My first attempt--talking with Secretary Duncan

I have been working towards this day for weeks....thinking and trying to figure out how to speak for my what's in the best interest of my students.  I knew talking to a politician would be difficult...never dreamed of how hard. How do you put a million words & ideas into a 1 minute statement.

The answer----you don't.

But I tried.

I wanted to help Secretary Duncan realize that the Blueprint doesn't set teachers up in the driver's seat.  It asks states to invite teachers to participate.  That's super different from using teacher expertise and knowledge of the communities they serve to build meaningful, higher order thinking skills assessments.  It's very different from walking away from the crazed high stakes, multiple choice tests. You can read what Heather & I wrote to say..I've attached it.

Download Many of us in this group come from the world of business prior to entering teaching

In addition, the conference call technology was a disaster.  When I did my speaking part, my voice bounced off the walls and confused the daylights out me.  I couldn't hear.  It was an echo chamber...I had no idea if they could hear me or not.  Oh....how I longed for the clear chat of Elluminate or Adobe Connect...where you can use a chat window if things are going badly to get some help.  I was so floundering out there.....drowning.  It's also quite strange when you have to punch in a code number, state your name and organization, missing the flow of the conversation....it puts you off balance just to start with. It went from bad to worse.

I know it's really not for nothing but it sure feels like it.  I felt like I failed and only got to hear stock answers. I haven't a clue if the DOE audience got that I want to elevate the teacher voice.  No clue.   After all these hours of hard work and prep....well, I need to go back to the drawing board.  Thank goodness for my National Board training....need to do some reflection on what went OK and what needs to be changed if I ever get another chance. 

This is such an important issue...one where I don't think teachers feel like they have a chance to even get involved.  And I wish I had been persuasive enough for the DOE folks to hear to the heart of what we were saying....I know they think they have policies that do what I was asking for....but I don't think I believe these policies will ever reach me.  And I don't think most teachers believe it either.  Unfortunately I don't think I got that point across. 

Then we ran out of time...we had 2 questions left and when one of us finished talking, no one else from my group knew to be in the queue, and when it was empty, the meeting was over.  Just like that.  I guess I need to figure out how to process this as a great learning experience. 

I will definitely write more about this...but I'm just so stunned and sad right now that I need to regroup.  I have to figure out if I just struck out or if I had no chance going into it.

Comments

[Jane Fung]

Marsha, I can't wait to hear all about it!
Whatever got across I am sure it was good stuff!
You are fabulous!

Jane

[Nancy Flanagan]

Hey, girlfriend. Chin up.

It's not as bad as you think (and I know--because I was there, too, waiting in The Queue That Didn't Get to Speak). Persist, persist, persist.

Don't you tell your students "If at first you don't succeed...?" Keep writing, keep talking. Your voice is important.

[mratzel]

Thanks friends.

I know it was totally idealistic to think we'd break through tonight. I kept hoping. I'm certainly not giving up...way too stubborn for that. if nothing else I will be radicalized in my own classroom where I have already implemented college ready assessment and higher order thinking skills. Where we dare to dream big.

Things like this just make you wonder how you'll make a difference in the world beyond the kids that you teach. And I know to take comfort in that it makes a huge difference in their lives....I guess I'm just impatient because I want it for everyone.

[David B. Cohen]

Marsha -
Thanks for all you've done to make this conversation happen. I don't know if you could have hoped for a breakthrough or anything dramatic, but it would be nice to feel that you had been heard - in any sense of the word. Hang in there.