Otto E. Arschdorn - Voice of Pedagogy: What Teachers Really Want to Say and What Americans Need to Know about American Public Education

VOICE OF
PEDAGOGY

WHAT TEACHERS REALLY WANT TO SAY AND WHAT AMERICANS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION

OTTO E. ARSCHDORN

Copyright 2013 J. P. Willis.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Archway Publishing books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

Archway Publishing

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.archwaypublishing.com

1-(888)-242-5904

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4808-0258-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4808-0259-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013949532

Archway Publishing rev. date: 10/3/2013

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Education is not the filling of a pail,

but the lighting of a fire.

William Butler Yeats

To Teachers in the Past who lit the Fire,

To Teachers in the Present who carry the Torch,

To Future Torch-Bearers,

Rock on.

CHAPTER I

A s I disembarked the burnt-orange ferryboat, which took me from one borough to the next, I once again heard the city sounds that reminded me I had reached this old Dutch settlement once filled with Knickerbockers that was no longer Dutch and no longer Englishthe busses, the cars, the tall reflective buildings, the waterfront smells, t he city smellsherds of humanity on a mission, a purpose propelling them like swift salmon in streams. Its difficult to take in all at once. We have no other city like it in Europe although Hamburg has some similarities. I passed Battery Park and walked north up one of the canyon-like avenues.

I dont mind walking: I like it and it gives me time to think. I am a teacher and part-time educational consultant. I dont get many consulting jobs since what I have to say is not what they normally want to hear. I knew of no school board in this part of city, nor one that would be on the thirtieth floor in a global financial district. I was very curious. I had little or no information to go by. I didnt even know who my client was. I had received a registered letter two weeks ago requesting my presence at this time and place9 AM sharp.

I was close to retirement. Could it be a job offer for my waning years?

As I navigated the lobby of the building and found the lift, I thought of the words of my father, the Feuerwehr chief in Munich: Dont go above the fourth floor! Ladder trucks cant reach that high. (It would be the fifth floor here in the States since Germans start counting at the second floor.) Anyway, I was going to the thirtieth floor and it only added to my confused anticipation. Germans do not relish confusion.

I got off the lift and found that this floor was actually the executive office for the entire building. I checked in with the secretary and was thoroughly searched by security personnel. I glanced around quickly at the teak wall paneling, the comfy leather chairs, and to my amazement, the Feininger on the wall. I knew there was a private collector of his work in this area, but his paintings are difficult to find, even in Europe. This was definitely not the office of a school board.

I didnt have to wait long. Doors opened and I was escorted into an adjoining office where a handshake was given and introductions were made. Since I cannot reveal his identity, I will call him Mr. B. He is the benefactor who made this book possible.

Mr. B. introduced me to two of his associates then he asked me to be seated in one of the four chairs facing each other in close proximity. I liked this. I was tired of speaking to experts hiding behind the faux authority of gigantic mahogany desks and tables and trying their best to distance themselves from my advice, as if it were an infectious disease.

Mr. B. began to speak the second we were all seated.

Professor Arschdorn, we are here to pick your brain and offer you a writing project. I sat listening intently, very curious to hear them out.

We are very familiar with your ideas and we are extremely impressed.

How do you know anything about me? I have published several academic papers, but other than that, I havent published anything.

My associates have attended your last three school board consultations. It was then I remembered their faces and I had wondered at the time who they were since they didnt fit the school board mold.

I see.

It doesnt seem that any of the school boards you spoke to implemented any of your ideas, Professor Arschdorn.

No, they didnt. I guess they didnt like my direct delivery. I cant help being German, even when I know I should be more diplomatic.

And we understand that you received very little compensation for those consultations. Is that correct?

Yes, they barely paid my plane tickets.

Why then did you even bother?

Because I had hoped they would see the need to change, but Im beginning to lose hope.

We like your candidness and your passion, and that is part of the reason why you are here today. As you well know, there are many business-minded people like us who are very concerned about public education, but we are not teachers like you. We are not in the classrooms every day. We have spoken to many department heads at the top teaching institutions across the nation, and not one of them seems to recognize any major problems with public education. They believe the status quo is good enough. We finally realized that most of the so-called education experts at the university level have never taught in a public school classroom; we were on the wrong path. Other educational consultants have taught, but it was years ago and they wont admit that they exited public education because of its many drawbacks. They go on speaking tours and tell everyone how wonderful education is. Their job is to motivate teachers, get paid, and move to the next circus.

Yes, you seem to have a remarkable grasp of contemporary American public education, but whats your point? I was impressed by the level of his insight and wanted to hear more.

You, on the other hand, are very experienced. You have taught fifteen years at the Gymnasium level in Europe. You have taught at the university level. You have taught twenty years here in the States at public schools, private schools, and universities, and most importantly, you have a true concern for the future of education. You are not a traveling circus. You refuse to pull punches and you tell the truth. That is the only way we can truly change education for the better, by telling the truth.

Again, I agree, but there is no market for my ideas. No one wants the truth. It isnt sexy. They want Hollywood versions of education where the tough hot female teacher walks into a classroom of ten students, does fun things, and changes their lives forever. That sells. My ideas dont.

There is a market for those ideas, but the good teachers like you who know what the hell they are talking about are very reticent about putting their name to a book or report. They fear losing their jobs, retribution from parents, from communities, from other teachers I think you know what I am talking about.