Schools' performance reflects culture

By DENNIS M. CLAUSEN | Sunday, March 23, 2008 7:27 PM PDT ∞

Determined to make California the first state to invoke the penalty aspects of the No Child Left Behind Act, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger recently recommended additional sanctions for 97 school districts.

That list, which includes Escondido Union School District and Fallbrook Union High School District, has generated considerable criticism of our local schools and teachers. Yet there may be an even more important factor that determines school performance.

A study quoted in the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory stated, "The culture of (a) school reflects the local culture in many ways. ... When schools seek to improve, a focus on the values, beliefs, and norms of both the school and the environment outside the school is necessary."

Schools that are surrounded by a positive culture of respect for education (including the media) generally succeed. Schools that are surrounded by an indifferent or negative local culture usually struggle or fail.

Perhaps North County residents can learn something from Scandinavian cultures where schools have consistent records of superior achievement.

I grew up in an area settled by Scandinavian immigrants. They brought to the Midwest an Old World culture that revered educators and schools. I do not remember any of them blaming the teachers or schools for their children's inability to learn.

To this day, my hometown newspaper has mostly supportive letters and editorials regarding local schools. Scandinavian immigrants created a culture of respect for education that contributes mightily to the success of these schools, which rank among the best in Minnesota.

In the 1980s, I had students from several Scandinavian countries who could not understand the negativism directed at American teachers. Finnish students explained that they were already superior readers when they entered school because their parents loved to read.

North County schools are not as fortunate. They must create reading programs to do something Finns do naturally with their parents.

Walt Gardner addressed several related issues in a Feb. 27 Providence Journal article: "Lessons From Finland: The Way to Education Excellence." He said Finnish schools consistently place No. 1 in worldwide science and math competition.

"Not surprising, in a land where literacy and numeracy are considered virtues," Gardner adds, "teachers are revered."

Finnish schools avoid the business model in educational reform, he said. They shun standardized curricula, preferring instead to give teachers considerable latitude to create lesson plans.

They do not use national standardized tests during the first nine years, and they do not rank or compare schools. They also have a powerful teachers union, often cited as the culprit in our local schools. Yet Finland has the best schools in the world.

Most North County educational reforms have involved proposals that Finland has deemed counterproductive. Many North County commentators have targeted K-12 teachers as the major reasons why our schools are failing.

I will leave it to readers to determine whether North County's culture provides the support to help our schools succeed.

Escondido resident Dennis M. Clausen is a freelance columnist for the North County Times. Comment at nctimes.com.

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7 comment(s)[-]Go to Top

Gil wrote on Mar 24, 2008 8:58 AM:Thank you for this column; I totally agree. It appears that the American family has become so busy with both parents working, sports, TV, celebrities, movies, HBO, video games, and other pursuits that school teachers, who require students to do homework to master a subject, have become "annoying distractions." who disturb normal family life. Too many parents believe a teacher has the obligation to teach children all they need to know during school hours, an unreasonable tenet. It's a long-term disaster in the making as we will eventually realize...too late.
Thanks again.

Suzanne wrote on Mar 24, 2008 9:17 AM:Thank you, Dennis Clausen. As I sat yesterday with my family of teachers (one from Oceanside, two from Vista, two from San Marcos, one from San Diego, one from La Jolla), I wondered why our profession is so maligned. Every teacher I know is dedicated to their students. We went into teaching so we would be able to affect children's lives in a positive way and we all feel that we are making a difference. Our unions are not evil, and neither are we!

Reardon wrote on Mar 24, 2008 9:27 AM:I too have had two Scandinavian exchange students, and one Japanese exchange student -- and all were better educated than my children, but I don't think we want to accept either "culture," educational or otherwise. OURS is a business culture, and it is appropriate that our schools have an AMERICAN business culture. The problem is" We don't! We can't fire ANYONE! Ours is the worst of all possible systems: Socialist salary and firing practices, governmental management, and all without the discipline of Japan or the seriousness of Scandinavia. As a former prof. at a private university, I commend to Dennis that he enroll in a local School of Education for a few courses. THEN he will see the problem in California education -- which ranks 48th overall in America. He might also check the passing rate of California incoming teachers on the State CBEST (100%), and compare that with the passing rate of incoming teachers on the #1 ranked Massachusetts State test (76% Caucasian, 47% Hispanic, 46% Black passing rate, 10-year average.).

Missing wrote on Mar 24, 2008 1:07 PM:
What about school choice? Scandinavian countries offer it. Some offer a choice of public or private schools (Sweden) & some offer choice across public schools (Finland). If our problem is simply a cultural one then school choice wouldn't matter. In other words, there would be plenty of parents (& students) who wouldn't care about choice (they'd stay were they are). I don't believe that's the case though. If parents & students were allowed to choose, even if that choice was only between public schools (the money should follow the child), we'd see them excersizing their right to decide where they are educated.

Reardon wrote on Mar 24, 2008 6:02 PM:One solution to the problem of "chronically underperforming" schools has been suggested by a school superintendent in Massachusetts. He suggest that they instead be called "Priority One" schools! He said, “It sounds better.” Finally, a solution to the education problem!

Donna wrote on Mar 24, 2008 6:35 PM: Thank you Mr. Clausen for the well written article on how the performance of schools reflect the culture. I am a teacher for Escondido Union School district and have always believed that our schools are a microcosm of our society. If people want to know why schools are in trouble, just look around and be honest with what you see. I think many members our society have forgotten that with freedom comes responsibility,respect, and integrity...all of which are sorely lacking in our culture.

Reardon wrote on Mar 28, 2008 7:27 PM:Teachers should be reflective of the best in societal education, responsibility, ethics and integrity -- so that they can improve the education, responsibility, ethics and integrity of the general population, and more importantly of the neighborhood in which they work. Since all teachers are college graduates, one would expect them to be "a cut above" ANY neighborhood (except perhaps in Cambridge Mass. Teachers are responsible for TEACHING, and that is why they are called "teachers." We do not call them “Reflectors!”

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