We are a public school, not a private school, and I think there are some people who are looking for a private school experience in a public school.  (AC-T, 5/13/2012)

That is true. Many parents want their child’s public school to be like a private one. That is the idea behind charter schools. State legislators exempt public charters from oppressive state and district regulations, hoping they will be like private schools.

If oppressive regulations were the main difference between public and private education, however, all public schools could be exempted and be just like privates.  But the differences between them are much greater and more fundamental. The differences are in each system’s (1) a core belief, (2) governance structure, (3) purposes, (4) organizational structure, and (5) improvement paradigm.

These five elements are an integrated framework for all education systems. For American public education the framework looks like this: (1) public schools should be politically governed; (2) governors should be democratically elected; (3) purposes should be identified by elected officials; (4) districts should be bureaucratically structured; (5) schools should be improved through the application of research findings.

What does the framework look like for private schools?

(1) The core belief is that a private school can educate children better than a public one. If parents and trustees did not believe this, there would be no private schools.

The order of the second and third elements is reversed for private education. In public schools, governance precedes purpose because Americans revere democracy. We believe democracy is the best form of educational governance because, if elected officials fail to point public schools toward the citizens’ most desired purposes, they are replaced in the next election. In private schools, purpose precedes governance because purpose is sacred, governance is not.

(2) Private schools pursue a range of inspiring definitions of the educated person.  Parochial schools are based on religious teachings, military academies teach discipline, Montessori and Waldorf schools are based on theories of human development, and outdoor schools teach adventure/survival principles and skills, to name a few. On the other hand, the standards and accountability movement has focused public schools on one purpose — higher standardized test sores. Private schools ignore test scores to pursue their more inspiring purposes.

(3) Private school trustees (governors) are the keepers of those purposes.  Their role is to make sure the school stays true to its purpose, and to address new missions as they are desired by parents.

(4) Public schools are bureaucratically structured, but private schools are communities of like-minded parents, teachers and students. If private school parents wanted their children educated in a bureaucracy, they would send their children to the tuition-free public school. The question confronting private schools is the extent to which their community is inclusive or exclusive. Funding is often the determining factor.  Private schools without sliding tuition scales and tuition assistance endowments are more exclusive than those committed to these principles.

(5) According to the beliefs of educational researchers and politicians, public schools improve when teachers and principals apply research findings about what is effective. Federal funds are used to support only research-based improvement efforts. And states require certified teachers to be in-serviced on research-based fads. Private schools, on the other hand, pay attention only to research pertinent to their specific mission. For example, Montessori and Waldorf schools pay attention to child and adolescent development findings. Parochial schools reject research-based improvement efforts because they improve as they more effectively teach religious doctrine, not as their test scores improve.

These different approaches to the five-element framework explain the principal’s statement, “We are a public school, not a private school.” (Several article commenters also took notice of this statement.)

This past Christmas our school and a local business sponsored a coat drive for needy children. Once the coats were in, we wrapped and tagged them for size and gender.

As children arrived in the school lobby, they took seats around the Christmas tree. When they started opening and trying on their gifts, their faces lit with excitement.

One little boy put his hands in the pockets of his new coat.  He discovered gloves and money and screamed, “I found 10 dollars in my pocket!” One of the business sponsors asked him what he was going to spend it on.  He thought a minute and said, “I’ve never had money before to buy my mom a present. What can I buy her for Christmas with 10 dollars?”

This 8-year-old boy’s generous spirit shook the earth below our feet.  There wasn’t a dry eye in the place.  And the generous spirits of the donaters will be remembered forever in these young hearts.  Giving always lets you reap more than you sow.

KT McFarland, former Reagan deputy defense secretary, was a guest on The Willis Report (May 4).  At the 4-minute mark I learned that Reagan did not spike the ball after Grenada.  I laughed so hard I missed the part about Eisenhower not spiking the ball after Normandy, and Lincoln not spiking the ball after the Civil War.

I hope Reagan did not rely on McFarland for historical perspective.  Grenada?  Really?

As I continue to reflect on the six virtues of the educated person, I see that the true spirit of education surrounds South Wayne High School. Principal Boldt, custodians like Mr. Williams, and many fine teachers and students demonstrate the six virtues every day.

One experience this year stands out among all others, though.  It was the untimely passing of Kevin Wise, a senior class leader, a UNC baseball scholarship winner, and a young man who was loved and respected by all in our community. Kevin passed in his sleep in early March before our baseball team’s first scrimmage.

It was devastating, but the community, students and players turned his death into an opportunity to honor Kevin by living their own lives as he did — with honor and respect.  I have never seen so many people change in honor of one person.

Generosity was evident:

1. The UNC baseball coached presented Kevin’s family with a Tarheel baseball jersey with his number and name.
2. The school created a memorial that will stand in his assigned parking spot.
3. A Kevin Wise scholarship fund has been started.

It is also humbling to see how our baseball kids carry on in honor of their teammate.  Knowing the way Kevin would have wanted them to finish the season, they are playing for the conference championship this Monday night.

At the end of last school year, teachers warned me about the incoming 7th graders.  I had a great group of 7th graders at the time, so I thought, “God blessed me with this group to prepare me for what is to come.”

I used to “pride” myself on the fact that I didn’t listen to teachers’ horror stories about children.  I had to see who they were in my classroom before judging.  Now, after reading The Six Virtues of the Very Educated Person, I would say I am humbled by the positive relationships I am able to build with my students.

There was one rising 7th grader, in particular, who I was worried about having in my class. I sometimes saw him throwing fits in the hallway and cussing out teachers as he ran crying and screaming to the office.

And sure enough, he is in my class this year. He is extremely intelligent and writes better than most 7th graders. Throughout this year I have tapped into his strengths and created opportunities for him to shine with his classmates.  He went from thinking everyone was talking about him (bullying) to knowing that everyone was talking to him because they were interested in what he had to say.

It is amazing to see how students can change when the classroom is a positive, nurturing environment; where they feel comfortable sharing their accomplishments and even their defeats.  One day recently, this boy was having a rough day–almost as bad as the ones I saw the previous year. I had to take action because even the other students knew the slightest annoyance might trigger an outburst.

Instead of sending him out of the room, where he would be embarrassed, I asked him to help teach the class.  The topic was the Holocaust, in preparation for studying The Diary of Anne Frank.  He knew so much about history and the students wanted him to share.  Once he realized the others wanted to hear from him, his mood instantly changed.

I was humbled by the way my students were able to see that their actions/reactions were important in helping a fellow student. Not only that; but, as class progressed, this student showed strength and courage.  And today he continues to grow.

I recently had the opportunity to observe a team-taught, English inclusion class.  The two teachers worked well together, but what made this class special were their preparation and commitment to engaging all students.

The class was held in the technology lab, so students could work on smartboards. Students were put in groups and given cameras.  They were expected to videotape their work.

I was impressed with the confidence the teachers had in their students, many of whom were not high achievers. I couldn’t tell who was enjoying the lesson more — the teachers or the students. I have observed in other classes with low-achieving students, and teachers sometimes seemed frustrated.  The current emphasis on high standardized test scores pressures them to prepare low-achieving students for the test.

That is why some teachers decide not to incorporate the kind of creative activities tried by these teachers.  This lesson demonstrated the teachers’ courage and imagination.  I was also impressed with their passion and commitment to all students.

My goal is to have all students leave my classroom with more confidence (or polished confidence) than they came in with.  During peer interaction time this year, I focused on modeling and teaching courage.  When I returned to the classroom from workshops and conferences, I told students I had to build courage to share my thinking or ask a question in front of peers.

Students practiced sharing their ideas all year.  Our goal was to have 100 % participation in class discussions.  For some students this was difficult.  For others it was easy.  Regardless, we all worked together to accomplish the goal.

Students who easily contributed to class discussions began to hold their thoughts, so hesitant students would have time to get their thoughts together.  Less vocal students worked with others to practice and learn how they could share.  One suggestion was to simply restate a classmate’s comment in their own words.

Three weeks ago, our media center received 55 non-fiction e-books.  I wanted to show them how they could access these books over the summer, so e-books became the daily read aloud.

On the first day I modeled how to get into the system.  Each day after that, a different student modeled how to get into the system, retrieve a book, and find the bookmark where we stopped reading the previous day.

I used this activity as part of Teacher Directed Reading.  I wanted students to always read the subheadings and captions before they began reading the text itself.  I stepped back, and allowed students to take control.  To differentiate, I made it so students could read aloud at their comfort level.  If they did not feel comfortable reading a paragraph, they could  read a photo caption or a subheading.

I stepped back and let the students work this out together. Here is the beauty I saw.

Early on some students kindly reminded those who wanted to read a second time that “not everyone has read yet.”  Or, when students noticed that a hesitant student did not take part yet, someone would say “Mary, would you like to read the next caption?”  During one of the early sessions, a shy student shook her head, “No,” but another student said “Come on, you can do it.”  They all waited for her to read the caption.

During these days of e-book reading, strong character and courage were evident.  We had 100% participation.  The students made sure of it.

I had a 6th grade student who had a reputation for being a trouble maker.  He constantly annoyed teachers with his outbursts and apathy.  I looked for ways to make him comfortable in my class, but school was a living hell for him. I saw a young man who found sitting down in a chair all day an unbearable task.  His chaotic home life made it difficult to find a pencil, much less find the time or support to complete homework.

The first thing I did was give him a seat in the back of the room with the understanding that he could stand up or sit on the back of the chair if that helped him get through class.  Then I spoke to him about homework and offered him the alternative of staying after school to complete it.  He began to understand that I cared if he learned 6th grade math and he realized I respected his differences and valued his presence in my classroom.

As he began to relax, he revealed a wonderful sense of humor and began to apply himself in class.  It took a few months, but slowly his math grade began to improve.  He was staying after school two days a week, and he even began to ask questions about things he didn’t understand.

I looked for ways to capitalize on his sense of humor and creativity.  Soon he became a leader rather than a behavior problem.

One day I brought a book to school called, Zero, The Biography of a Dangerous Idea.  The first few pages were really intriguing and I used them to get students excited about math.  The first day I started reading the book  this boy’s entire body language changed.  He was completely absorbed by the author’s description of how the number zero, hidden in a computer code, crippled a nuclear submarine.  The author talked about the fact that zero and infinity were terrifying ideas to early civilizations.  He told of men being murdered for even suggesting the concept of nothingness or zero.

A few days later I reached in my desk to continue reading the story and this lazy, unengaged student literally leaped from his desk and came flying to the front of the room.  He sat at my feet so he wouldn’t miss a word.  The next week he came up to me after class to say he had been thinking about how zero and infinity were really the same thing and launched into an long explanation of his thinking.  This boy who never did his homework was contemplating the meaning of zero and infinity!  So much for the theory that he lacked intelligence!

This experience taught me not to have a narrow definition of what it means to be a “good” student.  I learned to look at the whole person to find what makes them special.

Many times I take for granted what I have now and the things I had growing up.  Some of our high school students have situations that are hard to imagine. My colleagues and I noticed that several of our freshmen are not having their basic needs met.  They lack clothes, shoes, food, attention, and love.

Generosity and humility are evident as a group of us teachers provides for these students’ basic needs. The result is that these students know we care and their attitudes, behavior and academics have improved.

Generosity and humility make a big difference in student’s lives; ours, too.

(1)  data-driven instruction,

(2)  instructional differentiation,

(3)  problem-based learning,

(4)  learning styles,

(5)  higher order thinking skills,

(6)  common core,

(7)  Khan Academy,

(8)  multiple intelligences,

(9)  high expectations,

(10) character education,

(11) core knowledge,

(12) benchmarking,

(13) brain-based teaching,

(14) cooperative learning,

(15) professional learning communities,

(16) heterogeneous or homogeneous grouping,

(17) standards-based instruction,

(18) 21st century learning.

It is simple.  Policymakers who are understanding, imaginative, strong, courageous, humble and generous should hold teachers accountable for modeling and teaching the same virtues.  It’s all about your definition of the educated person?  What is yours?  Contact me if you need help with this.