We mocked it and made it into a gag line, but we still remember what Nancy Reagan asked us to do forty years ago. “Just say no”. It was the 1980s and there was a national war on drugs. A personal statement of “No, not me” was her encouragement to the youth of that time to abstain from using illegal drugs. A simple, clear, and non-argumentative statement is powerful in declaring where a person stands on an issue. Public education today is confronted with numerous hot button issues. As educators we are required to be agnostic in our instruction of children; we inform but do not proselytize. Yet there are essential issues today that require a “Just say no”. Saying no to what is not right is always the right thing to do.
Say no to bullying of all types. We have been properly sensitized over time to recognize bullying and harassment in school. We have policies and procedures to correct those who bully and harass the vulnerable. We know how to deal with classic bullies and harassers. Recently we are confronted with non-physical and non-verbal behaviors, like ghosting, that damage a vulnerable child as much as a punch from the meanest playground bully. When children are active in social media, it is easy for a bully to lead gullible groupies in ghosting or raising digital innuendo about a targeted child. We see children at school who clearly are victimized although we see and hear no typical bullying behavior. This is silent bullying. Vulnerable children are targets for more sophisticated bullying and we need to say no to these machinations.
Say no to book banning. This is quite simple. Books and media portray and represent ideas and information that have value for intellectually informing student minds. Just as a collection of books presents a range of readability levels, so ideas and information in books and media are available for the different intellectual and personal maturity levels of children. As soon as a parent says that a book or item of media is not appropriate for their child, I say, “Great! Tell your child not to read or look at it. Be the parent your child needs”. Parents and other adults who demand that library collections conform to their personal values need to hear a simple and non-argumentative “no”. A parent can direct her child on what materials are appropriate for her child; she is not the parent of all children in the school. Sadly, the issue of access to materials is more about parenting and power demonstrations than about library collections.
Say no to making any children second class or ignored students. Purposefully not educating children is not new organizational behavior in our schools. Historically, the majority or those in positions of power denigrated groups of people based on race and ethnicity.
From the beginning, there was no consideration of educating American Indian children until decisions were made within the last century to create Indian schools for the purpose of “teaching out” any semblance of Indian culture in their children. This was bad practice based on political motivation.
Enslaved children were prevented from learning to read or write. In the post-emancipation era segregated schools for black children were the rule in southern and border states. While desegregation was national policy in the post-civil rights era, today we observe re-segregation based upon parent choice. In southern states and affluent northern urban communities choice policies allow parents to create publicly-funded charter schools for selected student membership. By law, any parent may apply for enrollment, but charter school policies allow these elite schools to expel children without cause or redress. The result is a resegregated school.
Today we observe state governors and legislatures discriminating against LGBTQ+ children with laws that refuse to accept any gender identity or role other than that of biological birth. Like Indian and enslaved children, LGBTQ+ are being discriminated against with politically motivated policy.
Say no to all behaviors that segregate or discriminate against children for any reason. The quality of our national character often is inadequate to prevent us from doing organizational harm to selected groups of children. Every instance of organizational discrimination that is ignored creates an opportunity for more discriminatory behavior. No one can make discrimination a right thing to do. Say no to all discriminatory practices in public education.
Say “no not me” when someone says, “everyone agrees that we should…” and you are not everyone. The herd mentality lives on today. I observe parents at board meetings who are passive when a parent speaker says, “everyone here agrees with me that we should…”. Passive parents who do not agree give apparent weight to false representations.
Herd behavior also lives in faculty and staff meetings. When a colleague says, “I speak for our faculty (or department or grade level) and you do not agree with what the colleague represents as your position on an issue, just say “no, this does not represent what I think”. Every time you remain silent in your disagreement, someone thinks you agree. Say “no, not me”.
In our hotter political climate, those who break from the herd may be reproached by herd leaders. However, it is right to say “I don’t agree” when you do not agree with the herd.
Just as saying no to things that are not right, we must say yes to things that are right.
Say yes to programs that provide security for all children. Say yes to all issues like food security that impact the health and safety of children. The post-pandemic economy stretches the distance between families with ample resources and those without. Food safety networks that gave every child a cost-free school lunch everyday are gone. Subsidized networks that provide winter coats, hats, and boots are closing as subsidies expire. Extended Internet capacities that were essential for distance learning are withdrawing free service and calling in pandemic-provided hardware.
Children who suffer food insecurity, insufficient seasonal clothing, and lack of home technologies begin every school day behind their more fortunate classmates. Once behind, it is ever more difficult to catch up. Say yes to programs that are networks for needy and insecure children.
Say yes to evidence-based instruction that ensures all children are proficient readers. And say yes to evidence-based instruction in all school curricula. The erupting support for Science of Reading instruction ended several decades of disorientation in our reading programs. I observed too many children being taught a reading curriculum that the teacher “liked”. We need to eradicate “like” as a criterion for selecting any instructional program. Say no to programs based upon “I like this one” and yes to evidence-based programs.
Arguments against phonics-based reading instruction abounded during the decades-long reading wars. Whole language and blended programming was “liked” because they were popular, provided abundant class materials, and did not require teachers to understand phonics. Popularity ignored the fact that non-intuitive readers did not learn to read, develop powerful vocabularies, or understand language structures. Popularity also ignored the fact that teachers beginning classroom careers in the 90s and early 2000s did not know phonics. They were not taught to read using phonics and their teacher preparation programs did not teach to use phonics in reading instruction for children. Today we have decisive evidence that phonics-based reading instruction is the best practice for all children. When the evidence is clear, say yes.
Say yes to an inclusive, four A education for all children. A Four A education provides all children with opportunities to learn and grow in their school’s academic, activity, arts, and athletics programs. Independently these A letter programs appeal to the individual child’s natural tendencies and interests. Some children thrive in school because they are driven by academic learning. They climb the curricular ladder into AP-leave courses and rigorous electives because learning success begets more learning success. Other children thrive due to their involvement in the activity and club life of their school. In our local schools large numbers of children engage in Destination Imagination, forensics, Mock Trial, and DECA. They thrive in challenging problem-solving and performance-based activities. Other children are driven by the arts. Vocalists, instrumentalists, painters, potters, jewelers, and doodlers find their passion in school rehearsal halls and studios. Athletics appeals to almost all children at one time or another and intramural and interscholastic sports give children opportunities to develop and display their talents.
Inclusive four A programs ensure a balanced school life for children. Inclusive ensures that one A does not dominate a school to the detriment of other A’s. And being a four A school assures intentional practices that grow with the changing student population.
Say yes to planning and funding and supporting these programs that grow student success knowing that success now begets future successes.
It is easy to be moot in the world of public education. The life and times of a school are constantly changing. Because of this, it is all the important to say no to things that are not right and to say yes to things that are right. Speaking up and taking a stand on key issues where saying no or yes matters is how we assure the best education for our children today and tomorrow.