"So how do we get it done?"

What is it about education that either frustrates or disappoints you?  Possibly there’s another verb that better captures your feelings or emotions?  For me, “anger” is probably the word that best describes what I am feeling especially when it comes to universal literacy.  Simply put, it angers me that we have not achieved universal literacy!

We already know more than we need to achieve universal literacy.  The question as Dr. Ron Edmonds put it, has more to do with “how we feel about the fact that we haven’t”

As I stated, it makes me angry.

If we really wanted to make universal literacy a reality – we would!

Let’s “think for a change” rather than react.  Let’s put aside all the excuses, justifications, or rationale used to defend failure.  Let’s suspend the political rhetoric, international comparisons, and the like that suggest that teachers don’t care or are not interested in each student being successful.

Rather, let’s think about how we get this done.  We have to by the way.  Failure is too expensive.  The cost of remediation is exponentially more expensive than getting “it” right the first time.

So how do we get it done?

The first step is rather simple, not easy.  Every one and I do mean everyone must say “yes”.  “Yes” is the first step to “how” as Peter Block reminds us.  “Yes” is proactive.  It is empowering.  By saying “yes” we are not waiting for someone else to address it.  This is our time and on our watch.

Second step – again simple not easy.  We need to give permission to our educators to “do whatever it takes” with respect to time albeit the instructional day, week, or year.  We need to give permission (as if it is needed) to teach literacy in all things and in all ways – day in and day out.  We’re going to have think and act differently about grade configurations, age, and etc.  We will have to finally put to rest the erroneous assumption and practice that if a student isn’t ready for the next grade we promote anyway and hope they not only learn what they didn’t learn the previous year but also will learn what they can’t learn in the present year – and the research says, “it hasn’t worked yet!”

Third step – there must be an unprecedented monitoring of instruction with continuous mentoring, coaching, and instructional support – support isn’t providing interventionists or specialists.  Rather support must be providing feedback, input to lesson design, instructional methodologies, and evidence of student learning.  Simultaneously, there must be accountability that is SMART (specific, measurable, actionable, relevant, and timely) not punitive – accountability that informs rather than makes judgments.

Lastly and probably the most important step is that we must individually and collectively shift from the “winning now” mindset to “it’s not how we start but how we finish” mindset.  The latter is about growth irrespective of where a learner begins the literacy journey.

We have all been indoctrinated with the theory of normal distribution (Bell curve) with respect to the distribution of learning, intelligence, income and etc.   Many have used and continue to use this theory to rationalize, justify and defend why “all” students are not successful.  However, in direct conflict with the longed believed, as “true” theory of normal distribution is a new construct– the “J-curve”.

Though the J-curve is associated with the distribution of achievement, I think it appropriate to apply it to literacy and the acquisition of content or subject mastery. I equate the mastery of content and subject matter as resembling a “J” - flat, dipping, and then ascending commensurate with literacy capacity, competence, and confidence.

What we must understand and practice is that without literacy no subject matter or content mastery will be fully realized.  In fact, a close look at leading indicators of success in almost every subject area is – literacy followed closely by writing.

The J-curve effect applied to literacy demonstrates the utility and import of literacy skills with the relationship of mastery of subject content. There it is – until literacy is mastered, we will not see mastery of other subjects or content.  As simple as this is, we don’t embrace this.  In fact, the oft-misused and misapplied theory of normal distribution (Bell Curve) too often drives our practice –

  I have intentionally stayed away from “how” we teach literacy.  In a like manner, I have stayed away from any specific program.  My point, universal literacy must be more than a pithy or trite sound byte.  We can and we must make it our nation’s foremost commitment. 

As Edmond stated,

“We can whenever, and wherever we choose, successfully teach all children whose schooling is of interest to us. We already know more than we need, in order to do this. Whether we do it must finally depend on how we feel about the fact that we haven’t so far.”