Reshaping the Providence School System: Guest MINDSETTER™ Iannitti

Saturday, July 06, 2019

Guest MINDSETTER™ Tom Iannitti

 

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“Humans build organizations and can change them. Cultural constructions of schooling have changed over time and can change again. To do this deliberately would require intense and continual public dialogue about the ends and means of schooling, including a re-examination of cultural assumptions about what a “real school” is and what sort of improved schooling could realize new aspirations. Shared beliefs could energize a broad social movement to remake the schools” (Tyack and Tobin, 1994:478).

These words are powerful and salient because they characterize the true understanding of the process necessary to make changes to public education. Shared beliefs are the collective constitution of our state. Shared beliefs define us now and determine who we want to become as Rhode Islanders. Our shared beliefs, and the facts, indicate that our teachers are highly qualified, smart and passionate. These same facts and beliefs tell us that our students are capable, intuitive and modern learners who are thirsty for information on a broad spectrum of topics including intellectual, spiritual, mechanical and technical instruction. Our schools should be truly dynamic places filled with loving adults who cherish the opportunity to shape our lives. Our schools should inspire us to confidence in our ability and potential. Our schools should be spaces that lend themselves to our development; the effectiveness and happiness of those that work and learn there should be the primary focus. These are our shared beliefs.

If we have bright eager students and passionate smart teachers then why is our education system ineffective and why are the children of Rhode Island failing? Why is the entire education community, including the children, in Providence not thriving? I think the bright eager student and passionate smart teacher have been as effective as possible in spite of structural deficiencies in our system. These deficiencies have prevented schools from becoming what they should be and are rotting the very foundation of our educational system.

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There are several framework components that provide the general foundation for our education system. These components influence the nature and identity of every aspect of our schools. These framework components are:

  • Buildings- The physical space in which we house our school community.
  • Schedule- How the school day is structured for the members of the school
  • community.
  • Grading and Measurement protocol- How teachers and administrators measure the
  • growth of the student and the effectiveness of the teaching. (This includes content, resources, and delivery.)

 

These framework components completely dictate every aspect of our school experience. Our school buildings, for example, are the literal very first building block for our schools’ DNA and subsequently impact every aspect of our design and implementation of education. The Architect Giancarlo Dicarlo sensed this and devoted his life’s work to creating a body of knowledge and physical buildings that sought to shatter the institutional nature of schools. Erving Goffman’s Asylums, the seminal work that brought change to our mental health system, offers a new lens with which to view our education system. Goffman is considered by many to be the most influential sociologist of the 20th century and his work proved that certain institutions are by design intended to control, manipulate and degrade the self. This new understanding shows us that schools are actually total institutions and their building design has devastated our ability to create a learning experience that lives up to its potential. Simply put- All of our schools are built wrong and every subsequent action emanating from that system is deeply flawed. Anything good that happens after that initial mistake is due only to the resiliency and effectiveness of teachers and students- or luck.

The report by Johns Hopkins on the Providence School System validates the new understanding that schools are total institutions and allows us to see the true flaws in the structure of our system. This new understanding allows us to confidently and correctly rebuild our system in Providence and across Rhode Island. This is important because attacking structural composition of our school system offers a true chance at education rebirth versus the symptomatic approach we have seen for too long. The suburban system’s ability to mask the truth about the systemic design flaws has allowed an intrinsic cancer to persist. Providence is giving us a glimpse into the future and offers us an opportunity to build a new system. If suburban systems don’t make the changes that Providence needs to make they will follow in its path.

Providence has offered a unique view of the symptoms turned into a critical disease by providing statistics and anecdotal evidence that have been previously unseen. The Johns Hopkins report notes that Providence is worse than Baltimore in many ways and its facilities are failing greater than those previously seen in Georgia. When students in elementary school are “berated” by a teacher while standing “peacefully” this is an example of Goffman’s mortification of self- a standard product of the prison system which strips the inmate of the self so the inmate can be more compliant. Fearfulness, bullying, animosity and a host of other concepts outlined in the report are all traditional characteristics of total institutions and exist in all Rhode Island schools as symptoms of the greater disease. Providence just made it easy to see.

With a majority of economically disadvantaged students, who also happen to be minorities, the systemic inequities that reveal themselves to a lesser extent in more white and affluent districts are easy to see in Providence. White affluent communities are able to mitigate the degradation of a flawed system enough that they only see symptoms of the failure. Socioeconomic, environmental and cultural factors act in favor of more affluent English speakers because there is no barrier to literacy and there is typically a greater home to school connection. Providence suffers from a massive language barrier to literacy and relatively low home, school and community connection. These factors, combined with several governmental and contractual limitations have aligned to expose the weakness of the typical institutional model of education and kill the Providence Public School System. Simply reforming schools will not work.

Knowing that something is wrong is not enough. After all, we have known for a long time there was something wrong with our schools. Knowing that we want to aspire to be better is not enough. After all, who doesn’t want to be better? We must understand our shared beliefs and be able to act upon them to reinvent the system in a structural way. Nobody needs to share any beliefs to agree that the system is broken and change is necessary because facts have been established.

The days of looking at absenteeism, discipline and even test scores as anything but symptoms of a greater problem are gone. Absenteeism isn’t an issue when school becomes an inviting place that, in its beauty and functionality, inspires kids to be eagerly engaged. Discipline is simply the symptom for the root issue of school culture. When schools suffer from “discipline” issues they are actually suffering from a school climate and culture issue that can’t be fixed by giving out fewer suspensions. Low test scores can’t be fixed by teaching to the test but can see sustained improvement by creating a dynamic and cooperative learning environment that is supported by innovation.

Education isn’t the next big thing, it’s the only thing. Schools are everything to our Communities. Schools are centers of culture and enlightenment. Schools are economic engines for our neighborhoods by virtue of their ability to increase traffic and activity. Schools are safe places where freedom of speech for all is respected and promoted. These places are important places where each of us begins our journey to enlightenment. These schools have been organized by us to provide a basic knowledge base to our citizens and a lifelong ability to learn. Schools are without a doubt the vital pillar of our civilization. We have been failing our schools.

I have outlined a plan that will reshape the very structure of our system from school buildings to how we grade papers. This plan is based on the need to shatter the total institution that served only the needs of a historically more compliant population. This plan seeks to build new schools the right way, integrate schools with the community and design the learning dynamic to meet the needs of a modern sophisticated population. The plan focuses on the three structural elements of buildings, schedule and grading/measurement protocol. These three elements then provide the proper environment for school culture to flourish. Everything flows from the built environment first and it is vital that we don’t simply throw money at an old system that failed and will fail again. Rhode Island is poised to make the largest investment in education in the history of our State. This money will be wasted if we only update existing infrastructure and make our schools simply safe, warm and clean. The mouse seeks a safe, warm and clean space. We seek something more for ourselves. I’ll say it again because these are our shared beliefs. We seek a dynamic place filled with loving adults who cherish the opportunity to shape our lives. We seek a place that will inspire us to confidence in our potential and ability. We seek a space that lends itself to our development, effectiveness, and happiness of those that work and learn there.

Healthy and effective schools require a thoughtfully designed foundation for the campus community. The campus community removes the need to manage large groups of people in the most efficient manner. This need is the primary factor in the failure of our schools. This new approach to the built environment shatters the institutional barriers intrinsic in the current school design. These barriers stand as the major structural impediment to truly healthy and effective schools.

The basis for a campus community should include the following structural elements:

  • An inclusive student government modeled after our bicameral legislature. This student government should include all students and partly administer a student justice system.
  • A Community Justice System which is coupled with curriculum components tied to legal studies and the laws of greater society.
  • A Code of Ethics which includes curriculum components tied to ethics in politics, business, law and philosophy.
  • An Honor Code/Code of Conduct which serves in place of a discipline policy. This Code should be central to the school community and every student should understand the significance of living the right way.

 

These four foundational elements need to be supported by four essential elements of a fair justice system. These elements are:

  • Corrective- Students should be corrected when they do something wrong at school and these moments are teachable. Students deserve to learn even when making a mistake.
  • Retributive- Students deserve to be penalized when they break the rules and this provides a disincentive to violate.
  • Deterrent - Students receive swift and fair justice. Penalties show the student that violating the rules is costly and their time is better spent on learning.
  • Protective- Students deserve a safe place to learn that is free from negative distraction. Any action taken in response to a violation of the rules should serve to protect the student body as a whole from further nuisance. Unfortunately, this means removing students from school.

 

These foundational elements provide for the most effective environment for learning in the modern world. There will be no monolithic large buildings warehousing our kids. There will be smaller, college like campuses where our kids will have more freedom of movement and self-directed autonomy. This autonomy of self is vital to developing people who can be thinkers and not just doers. The current school is trite and belittling to the person in almost every way. The new school will see a mature involvement in governance, decision making, climate, and self-determination. Our students should evolve as independent thinkers who are good citizens, kind people, and thoughtful learners. The new school can provide all that only if we start with the construction of new campuses. Here are some changes that will be vital to Providence and the rest of Rhode Island as we move forward to rebuild our broken system:

  • A "Sea Change" in attitude will be implemented. We will move away from staff administering to student toward staff and student creating a unique learning experience together. This mindset will allow for the team of student and teacher to understand their relationship in a way that recognizes the value of each and empowers them to be independent but cooperative.
  • Physical spaces will be redesigned to maximize the effectiveness and well being of the students, faculty, and staff.
  • Schedules will be redesigned to maximize the effectiveness and well being of the students, faculty, and staff. Emphasis will be placed on independent thought, personal economy of action and empowerment.
  • There must be smaller neighborhood-based schools centered around functioning and dynamic shared spaces that connect school and community.
  • Class size statewide will be reduced to 20:1 with a goal of 15:1. This empowers the teachers to tailor education plans to meet the exact needs of each individual student. The small group dynamic is more personal and therefore more effective in honoring the independent and unique ability of each person. This will be achieved through hiring and partnerships with local universities.
  • Each university in Rhode Island will house a newly created learning laboratory which will be part of a network that develops curriculum, best practices, highly educated teachers and education professionals to serve in our schools. These labs will be created using public/private partnerships for funding and serve as the innovation hub for education progress in Rhode Island.
  • The labs will provide training and accreditation to a cadre of guidance and support professionals who will serve as the support network for students and teachers throughout our schools. These networks will seek a 10:1 ratio and offer a firm, supportive and caring framework on which the school community builds its foundation.
  • Recruit and support 14,000 mentors to link with students for the duration of the student's academic career. Mentors will share 10 minutes twice each month via screen time with each of their 10 students. Mentors will be supported by the learning laboratories. Mentors will receive tax credits for participation in the program.
  • The RIDE will create an office of economic innovation that serves to create sustainable private funding streams for schools throughout the state via partnerships with private industry.
  • Studentgradingandachievementswillbemarkedbyamodernsystemoficons, badges, and grades. Rhode Island will work with gaming and tech companies to create a new tech platform for student engagement and learning.
  • Students will be required to receive instruction in several new core competencies including civics and Rhode Island History.
  • School communities will participate in civics instruction and new student governance culminating in a statewide student election and celebration using the R.I. State voting equipment.
  • Students will be instructed in Rhode Island History. This curriculum will be provided by Professor Scott Molloy of the University of Rhode Island and the R.I. Historian Laureate, Dr. Patrick Conley. This will be adapted for all grade levels.
  • When constructed, students will realize the new Rhode Island State History Museum and Archives as integral to their learning experience.
  • Rhode Island will dedicate the first month of school to universal participation in preparation for a statewide school Olympics, cultural and academic festival. Every student in the state will play a role in this process by working toward a display of their academic, athletic or creative pursuits. Students will perform, play and present at various theaters, fields and debate halls throughout Rhode Island.
  • This festival will take place all over the state for three days. The final day will be a state holiday.
  • Rhode Island will designate a state holiday to celebrate the start of school. A statewide celebration will create a culture of enthusiasm and importance surrounding our learning community.
  • The state holiday will culminate in a final day of championships and performances in Rhode Island's best facilities along with a Waterfire and firework celebration in Providence. Rhode Island will work with the R.I. Foundation or other nonprofits to create opening and closing ceremonies.

 

Our schools have not lived up to their potential- but they can. To be effective we must recognize, and understand, the importance of schools to our society. In this way, we will raise our expectations and create an environment that fosters innovative growth. These high expectations will permeate every aspect of our relationship with schools, teachers, staff, students and our own communities.

Our schools were built, like almost every other school, to administer a large group of people in the most efficient manner. This original design style lends itself to the degradation of self and mortification. Moving forward we must be deliberate in not allowing the efficient management of large groups to be the primary factor in building schools and shaping the learning dynamic. This mistake is made obvious by Goffman’s work and we now have a roadmap to a proper education system. All decisions must be made with an eye toward the well being and effectiveness of the people and learning environment. We cannot get education wrong.

Our schools must change. Viewing schools through this new lens helps us create a paradigm which allows for the effective redesign of our educational system. We deserve greatness and our teachers, students, staff and families have been held back for too long by an antiquated system. It is time to stop addressing symptoms. We must use this new model to attack the root causes of failure. Rhode Island should have the best schools in America and with this new approach we will see rapid improvement in culture, scores and the future of our people. I urge all of you to help implement these changes in Providence and then in every Rhode Island school- our future depends on it.

 

 

Tom Iannitti served on the West Warwick School Committee for nearly two elected terms and was a Senate Policy Analyst for a time before relocating to California to work for a DOJ housed e-Safety education foundation.

 

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