademic sanctions are an important part of moti-vating kids to learn, high-stakes exams that wouldhold back under-performing kids strike them as

counterproductive and subject to abuse. A NewYork orofessor said. "Standards can sometimes be':used to punish individuals, in particular the disabledpopulation, who are going to be thrown into thispool... [it] becomes a hammer to hit those peoplewho did not make it. And that is not what vou wanteducation to be about."

In the end, there is considerable doubt among edu-cation professors that higher standards - and whatcomes with them - are a cure for what ails theschools. When standards and discipline are matchedup against more resources, smaller classes, andincreased support as the "best way to improve theschools," two-thirds (68%) lavor investing inresources while only 29Vo favor higher standardsand more discipline. "Standards is nothing to getreal excited about," said a Boston professor. "Theyput a lot of money into it. It is somebody's quick anddirty solution to a very complicated problem."

CHART 5.

Best way to improve local public schoolsr

Give them more money for up-to-date equip-ment, smaller classes, and increased supportfor kids with the greatest problems

Have higher standards and more discipline -things that do not require additional money

DIFFERENT DRUMMERS: How Teachers of Tþachers View Public Education 21

SAYINC AMEN TO HIRSCH?

Ideological firefights over teaching courses inWestern civilization or the classical works that con-stitute "the canon" routinely break out in America'suniversities, spilling over into academic journals andthe political arena. The tone of these conflictssuggests a veritable war, pitting those who assail "dead,white European males" on one side against thedefenders of the pillars of civilization on the other.

It is somewhat surprising, therefore, that educationprofessors seem generally comfortable with relyingupon a Western civilization-based core curriculumin the public schools. Six in 10 (59%) wonldapprove of a core curriculum with specific knowl-edge and skill standards spelled out for each grade

level. And their responses to

to learn." Finally, 3 in 10 (30%) argue that "sincethere is no consensus on what constitutes this corebody ofknowledge, teachers cannot be expected toteach it." A Chicago professor said, "When I read

[E. D.] Hirsch's bookCultural Literacy,I don't findmyself opposed to people knowing those things...

[but] I find Hinch and myself to be keyed into a partic-ular culture, a particular ethnicity. . . And I don't want toimpose mine on people whose culture is different."

TEACHINC KIDS TO HATE IT

If most education professors believe that a studentwho has not been exposed to the Western canon(Shakespeare included) has been "cheated," onemight also expect many to support a requirementthat kids know classic works from such writers as

Shakespeare and Plato before receiving a diploma.But only l6Vo of all professors suweyed do so. Whatexplains the drop-off?

Support for the Western canon comes with somequalifications and caveats bome of the same thinkingthat drives professors to support standards more inconcept than in practice. "You think of Shakespeareas something that should obviously be on the list,"began a New York professor, "but more peoplehave been destroyed in their connection withShakespeare because of inappropriate teaching atan inappropriate level. Something that looks terrificin the canon - like in literature - we wind up teachingkids to hate. If they hate it, what's the point?"

A Chicago professor voiced these resewations:"With the core curriculum, we forget that theseought to be ongoing conversations that never end.Unfortunately, what happens is that people engagei¡r these activities thinking that there's an end, thatwe're going to come up with a list or test, as

opposed to teachers constantly haggling back andforth."

Professors of education consistently resist initiativesthat in their view would remove the mystery and dis-covery from teaching and learning by codifying andenforcing a particular body of knowledge. Settlingon a required academic agenda, many believe, wouldlead to mindless teaching and parroted learnilg,undermining a vision of education based on constantquestioning. Said a Chicago professor, "I have yetto see anything in Hirsch that I wouldn't want mystudents to know, but I wouldn't say 'this is it,' norwould I say that if they failed to achieve it, theyfailed in their education. Education to me is aprocess, not a product. Common knowledge is aproduct."

"l'd ratherthey understandthe concept ofcolonialism andimperialism thanto know whenColumbusdiscoveredAmerica."- New Yorkprofessor

questions about whether "thepublic schools must teach acore body of knowledge thatincludes great literature, suchas Shakespeare, and impor-tant historical documentssuch as the Constitution" -questions intended to capturethe pro- and anti-canon senti-ment in the core curriculumdebate - place most educa-tion professors squarely inthe pro-Western civilizationcamp. For example, 3 in 4(71%) say it is critical forstudents to "sain a shared

understanding of this body of knowledge becauseit has defined our culture." Another 3 in 4 (76Vo)say that "any student who receives a high schooldiploma without being exposed to this core bodyof knowledge has been cheated in a fundamentalway."

A'RELATIVIST' CONTI NCENT

Survey and focus group responses did uncover a

significant "relativist" contingent which finds itinappropriate to promulgate the canon in the publicschools. For example, 37Vo say "designating a corebody of knowledge amounts to unfairly imposingone group's cultural values on others." "I'd ratherthey understand the concept of colonialism andimperialism," said a New York professor, "than toknow when Columbus discovered America."

About one-third (34Vo) say a core curriculum "wouldneedlessly distract teachers from teaching kids how

22 @ 1997 Public Agenda

THE CONSERVATIVE _ LIBERAL SPLIT

But even as the clash over a core curriculum seemsunexpectedly muted, a closer look reveals powerfulideological differences on many issues, signalingthat some of the harshest battles in this realm ofacademia may indeed be driven by consewative -liberal disagreements.

As part of the study, professors were asked to statetheir political leanings, and the study results showconsewative (15%) and liberal (29%) educalionprofessors often disagree over the goals and meth-ods of teaching. While more than half of conserva-tives (54%) believe academic sanctions are animportant'way to motivate kids to learn, onTy 3lVoof liberals agree. Conservatives ate far more likelythan liberals to support a requirement that kidsknow proper spelling, grammar, and punctuatronbefore they graduate high school (68% to a2%).

Conservatives are also more likely than liberals toworry that the early use of calculators in elemen-tary schools can hamper kids from learning basicarithmetic skills (50% to 37%). And when itcomes to students who are new immigrants, S2Vo

of conservatives - but only 44Vo of liberals -believe the schools' priority should be to helpthem learn America's language and culture as

quickly as possible, even if their native languageand culture suffer as a result. Education profes-sors often cite research when justifying their pre-ferred pedagogical practices, but this study sug-

gests that it may be their self-ascribed ideologicalloyalties that seem to partially explain their pref-erences.

THE MIDDLE GROUND

These percentage differences are sizable and occurrepeatedly throughout the study. These differencesmight lead one to concludethat the teacher educationfield is indeed extremelypolarized. Although thiõ is

sometimes the case, liberal

It is also importantto keep in mindthat 51% of

andconservativeprofessors education profes-agree on many issues. For

sors descriLeexample, conservatives(86Vi) andliberals (92Vo) themselves asboth believe teachers should moderates whensee themselves as facilitators ¡t comes to theiroflearning, not asconvey- _ _r.,.__r _.!-__..ors of knoñiedge. Another polltlcal vlews'example: Only 19% of con-servatives and only l5Vo ofhberals believe in requir-ing kids to know classic works from Shakespeareand Plato before graduating.

It is also important to keep in mind lhat 5I%o ofeducation professors actually describe themselves as

moderates when it comes to their political views. Asone might expect, as a group, education professorswho are moderates often stake a middle groundbetween their liberal and conservative peers.

CHART 6.

When it comes to students who are new immigrants, the public schools'primary goal should be tohelp new immigrants:

Total Conservatives Moderates Liberals

Absorb America's language and culture asquickþ as possible, even if their native 57Vo 82Vo 59% MVolanguage and culture are neglected

Maintain their ovùn language and culture, evenif it takes them longer to absorù America's 40Vo I6Vo 39% 52Vo

language and culture

DIFFERENT DRUMMERS: How Teachers of Teachers View Public Education 23

Teachers of teachers think of public education as an almost sacred democraticinstitution that is under siege and unfairly blamed for problems not of its making.They rally to its defense and reject reforms that challenge the primacy of publicschools. Education professors also believe that their ovm programs are unfairlyblamed and unappreciated.

THE LAST PUBLIC SPACE

To professors of education, America's public schoolsystem is a critical - perhaps the critical - nationalinstitution, not merely because of the learning itfosters but because of the crucial democratic andsocial functions it serves. Virtually all of thosesurveyed (95%) say that the statement "publiceducation is the nation's most critical democraticinstitution and should be protected at all costs"comes close to their own uìew; 75Vo say this statementcomes very close to their views.

In the minds of education professors, public educa-tion serves a broad civic function by creating citizenscapable of participating in democratic political life,regardless oftheir cultural origins. In the words of aNew York professor, "I really feel that publicschools are one of our last public spaces. And it isreally a part of our democratic society...this is theway all of this diversity can be put together."

Education professors also believe that public educa-tion's mission is to redress some of the inequitiesborne of poverty and the nation's social problems, tolevel the playing field so that kids have a chance fora better life in spite of tough beginnings. "It isimportant to remember that public schools are thelast public institution where society is working withevery youngster and working out its social ills,"reflected a Boston professor.

HELP FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST

To further this vision, education professors make amajor investment in training prospective teachers towork in classrooms where diversity and differencesare the norm. More than half (54Vo) say that theirprograms place"a lot" of emphasis on preparing

prospective teachers to teach kids from diverse ethnicand cultural backgrounds. "The one concept I wantmy students to have firmly within them is that theywill be always struggling to provide their studentsequal educational opportunities [EEO]," said a LosAngeles professor. "You're never going to reachEEO, but the more you try to provide it the better.In the past, we have not strived the same foreverybody. I want my students committed and tounderstand that the strategies you're going touse are different from Mary Brown to JuanitaJimenez."

Teacher educators seem especially intent on insuringthat students who might have been neglected oroverlooked in the past willnow benefit from new teach-ers who are sensitive andalert to their needs. About 4in 70 @3%) say theirprograms place "a lot" ofemphasis on trainingprospective teachers toidentiff learning disabledstudents.

There is one group of stu-dents - those consideredacademically gifted - whoseneeds appear to carry lesspriority than other groups.Teacher education programsseem to invest far less energyin training prospective teach-ers to identify talented andgifted students in their classrooms; in fact, only l57oput "a lot" of emphasis on identifying such students.One professor in Los Angeles explained this as

simply recognizingwho needed less help. "The con-ventional wisdom," he said, "is that they can takecare of themselves."

"l really feel thatpublic schoolsare one of ourlast publicspaces. And it is

really a part ofour democrat¡csociety...this is

the way all of thisdiversity can beput together."

- New Yorkprofessor

24 @ 1997 Public Aeenda

But another professor had an even broader explana-tion for the relatively mild interest in trainingprospective teachers to identiff gifted kids: "It's afundamental philosophical issue. . .If education is themajor building block of a democratic society, thenyou worry more about raising the floor...thefundamental goal is to give as many children aspossible the tools to participate in a democraticsociety." And while schools in the past would oftentrack students by ability, the strategy has apparentlyfallen into disfavor with many educators. A littleover half ofthe education professors surveyed (54%)favor less reliance on homogenous grouping; and anidentical 54Vo majority believes that mixing fast andslow learners in the same class would improve kids'academic achievement.

DEFENDINC PUBLIC SCHOOLS

The sense that the public school system is thenation's cornerstone democratic institution mayexplain why education professors strongly resistproposals to offer parents vouchers, something theyfear would undermine the institution they so prize.Given a list of seven measures designed to capturepopular reform proposals currently "in the air" -from smaller schools, to public school choice, toteacher testing, to vouchers -vouchers garner thelowest support and most resistance from teachereducators. A plurality (44%) drsapproves of vouchers,and an additional 377owould approve ofthem onlyunder certain conditions.'A lot ofrhetoric onvouchers is rampant individualism," said a New Yorkprofessor, "and forgets the fact that we are in a societytogether, and we depend on each other."

Many education professors do endorse providingmore choice for parents as long as choice is permittedonly within the public school domain. A52Vo majorityapproves of allowing parents to choose among publicschools; orly 12%o would disapprove of the measure.

Not surprisingly, political views strongly affecf atti-tudes on how to improve the public schools. Liberalsoverwhelmingly (617o) believe that one of the mosteffective ways to improve the schools is to give thema lot more money; few conservatives - only 37% -concur. Given two strategies fòr improving the publicschools - more money and equipment versus higherstandards and more discipline - conservativeprofessors are far more likely than their liberal col-leagues to opt for standards and discipline (597o to20%). Liberal professors are lar more likely to optfor money and equipment (77% to 407o).

Conservatives are more likely to tout school choiceand free-market proposals. Two-thirds (66%) ofconservatives endorse, without conditions, publicschool choice - while only 44% of liberals do thesame. And conservatives are four times more likelythan liberals to endorse vouchers without conditions(40Vo ro l0%).While 61% of conservatives believeteacher tenure is often an obstacle to schoolimprovemenf, only 43Vo of liberals agree.

EVEN IN THE WORST CASE

To gauge how committed education professors areto public education, the suwey presented them withthis scenario: A public school district in a low-income community has failed to give kids a qualityeducation for 15 years - even after it received addi-tional resources and new leadershio. Which of fouroptions - charter schools, more time and money, astate takeover, or private school vouchers - wouldtheywant to try next? Even in this worst-case scenario,only I9Vo would "give parentsvouchers to make privateschools a more atlbrdable "A lot of rhetoricchoice." This is virtuallyindistinguishable from the2lVo who would give thesame district still more time

on vouchersis rampantindividualism and

and money to i-prou". iîã forgets the factplurality (40%)worldoptfor that we are ¡n astrongly encouraging the cre- sgç¡ety tOgether;ation of charter schools rnthe district.

One might think that charterschools could be a preferredreform since they can workwithin the public schoolmodel. But in response to another question on char-ter schools, only 40Vo approve ofthemwithout reser-vation, while an additional 477o would approve butonly under certain conditions. The reservations areat least partly driven by suspicions that charterschools siphon off resources from the public schools.A Boston professor said, "I think a lot of these thingssound good on paper, but in reality tend to under-mine the existing public school system. . .I use as anexample charter schools. I think on paper they lookwonderful, they give you all kinds of opportunities,until you really look at them closely. And essentiallythey are pulling [out] tax money that is supportingthe public school. All of these things are just filter-ing off from what should be our strongest asset inthis country."

and we depend oneach other."

- New Yorkprofessor

DIFFERENT DRUMMERS: How Tþachers of Tþachers View Public Education 25

There is a corresponding resentment of privateschools and a sense that they are wrongly used as thestandard against which to compare public schools.Two-thirds of the teachers of teachers (67%) believethat when "you take into account the differences inthe children they teach," private schools are not betterthan public schools. The focus group discussionssometimes revealed suspicions that private schoolsflourish for reasons other than academic achieve-ment. "I think parochial schools are a blatant exampleof white flight," said a Boston professor. "I don'tthink people are in them for religious reasons.. .

They are there because they are all-white schools."

A PERSONAL STRUGCLE

Some professors had faced the decision of where tosend their own children, and their comments indi-

cated that this provided anemotional litmus test ofsorts. "I actually did whatall the choice advocatesdescribe," said one NewYork professor. "I was amiddle-class parent whosaid, 'I will seek out thelocation where I canrespect and have confi-dence in the public schools.'And I am a public schooladvocate. But if I hadstayed in the city, I wouldhave almost definitely sentmy child to private school. Imade the choice to move to

"For me, it's a moral issue," said another New Yorkprofessor. "Particularly as an educator, you think,'What am I doing, pulling my kids out of a schoolwhere I could exert pressure for change?' But thenwhen you look at it from your child's perspective,you say, 'Do I sacrifice my child?"'

POL ITICAL LY MOTIVATE D ?

The educators' sense of the public schools as a fun-damental cornerstone of democratic society is coupledwith a sense that public schools are now undersevere stress, pressed by too many social problemsand vulnerable to politically-motivated criticisms andnegative press coverage. More than 8 in I0 (85%o)

say that "the schools are expected to deal with toomany social problems." In discussing the difficultiesof teaching, one university professor in Boston said,"The task of [teaching] is exacerbated by the ills ofsociety that are put upon the schools. The school is

asked to solve far, far too many problems...[Yet] wemust, as a society, do something for this generationof kids."

As for the doubts the public displays, professors ofeducation believe these are driven by negative mediastories - either a lack of information or a glut ofmisinformation. Two-thirds (657o) say the "declinein public confidence result ofnegative press cover half (54Vo)

suspect some of the llY motivat-ed and "come from right-wing groups who want toundermine public education." A New York profes-sor's focus group comment illustrates this thinking:"I think we have to be careful about media portrayalof schools...It's often extremely negative, and a lot ofthat has to do with political motivations to essentiallyshut down what is the last public space to preparecitizens."

In the face of such obstacles and challenges, manyprofessors think the schools deserve praise. Mostgive the public schools high marks,withTíVo sayingthe schools they have personally come in contactwith are doing an excellent or good job.

/'lf I had stayed inthe city, I wouldhave almostdefinitely sent mychild to privateschool. I made thechoice to move toanother district inorder to send mychild to a publicschool." - NewYork professor

another district in order tosend my child to a public school."

About one-quarter (26Vo) of those professors withchildren have sent their children, at least at somepoint, to private school. And one-third (34%) of theeducators whose kids attended only public schooladmitted they had seriously considered sending theirchildren to private school instead. Such calculationsand actions often led to intense internal struggling.

26 @ 1997 Public Agenda

THE EMBATTLED TEACHER PROCRAMS

Just as they feel the public schools are under siege,professors of education believe their own professionis not given the respect it deserves and that teachereducation programs are often unfairly maligned.

Fllly 82% say teacher education programs arsunfairly blamed for the problems facing public edu-cation. "The major reason I was attracted to this

[focus group] conversation," said a New Yorkprofessor, "was that for once, teacher educatorswere going to have something to say about what'sgoing on in the schools. Usually when all the blameis laid out. it falls at the door of the teachereducators."

There is a widespread sense among education pro-fessors that their stature is questioned even in thehalls of academia, Roughly 8 in 10 (79%) say tha|teacher education programs are often treated as

second-class citizens within the higher educationsystem. "Not enough money, not enough people,not enough grants are available to us," complaineda Chicago professor. And to add insult to injury,many professors of education (54%) also believethat "education programs are too often seen as

cash cows by university administrators."

PEOPLE THINK ANYONE CAN DO IT

To many teacher educators, the eústence of alterna-tive teacher certification programs is a signal thatthe value of their programs is doubted. Over half(567o) say such programs weaken the overall qualityof teachers while 37Voinstead say they are "amuch needed solution tothe shortage of publicschool teachers."

Some were open to thepossibility that alternativecertification programs wouldtap needed talent. "I thinkthere are good teachers thatcome out of that system,"said another professor inthe same focus group, "andI do believe there should besome alternative certifica-tion... there are people who are just naturals andthey don't need all our pedagogy." But others wereopenly disdainful. "People think anyone can do it,"said a Chicago professor, "because theywatch us allday long. That is the real problem. Everybody thinksthat all they have to do is get up there and open theirmouth."

"People think any-one can do it...That is thereal problem.Everybody thinksthat all they haveto do is get upthere and opentheir mouth."- Chicagoprofessor

DIFFERENT DRUMMERS: How Teachers of Teachers View Public Education 27

INSPIRED, BUT POORLY ARMEDBy Deborah Wadsworth

Idealists can often light the \ryay as humanity strivesto improve itseli but is there a point when a vision-ary agenda is so detached from daily concerns that itbecomes counterproductive? Professors of educationhave a particular vision of what teaching should be -one that has some appealing features. But theirprescriptions for the public schools gloss over theconcerns voiced variously by the public, parents,classroom teachers, business leaders, educationreformers, and even students themselves. This idealismmight seem to be a kind of rarified blindness to manyAmericans - one that glorifies the ideal, quite ignor-ing the possible or the useful. If there's a singlequestion raised by this recent Public Agenda study,it is, "What price perfection?" Or, to put it anotherway, has the professors' strategy for educationbecome a riveting example of letting the perfect bethe enemy of the good?

Education professors argue passionately for anapproach to teaching that will nurture inquiring,curious minds that are open to new information.

ls there a po¡ntwhen a visionaryagenda is so

detached fromdaily concerns thatit becomescounterproductive?

capable of solving problems,and resoectful of differentpoints ófview and alterna-tive paths for getting fromhere to there. Surely noone could fault this premise,and virtually every group(however much they mayargue about other matters)agrees that love of learningis a worthy goal. But while

others acknowledge the professors'vision, most ofthe professors themselves seem remarkablydismissive of the educational concerns of nearlyeverybody else.

OUTMODED BELIEFS

Most typical Americans - along with mostemployers - are alarmed by the number of young-sters they see who lack even basic skills, particularlysuch fundamentals as spelling and grammar. But foreducation professors, training teachers who stresscorrect English usage is a distinctly low priority.Typical Americans - given the dismal skills they seeamong many of today's students - wonder whethernew teaching techniques really produce reliable edu-cational results. But most orofessors discount suchconcerns, characteianngthe public's views on teaching

as "outmoded and mistaken." 'We want more parentinvolvement, the professors seem to be saying, as

long as parents and taxpayers are brought up tospeed.

FEW TANCIBLE STAKES

The public has voiced repeated concerns about disci-pline in the schools, and teachers often talk painfullyabout their struggles to maintain orderly classroomsand cope with rowdy, disruptive students. But onceagain, most professors of education consider this a

low-level problem. Teacher education programs, bytheir report, give scant attention to the challenges ofmanaging an unruly classroom. Teachers, the profes-sors seem to say, could resolve their problems if theywould just create more engaging lesson plans basedupon more active learning.

Reformers. elected officials. and concerned businessleaders have called for more rigorous academic stan-dards and more accountability, and the professorssay they too support higher standards and expecta-tions. But they seem reluctant to attach any tangiblestakes to student achievement or to consent to anyviable means of measuring it. They distrust mostforms of testing and quickly back away from anyaction that smacks of a negative sanction.

ADULTS DON'T CARE

As we analyzed the results of this study, I frequentlyrecalled how poignantly the teenagers we interviewedfor our earlier Getting By report yeamed for order,structure, accountability, and moral authority intheir lives. I remember their evocation of a roughand coarse environment in which no one seems tonotice how flagrant cheating is or whether home-work is turned in on time. Seeing some classmatesconsistently violate the rules and get away with itor repeatedly disrupt their classes and go right ondoing it, sent a shockingly clear signal to many teens:Adults don't really care what we do. But professorsof education have little to say about all this, withmost acknowledging that they have not been in aclassroom for more than 15 years.

Yet even as they tenaciously hold onto their ownview of the practice of education, the professorsvoice doubts about whether their programs, their

28 @ l99l Public Agenda

teachers-il-training, or they themselves are up tothe task. Roughly 3 in 4 professors say they some-times or often come across students whom they seri-ously doubt have what it takes to be good teachers.

UNQUESTIONABLY RICHT?

My point here is not to play the all-too-frequentgame of blame-shifting, nor to suggest that the pro-fessors'idealism about learnins does not have animportant message within it. B-ut the discomectbetween what the professors want and what mostparents, teachers, and students say they need isoften staggering. It seems ironic that so many ofthose who profess to believe that "the real endeavor"is about questioning and learning how to learn areseemingly entrapped in a mind-set that is unques-tioning in its conviction of its own rightness.

To hold onto a goal that one believes is worthwhileis an important mission. But isn't it also fair to ask

teachers of teachers to listen more empathetically toboth the public's and the teachers'concerns? lsnt ittime education professorsbegan a dialogue whichacknowledges that the tes-timony of parents andteachers and employersand students may havesomething of value in it?

As with other PublicAgenda studies, I believethatDffirent Drummersposes a challenging ques-tion for those who want toimprove the schools - one we cannot afford toignore any longer. How can we possibly serve thenation's children well if more than 100,000graduates of education programs - nursed by theirprofessors'vision - enter the nation's classroomseach year prepared for an ideal, but unarmed forthe reality?

But the disconnectbetween what theprofessors wantand what mostparents, teachers,and students saythey need is oftenstaggering.

DIFFERENT DRUMMERS: How Tèachers of Teachers View public Education 29

Question: Teacher education programs can impart different qualities to their students andI want to ask which qualities you think are most essential and which are least essential.Please use a L to 5 scale, where 1 means it is least essential and 5 means it is absolutelyessential to impart.

7o responding item is "absolutely essential"

Teachers who are themselves lifeJong learners and constantly updating their skills 84%

Tþachers committed to teachins kids to be active learners who know how to learn 82

Tþachers who will have high expectations of all their students 72

Tþachers who are deeply knowledgeable about the contentof the specific subjects they will be teaching

57

Teachers who are well-versed in theories of child development and learning 46

Tþachers prepared to teach in schools with limited resources andwhere many kids come to class not ready to learn

45

Teachers trained in pragmatic issues of running a classroom suchas managing time and preparing lesson plans

47

Teachers who maintain discipline and order in the classroom JI

Teachers who stress correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation 19

Tèachers who expect students to be neat, on time, and polite 12

Note: Rounding may cause slight discrepancies between numbers in tables and numbers in the text.

30 @ 1997 Public Aeenda

Question: We know that these are complicated issues and that many of the following viewson teacher education will vary from school to school. When responding, please think ingeneral terms and tell me how close each comes to your own view. [Insert item] Is thatvery close, somewhat close, not too close, or not close at all to your view?

7o responding item is "very close" or "somewhat close"

Teacher education programs need to do a better job weedingout students who are unsuitable for the profession

86%

Most professors of education need to spend more time inK-12 classrooms 84

Teacher education programs are often unfairly blamed for the problems facingpublic education

82

Teaching programs and professors of education are often treatedas second-class citizens within the higher education system

79

Teacher education programs produce good teachers, but pressure and lackof support in many schools make it difficult for classroom teachers to succeed 79

Too many education students have trouble writing essays free ofmistakes in grammar and spelling 75

Teacher education programs are loaded down with outdatedrequirements and state mandates that stand in the way of good teaching 63

Tþacher education programs often fail to prepare teachers for the challengesof teaching in the real world 63

When a public school teacher faces a disruptive class, it probably means he or shehas failed to make lessons engaging enough to the students

61

Teacher education programs are too often seen as cash cowsby university administrators 54

Great teachers are born. not made 33

DIFFERENT DRUMMERS: How TÞachers of Tþachers View Public Education 31

Question: Thinking about the typical K - 12 classroom, would you like to see more, lessor about the same use of the following learning tools?

Portfolios and other authentic assessments 78%

Computer programs that enable kids to practice skills on their own

Mixed ability grouping

Homework assignments

for students who break the rules

Homogenous grouping

Memorization

Prizes to reward sood behavior in the classroom

Multiple-choice exams

32 @ t99l Public Agenda

Question: How much emphasis do you or does your teacher education program placeon teaching prospective teachers how to do the following, a lot, some, a little, or noneaf all?

7o responding"ùlot" of emphasis

Teaching kids from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds 54%

Identifying students with learning disabilities +J

Teaching prospective teachers to manage a rowdy classroom 30

Communicating with parents 27

Identifying gifted students 15

Handling cheating or lying by students

DIFFERENT DRUMMERS: How Tþachers of Teachers View Public Education 33

Question: Some people say there is a core body of knowledge that includes great litera-ture, such as Shakespeare, and important historical documents, such as the Constitution,that the public schools and teachers must teach. Here are different views on this issue,please tell us how closely each comes to your own view. [Insert item] Is that very close,somewhat close, not too close, or not close at all to your view?

7o responding item is "vera close" or "somelvhat closet'

It is critical for kids to gain a common, shared understanding of thiscore body of knowledge because it has defined our culture

I t70

Any student who receives a high school diploma without being exposedto this core body of knowledee has been cheated in a fundamental way 76

Designating a core body of knowledge amounts to unfairly imposing onegroup's cultural values on others 37

Emphasizing a core body of knowledge would needlessly distractteachers from their most important goal, teaching kids how to learn 34

Since there is no consensus on what constitutes this core body ofknowledge, teachers cannot be expected to teach it 30

34 @ 1997 Public Agenda

Question: Here are some perceptions about the nation's public schools. How close doeseach come to your own view? [Insert item] Is that very close, somewhat close, not too close,or not at all close to your own view?

70 responding item is "very close" or "somewhat close"

Public education is the nation's most critical democratic institution and should beprotected at all costs

95Vo

The schools are expected to deal with too many social problems 85

The general public has outmoded and mistaken beliefs about what goodteaching means

79

Even when the schools get more money, it often does not get to the classrooms 78

Academic standards in today's schools are too low and kids are not expected tolearn enough

78

Too many school systems are top heavy with bureaucracy and administration 77

The schools should pay very careful attention to what business wants from highschool graduates

75

Considering the differences in the children they teach, private schools don't do abetter job than the public ones 67

Much of the decline in public confidence in public schools is a result of negativepress coverage 65

Too many kids get passed on to the next grade when they should be held back 61

One of the most effective ways to improve the schools is to give them a lotmore money

54

Many of the criticisms of the public schools come from right-wing groups who wantto undermine public education

54

More often than not, teacher tenure is an obstacle to improving the schools 52

Most of the problems facing schools today are confined to urban school systems

DIFFERENT DRUMMERS: How Teachers of Tþachers View Public Education

22

35

Question: I am going to read you some ideas for changing the way public schools teach. Foreach, I'd like you to tell me if you think it would improve kids' academic achievement.Please use a L to 5 scale, where 1 means it would not improve academic achievement at alland 5 means it would improve academic achievement a great deal.

EDUCATION K-I2 GENERALPROFESSORS TEACHERS PUBLIC

Vo givtng item a 6'4" ot t65tt rating

Emphasizing such work habits as being on time, dependable,and disciplined

7B% 93Vo 88%

Not allowing kids to graduate from high school unless theyclearly demonstrate they can write and speak English well 76 88B3

Setting up very clear guidelines on what kids should learnand the teachers should teach in every maior subiect. so thekids and the teachers will know what io aim for " 828071

Taking persistent troublemakers out of class so that teacherscan concentrate on the kids who want to learn 738866

Permanently removing from school grounds kids who arecaught with drugs or with weapons 76B466

Replacing multiple-choice tests with essays to measure whatkids learn 4760

Mixing fast learners and slow learners in the same class sothat slower kids learn from faster kids J+40

Raising the standards of promotion from grade school tojunior high and only letting kids move ahead when they passa test showing they have reached those standards

706249

Adapting how schools teach to the background of students,such as using street language to teach inner-city kids 201518

36 @ 1997 Public Agenda

Dffirent Drummers is based on a telephone surveyof 900 randomly selected professors of education whowork in colleges and universities throughout thecontinental United States. Prior to the survey, PublicAgenda senior staff interviewed ten experts in thefield of teacher education and conducted four focusgoups with professors of education across the country.

THE TELEPHONE SURVEY

Interviews with 900 professors of education wereconducted by phone between July 9 and September5,1997. The margin of error for the sample is plusor minus 3Vo.Intewiews averaged 47 minutes inlength. The survey instrument (questionnaire) wasdesigned by Public Agenda.

The final sample was derived in the following way. Aproportionate random sample of 5,324 teacher edu-cators was drawn from a universe of approximately34,000 teacher educators including deans, chairper-sons, and faculty members from colleges and univer-sities with departments of education that offer abachelor's degree or higher. Each of the teachereducators was contacted at his or her school by mailin May 1997 and invited to participate in the survey.The invitation letter requested information such asthe telephone number where respondents could bestbe reached and their availability for a telephoneinterview during the summer; a business reply enve-lope was provided to facilitate responses. Telephoneinterviews were conducted at times designated asmost convenient for respondents. In addition,respondents were given a toll-free number theycould call at any time - including evenings andweekends - to conduct the interview. The number ofinterviews executed through this process was 778.These were supplemented with an additiorm'l I22interviews completed by calling teacher educatorsdirectly at their places of work at the end of Augustand during the first week of September.

As in all suryeys, question order effects and othernon-sampling sources of error can sometimes affectresults. Steps were taken to minimize these, includ-ing pre-testing the survey instrument and randomiz-ing the order in which some questions were asked.

Sample was supplied by Market Data Retrieval(MDR) of Shelton, Connecticut. Robinson andMuenster Associates, Inc., of Sioux Falls, SouthDakota conducted the interviews.

THE FOCUS CROUPS

Focus groups allow for an in-depth, qualitativeexploration of the dynamics underþing attitudestoward complex issues. Insights from these groups\¡/ere important to the survey design, and quoteswere drawn from them to give voice to attitudes cap-tured statistically through the survey interviews.

The focus groups were conducted in New York,Chicago, Boston, and Los Angeles. The participantswere teacher educators - both professors and admin-istrators - working in teacher education programs infour-year colleges and universities in each of thecities. In all cases, local professional market researchorganizations recruited participants to PublicAgenda's specifications. All focus groups were mod-erated by Public Agenda senior staff.

THE EXPERT INTERVIEWS

Public Agenda interviewed ten experts in the field toobtain a grounding in the current substantive issuesconcerning teacher education. These interviews, con-ducted via telephone in May 1997, incloded deansand professors in departments of education inschools across the country, as well as several leadersof associations and organizations involved with high-er education and teacher preparation.

DIFFERENT DRUMMERS: How Tþachers of TÞachers View Public Education 37

2. Eighty-six percent of the public, and737o of teachers, want students to memorize the multiplication tables and do mathby hand before using calculators. Source: Given the Circumstances: Teachers Thlk About Public Education Tbday (PublicAgenda,1996), p. 19.

3. Divided Within, Besieged Without: The Politics of Education in Four Ameican School Drsrncrs (Public Agenda, 1993),ps. 8-9.

4. Given the Circumstances, p. 76, p. 41.

5. Seventy-one percent of high school students state "too many disruptive students" is a serious problem in their schools,and 68% identiff cheating on tests and assignments as a serious problem. Source: Getting By, p. 15, p. 34, p. 42.

6. First Things First: What Americans Expect from the Public Schools (Public Agenda, 7994), p. 11,, p. 13, p. 41,.

7. Forfy-seven percent of the public surveyed responded that they do not believe a high school degree is a guarantee that astudent has learned the basics. Source:.Assþment Incomplete,The Unfinßhed Busìness of Education Reþrm (PublicAgenda, 1995), p. 19.

8. When high school students were asked to talk about different kinds of teachers, 7I7o responded they would learn a lotmore from "a teacher who is enthusiastic and excited about the subject they teach" with only 29Vo responding that most oftheir teachers are like that now. Sixty-seven percent responded that they would learn a lot more from "a teacher who useshands-on projects and class discussion" and only 22Vo responded that most of their teachers are like that now. Source:Getting By, p.49.

9. Gening By, p. 45.

L0. Getting By, p. 43.

11. Ninety-two percent of the public thinks it is either an "excellent" or "good" idea that schools should place muchgreater emphasis on making learning enjoyable and interesting to elementary school students, and 867o think it is either an"excellent" or "good" idea for high school students. Source: First Things First, p.21,p.43.

72. Given the Circumstances, p.20.

13. Ethan Bronner, "End of Chicago's Education School Stirs Debate," New York Times, 9ll7l97 , é^27 .

14. Ninety-two percent of the public think basic reading, writing, and math skills are "absolutely essential" for local schoolsto be teaching. Forty-seven percent say they do not believe a high school degree is a guarantee that a student has learnedthe basics. Source:..4ssþment Incomplete, p. 19.

1,5. First Things First, p. L5, p. 42.

3B @ 199'7 Public Asenda

Ki.ds These Days: What Americans Realþ Think About The Next Generation. 1997 . A comprehensive study ofAmericans' attitudes toward our nation's youth, including a special focus on the views of black, Hispanic andwhite parents. Will today's children, once grown, make this country a better place? Are parents teaching theirkids right from wrong? What solutions do Americans propose to the problems children face? These questions,and what kids have to say, are addressed in this study. Copies available from Public Agenda for $10,00.

Getting By: WhatAmeican Tëenagers Really ThinkAbout Their Schools.1997. Public high school students are thefocus of this national telephone surr'ey, which looks at how teens view their schools, teachers, and the learningprocess. Includes insights into what students say would motivate them to work harder in school and how theydefine "good" and "bad" teaching. Special sections on black and Hispanic students, private high school students,and students from Jefferson County (KY) and the San Francisco Bay Area are included. Copies are availablefrom Public Agenda for $10.00.

Our Nation's Kids: Is Something ll'rong? 1997. A new National Issues Forums book that focuses on the problemstoday's young people are facing. Three approaches that have wide public support are explored. Copies are avail-able from KendallÆIunt, (800) 228-0810.

Given the Circumstances: Teachers ThlkAbout Public Education Tbday. 1996. Focuses on how public schoolteachers view the performance of the public schools; what children need to learn; and what schools need to beeffective. A special focus on black and Hispanic teachers is included, along with a comparison of the views ofteachers, the public, parents, and community leaders. Copies are available from Public Agenda for $10.00.

Assignment Incomplete: The Unfinßhed Business of Education Refor .1995. A follow-up study to First ThingsFirst (7994), this report examines why public support for public schools is in jeopardy; why Americans are sofocused on the basics; whether people are really committed to higher standards; and whether they value educa-tion in and of itself. Copies are available from Public Agenda for $10.00.

First Things First: Whøt Ameicans Expect from the Public Schools.1994. Looks at how the general public, includ-ing parents of children currently in public schools, views education reform efforts as well as values issues in theschools. Included are detailed analyses of the perspectives ofwhite and black public school parents, as well as

parents identified as traditional Christians. Copies are available from Public Agenda for $10.00.

Professional Development for Teachers: The Public's View. 1995. Examines the potential for both public supportand disappointment with professional development for teachers. Copies are available from Public Agenda for$7.50.

Good News, Bad News: What People Really Think About The Education Press. 7997 . Prepared for the EducationWriters Association, this study explores the attitudes of the general public, parents with children in publicschools, educators, and education reporters and editors, toward media coverage of education. Copies are avail-able from Public Agenda for $7.00.

Americans' Views on Standards: An Assessment by Public Agenda. 1996. Prepared for the 1996 EducationSummit, this assessment draws from Public Agenda's extensive archive of public opinion research on education- including surveys and focus group reports - and from studies by other prominent opinion analysts. Copies areavailable from Public Asenda for $7.50.

Ilhat Our Children Need: South Carolinians Look at Public Education. 7991 . Prepared for the South CarolinaDepartment of Education, this comprehensive study examines how South Carolinians view their public schools.The differences among the public, educators and community leaders in how they look at their schools and whatsolutions they feel are most promising are identified. Copies are available from the South Carolina Departmentof Education, (800) 765-KIDS (in state) or (803) 734-5142.

DIFFERENT DRUMMERS: How Tþachers of Teachers View Public Education 39

Committed to Change: Missouri Citizens and Public Education. 1996. Prepared by Public Agenda for TtreMissouri Partnership for Outstanding Schools, this report describes how Missouri citizens feel about publiceducation. Gaps in perspectives among educators, community leaders, and the public, including a special focuson blacks, are outlined. Copies of the report are available from The Missouri Partnership for OutstandingSchools, 9204F. Broadway, Suite #203, Columbia, MO 65201-4858, (800) 659-4044.

The Broken Contract: Connecticut Citizens Look at Public Education. 7994. Prepared by Public Agenda for theWilliam Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund, this study describes how the citizens of Connecticut feel about pub-lic education and integration in their state and why they hold these attitudes. The gaps among educators, busi-ness leaders, and the public, including a special focus on blacks and Hispanics, are outlined. Copies are avail-able from Public Agenda for $5.50.

Divided Within, Besieged Without: The Politics of Education in Four American School Dßtricts. L993, Prepared byPublic Agenda for the Kettering Foundation, this study of educators, education administrators, parents, andbusiness executives looks at the substantial in-fighting and communication gaps among these groups of educa-tion stakeholders. Copies are available from Public Agenda for $10.00.

Unless otherwise indicated reports can be ordered by calling or writing Public Agenda at 6 East 39th Street,New York, NY 10016; tel: (212) 686-6610; fax: (2I2) 889-3461; online: http://www.publicagenda.org. Shippingand handling costs will be applied.

40 @ 1997 Public Agenda

0fficersCyrus VanceChairman

Daniel YankelovichPresident

Maurice LazarusCh a i rm an, Executive Com m ¡tte e

Board of DirectorsWilliam T. Coleman, Jr.0'Melveny & Myers

Sidney HarmanHarman lnternationallndustries, lnc.

Bobby B. lnmanAdmiral, U.S. Navy (Retired)

David MathewsThe Kettering Foundation

Ann McLaughlinThe Aspen lnstitute

Judith Davidson MoyersPublic Affairs Television, Inc.

Peter G. PetersonThe Blackstone Group

Lois Dickson RiceThe Brookings lnstitution

Deborah WadsworthExecutive Vice President,Public Agenda

Member EmeritusFrank StantonFormer President, CBS

Executive DirectorDeborah Wadsworth

Senior Vice PresidentsJean JohnsonKeith Melville

Vice PresidentsMargaret Suzor DunningSteve FarkasMichael de0ourcy Hinds

Public Agenda StaffMichael BurykDirector of 0nline Services

Margaret Suzor DunningDi rector of Comnunications

Steve FarkasDirector of Research

Will FriedmanDìrector of Public Engagement

Michael deCourcy HindsManaging EdÌtor

John lmmenruahrSenior Research Fellow

Jean JohnsonDirector of Programs

Kathie JohnsonDÌrector of Administration

Keith MelvilleExecutive Editor

Vincent CalabreseCom n u n i c ati o ns Assi stant

Sara CloughCo n m u n i cations Assoc i ate

Joanna CohenResearch Assistant

Caroline CorbinResearch Associate

Ann DuffettSenior Research Associate

Stephen lmmen¡rahrSenior Research Associate

Zarela MaldonadoResearch Assistant

Joanna McHughResearch Assistant

Janet PolokoffReceptionist

Alex TrillingExecut¡ve Ass¡stant

David WhiteWebsite Coordinator

Policy Review BoardTed AshleyNew York, New York

John BrademasPresident Emeritus,New York University

Robeft A. BurnettMeredith Corporation

Louis W. CabotCabot-Wellington

Patricia CarbineMs. Foundation for Education& Communication

Lisle C. Carte¡ Jr.Washington, DC

Dick ClarkThe Aspen lnst¡tute

William K. CoorsAdolph Coors Co.

John C. CulverAren[ Fox, Kintne¡Plotkin, and Kahn

John DieboldThe Diebold lnstitute forPublic Policy Studies, lnc.

Douglas DillonNew York, New York

John T. DunlopHarvard University

William D. EberleManchester Associates

Marian Wright EdelmanChildren's Defense Fund

William EllinghausFormer President, AT&T

John W. GardnerStanford University

Walter E. HoadleyHoover lnstitution

Shirley HufstedlerMorr¡son & Foerster

Michael JacksonTRW lnc.

Vernon E. Jordan, Jr.Akin, Gump, Strauss,Hauer & Feld

Clark KenU n iversity of Cal iforn i a, Be rke I ey

Franklin A. LindsayCambridge, Massachusetts

Sol M. LinowitzAcademy for EducationalDevelopment

Gilbert C. MaurerThe Hearst Corporation

James P. McFarlandM in n ea pol is, M i n nesota

Ruben F. MettlerTBW lnc.

J. ln¡vin MillerCummins Engine Company

Newton N. MinowSidley and Austin

Eleanor Holmes NortonCongresswoman,Washington, DC

Jane C. ffeifferGreenwich, Connecticut

Elliot RichardsonMillbank, Tweed, Hadley& McCIoy

William M. RothRoth Propefties

Jerome S. RubinM.l.T. Media Lab

William RuderWilliam Ruder, lnc.

Sophie SaPanasonic Foundation, lnc.

Hershel B. SarbinHershel B. Sarbin Assoc., lnc.

John SawhillNature Conservancy

Adele SimmonsThe John D. & Catherine T.

MacAfthur Foundation

Elmer B. StaatsFormer Comptroller General

Lester ThurowM as s ac h u setts I n stituteof Technology

Joe B. WyattVanderbilt University

Members of the Board

of Directors also serve on thePolicy Review Board

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