School administrators don’t want better results, they want money

No Child Left Behind has zilch to do with the wholescale abandonment of a principal's traditional duties. Zilch. That's even less than "not very much." When a curriculum-for-hire company "reconstructs" a school, you'd think they'd fix a lame administration first. Right? Wrong. They should, but don't. My opinion is that in dark, seedy, smoke-filled rooms the following conversation occurs:

Administration: One hand wash da udder yeah?

Company: Yeah.

Administration: Ev'ry school quarter I get dis long form. At da bottom I going write dat we is receiving adequate services from your company. Den, one-hundat-grand going slide real smooth 'cross da table. Unnerstand?

Company: Yeah.

Administration: So, da kine, boss around da teachahs as much as you like, but no tell ME notting. I going run dis school da way I like run 'em. At da end of da year you going have four hundat grand, so long as I keep writing dat one sentence ... dat we is receiving adequate services.

Company: Agreed. We have 10 other schools just on Oahu. Our primary interest -- being capitalists -- is that the money keeps sliding smoothly across the table.

Thesis of seedy conversation No. 1: Administrations and NCLB companies usually don't care about actually improving a rough school, and the wasted money is never returned.

My interjection here is to explain that I'm an eighth-grade Department of Education English teacher who has experienced many decades of teaching and many years of "reconstructing" with two separate high-paid (three or four hundred grand yearly) "curriculum for hire" companies in two different schools. I've never been helped one bit. Not a single instance. In case of a no-confidence vote, I'd use both hands. For both companies. That's FOUR hands! Millions of dollars could have been saved simply by leaving me alone. Entire schools (every department) could have been improved simply by reinstating an administration's traditional duties (REAL disciplinary structures, REAL grading policies, REAL teacher support).

A school's grading policies and disciplinary consequences need to be written down. And they are. But when a parent starts squawking-in-protest, administrations fold like sheets. Why? 'Cause if they don't, the parent will squawk to the boss, the district superintendent. This of course causes me to imagine another seedy conversation.

District superintendent: Lissen, ev'ry year I get one form I going fill out 'bout you. Dat called one annual evaluation. Unnerstand?

Principal: Yes ma'am sir!

District superintendent: Da ting is, I no care 'bout any kine categories 'cept one. My criteria 'bout judging you is: Can you h-a-n-d-l-e? Unnerstand?

Principal: Yes ma'am sir!

District superintendent: I no like hear from no complaining parents from any of da schools in my district. Parents no like when one teachah try for suspend dere kid. 'Cause den da kid going stay home irritate da parent all day. Parents prefer dat kid in school so he can irritate UDDER people. Unnerstand?

Principal: Yes ma'am sir!

District superintendent: Mostly parents is successful in squashing discipline by treatening da teachah for picking on dere innocent kid. Dey squawk so mean da teachah cave on da discipline and later is scared for fail da kid too. Dat's why da kid read at second grade level but made 'em all da way to eight grade. And going make 'em smooth as silk to ninth too. Dat just da way da world work teaching English ovah heah in our DOE. Unnerstand?

Principal: Yes ma'am sir!

District superintendent: Da ting is, sometimes going have one teachah dat try for stand firm. Den, dose parents going complain to da vice principal. If she stand firm, dey going complain to you. If YOU stand firm, dey going bump 'em upstairs, complain to ME. I hate dat. Ho, get plenny work already! I no need no squawking parents from YOUR school! Unnerstand?

Principal: Yes ma'am sir!

District superintendent: Jus' remembah, your evaluation is based on can-you-handle, which means: prevent dem parents from calling me!

Principal: Yes ma'am sir!

Thesis of seedy conversation No. 2: Principals are able to produce written steps on their school's grading and disciplinary structures, but the steps are immediately abandoned if parents squawk. Parents know this. Kids know this.

I don't believe that my admin, counselors and NCLB companies want improved test scores. If they did, they'd support me. My tested students produce high and/or the highest gains every year, and I feel the opposite of supported: harassed.

I don't want my administration and counselors to do more, I want them to do the bare minimum. Since, I dared utter this: I had to attend year-end parent conferences unrepresented; I was told that this coming year I'd be denied a counselor; and I was warned that if I don't play ball with a new curriculum-for-hire company (my third), I'd be removed from my school.

Well, if I'm going to get martyred anyway, might as well share the experiences as they occur. Besides, my job, or the exposure of NCLB fraud, or DOE incongruities ... that stuff's not important. What's crucial is that the money keeps sliding across the table.